Category: Conferences

On Thursday, April 10, at 5:00 PM, at the Department of Humanities of the University of Trieste, the book Multicultural Cities of the Habsburg Empire, 1880-1914. Imagined Communities and Conflictual Encounters by Catherine Horel (CEU Press, 2023) will be presented.
(Open-access link: here)

The book, the result of extensive and passionate research, offers a comparative analysis of 12 cities within the Habsburg Empire, including Trieste. It examines aspects of daily life such as education, associations, culture, and economy. Horel’s study presents an image of an empire whose urban centers were marked by cultural and political dynamism, despite ongoing national conflicts.

The author will be joined in discussion by historians Borut Klabjan, Francesco Toncich, and Tullia Catalan.

The University of Trieste invites its academic and non-academic staff to participate in the T4EU International Conference “Societies on the Move: Challenges of Today, Prospects for the Future”, which will take place on 1^st and 2^nd  April 2025, at Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria.

About the conference:

The conference will focus on the current and envisaged challenges today’s societies face due to political and economic crises, war, climate change and the rapid advancement of digital technologies and AI in all spheres of life. It is thematically related to the three Transform4Europe focus areas:

• Societal transformation, community building and inclusion
• Digital transformation and smart regions
• Environmental Transformation and sustainability

Outstanding keynote speakers will deliver visionary and plenary speeches. 

Doctoral students and early-stage academics from all scientific areas are kindly invited to participate, showcase the results of their research work, engage in discussions with their peers and with established researchers The participants will receive a certificate jointly issued by the Transform4Europe Alliance universities. The conference papers will be published in Conference Proceedings after scientific review.

Conference objectives:

The conference aims to:

• encourage PhD students and young researchers (including outstanding MA students) to involve in research networks with their peers from the eleven Transform4Europe Alliance partners;
• provide a forum for exchange of innovative research ideas, knowledge-sharing and co-creation;
• embed a culture of Open Science and a new approach to the scientific process based on openness, inclusiveness and cooperation.

You can apply by using this form. 

Deadline for submissions is 28^th February”

The University of Trieste invites its academic and non-academic staff to participate in the Transform4Europe Alliance’s International Conference “Enhancing Professional Excellence: Synergy of Academic and Non-Academic Staff (PROF-SYNERGY)”, which will take place on April 9-10, 2025, at Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania.

About the Conference
Building on the tradition of past Transform4Europe events, this year’s conference introduces an innovative approach by bringing together academic and non-academic staff. The goal is to foster meaningful collaboration, promote professional development, and enhance the collective growth of the educational community.
Attendees will explore topics such as digital learning technologies, innovative teaching methods, resilience skills, lifelong learning, and quality culture development.

Programme Highlights
• Keynote speeches by experts in education and professional development.
• 20+ professional development sessions designed to inspire and educate.
• Awards ceremonies recognizing innovative contributions by academic and non-academic staff.
• Social events, a Science Café, and a campus tour of Vytautas Magnus University, including visits to university laboratories.

• Conference flyer: click here
• Registration for listeners: click here

Awards Opportunities

T4EU Non-Academic Staff Award: These awards are organised for the first time, therefore, we encourage you to apply! Applications are accepted until 31 January 2025. The application form is accessible here. The winners will be awarded during the T4EU Conference.
T4EU Innovative Teaching Award: These awards are implemented according to WP.5.2 (the target group is Teachers/Academic Staff). The deadline for applications is 31 January 2025.

For any additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Transform4Europe team at transform4europe@vdu.lt.

MY CHATBOT IS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME: THE ETHICAL DILEMMAS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ASSISTANTS AND COMPANIONS

🌐 Follow the event live via streaming on the Transform4Europe YouTube channel
📅 Sunday, September 29th | 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM

📖 Public open discussion by William Hasselberger, Professor of Politics and Director of the Digital Ethics Laboratory at the Catholic University of Portugal.
🎤 Presented by Francesco Miele, Researcher in General Sociology, University of Trieste

AI companions and humanlike conversation – Should we embrace artificial relationships to combat loneliness and social isolation? Explore the ethical and societal impacts of AI companions with leading experts in the field.

🔍 Don’t miss this insightful discussion on the future of AI and human connections!

On May 21st, from 5.30 to 7 pm at Sala Bobi Bazlen, Palazzo Gopcevich, Via G. Rossini 4, Trieste

This roundtable discussion aims to investigates the strategies and mechanisms crucial for enhancing public engagement in citizen science, science communication, and open science initiatives. 

The round table will be divided into two sessions, one in Italian and one in English. In the first one, the discussion will focus on the key themes of the meeting (public engagement/citizen science, science communication and open science), exploring the most significant issues. In the second part, the focus will be on best practices of citizen science with the experiences of some early research careers and on the role of public engagement concerning stakeholder involvement to stimulate a debate involving the public.

Recognizing the pivotal role early research careers play in shaping the future of science and fostering public confidence in science issues, the discussion aims to identify and discuss best practices according to their specific problems and needs.

