RC Trust Grand Opening: UA Ruhr unites top research on trustworthy AI
On 3 November 2025, the University Alliance Ruhr introduced the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security (RC Trust) at the Dortmunder U. Around 120 guests from academia, industry, and policy attended. The mission is clear: build AI that people can rely on - with concrete applications and measurable impact.
RC Trust takes a human-centred approach. The centre prioritizes methods and systems that make decisions transparent, keep users in control, and hold up under real-world conditions.
Who is behind RC Trust
The three UA Ruhr partners - TU Dortmund University, Ruhr University Bochum, and the University of Duisburg-Essen - jointly support RC Trust. The centre has been in development since 2021 and has already recruited leading international researchers, including from Japan and England.
- 12 research professorships and 1 junior professorship
- 4 Young Investigator Groups
- 11 postdocs and 32 doctoral researchers
Research focus
RC Trust covers the full spectrum needed for dependable AI systems - from trustworthy data analysis and explainable machine learning to cybersecurity and data governance. Interdisciplinary teams work across domains such as digital health, public administration, and education.
- Build secure, reliable IT systems that continue to work under new data, disturbances, or targeted attacks
- Study when and why people trust AI - and where the limits are
- Design interfaces that keep users in control and make decisions traceable
- Quantify uncertainty in AI outputs and make reliability visible to end users
- Ensure conclusions are reproducible - a foundation for trustworthy decisions in science, business, and society
Why it matters
In a video message, Minister President Hendrik Wüst emphasized the goal for North Rhine-Westphalia: to become Europe's leading digital region and an AI hotspot. "To make that happen, public acceptance is crucial. The Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security is an important boost to cybersecurity research. Here, trust and security take centre stage. Only if people trust new technologies can we realize their full potential."
Ina Brandes, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Culture and Science, highlighted the societal relevance: "Here in the heart of the Ruhr region, a place is emerging where the pressing questions of our digital society are explored with scientific excellence and curiosity. Artificial intelligence, big data or cybersecurity - the key issue is no longer whether but how these technologies become part of our everyday lives: responsibly, transparently and safely."
What researchers and R&D leaders can use today
- Adopt uncertainty estimation and model auditing as standard practice - make reliability visible at prediction time ("How much can I trust this answer?")
- Stress-test systems for distribution shift and adversarial inputs - plan for failure modes before deployment
- Build data governance into workflows from day one - consent, provenance, and access control are non-negotiable
- Ship explainability that actually helps decisions - simple, traceable rationales over black-box justifications
Further information
Read the full article and watch the video messages by Minister President Hendrik Wüst and Minister Ina Brandes on the RC Trust website: RC Trust Grand Opening.
Need to upskill teams on explainability, data governance, or AI safety? Explore curated programs for technical roles here: AI courses by job.
Image: © RC Trust/Thomas Willemsen
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