Citizen science, science communication, and open science are fundamental tools for engaging the public in scientific activities, promoting transparency, and developing collaborations between citizens and the scientific world. In this respect, early research careers play a central role in shaping the future of science and promoting public knowledge and trust on these themes.

Moderator:

Dr. Alessandro Carrieri, T4EU-T4ERI projects, University of Trieste

• Institutional greetings:

Prof. Alberto Pallavicini, Rector Delegate for T4EU

• Part 1 – Public engagement, science communication, open science and citizen science.

Prof. Stefano Martellos, University of Trieste

Prof. Andrea Cerroni, University of Milano-Bicocca

Dr. Federica Sgorbissa, Medialab Sissa

• Part 2 – Best practices for fostering public engagement and citizen science

Prof. Tullia Catalan, University of Trieste

Dr, Anna Krekic, Castello di San Giusto and Risiera di San Sabba, Municipality of Trieste

Dr. Chiara Vitillo, The University of Siena

Dr. Katia Rupel, University of Trieste

The Vitautas Magnus University invites academic staff, researchers and PhD students of Transform4Europe universities to participate in the Training & Experiences Sharing Session “How to make science more engaging and sociable?”.

The online training will be held on April 15, 9.00–15.45 CET (MS TEAMS).

The session consists of two parts.

The first part is dedicated to citizen science and will focus on the presentation of its concept and main principles, limitations and problems that could be encountered during citizen sciences projects. The trainers also will share their exemplary experiences in implementing citizen science projects or related activities in different countries and universities.

The second part is dedicated to improving science communication competencies. The program comprises theoretical and practical approaches, covering topics such as the complexity of science communication, ethics in the field, navigating visual misinformation, and utilizing social media tools for effective communication. Led by experts from various institutions, the program aims to enhance participants’ skills in conveying scientific information and navigating the challenges of communication in today’s diverse media landscape.

The reminder about upcoming The Training & Experiences Sharing Session together with login reference will be sent to all registered participants approximately 3–5 days before the event. The Training & Experiences Sharing Session will be recorded.

SCHEDULE

PART I: CITIZEN SCIENCE

Moderated by Tomas Berkmanas, Associate Professor Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

9.00–9.45 CET

Citizen Science in Practice: Ecosystem Approach | Eglė Butkevičienė, Professor Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania

9.45–10.15 CET

Exploring the Role of Private Natural History Collections in Citizen Science: Opportunities and Challenges | Veljo Runnel, Citizen Science Expert | University of Tartu, Estonia

10.15–10.45 CET

Transferable Experiences and Lessons Learnt from Citizen Science Project on Wildlife Conservation | Elena Buzan, Professor University of Primorska, Slovenia

10.45–11.00 CET

Citizen Science Q & A

11.00–12.00 CET

Lunch Break

PART II: SCIENCE COMMUNICATION

Moderated by Austė Aleksandravičiūtė-Šviažienė, Science Communication Specialist, Lecturer | Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

12.00–12.45 CET

The Complexity of Science Communication | Austė Aleksandravičiūtė-Šviažienė, Science Communication Specialist, Lecturer |Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

This lecture aims to delve into the intricacies of science communication, exploring the multifaceted challenges and nuances inherent in conveying scientific concepts to diverse audiences.

12.45–13.30 CET

Ethics of Science Communication | Tomaž Grušovnik, Associate Professor

University of Primorska, Slovenia

The lecture will introduce the audience to the basics of ethical reflection and explain important virtues in science communication: truthfulness, objectivity, courage, etc.

13.30–13.45 CET

Break

13.45–14.45 CET

Navigating the Landscape of Visual Misinformation (Lecture/Seminar) | Kert Viiart, Associate Professor, Graphic Designer and Visual Artist |Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia

As images and videos continue to be potent tools for disseminating information, the responsibility to promote accuracy and truth in visual communication becomes imperative in navigating the complex landscape of contemporary media.

14.45–15.45 CET

Social Media Tools for Science Communication (Workshop) | Karin Marinič, Digital Communications Editor & Amy Simmons, Assistant Researcher | University of Primorska, Slovenia

This workshop will discuss practical ways to create engaging and accessible science communication. Lecturers will share tips and tricks for effective & creative communication on social media.

The University of Trieste, leader of WP7 on Common Heritage and Multilingualism of the T4EU Alliance, held ita first face-to-face WP7 experts meeting in Trieste on 26^th February 2024.

About 30 international guests participated from all 10 partner universities.

The meeting was an occasion to reflect on our common heritage and what we can do to keep our distinctive features, while trying to find a common T4EU identity. Discussions included the definition of commonly used terms like “multilingual” and “intercultural”, and what our Alliance can do to promote them.

Our partners provided a lot of excellent food for thought, inputs, and ideas to develop our partnership stronger and deeper.

Our next step will be the fine-tuning and implementation of what was discussed, with the objective of making cultural heritage and multilingualism two flagship elements of our Alliance!