Category: Conferences

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!

Starting from an analysis of the Italian-Slovenian border and of its past and present function, this public roundtable allows for discussion between scholars, local institutions and those who have crossed and experienced the border in their migratory journeys, in order to reflect on the (in)visibility of migrations across borders.

23 November 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Auditorium of the Department of Humanities, University of Trieste – Androna Baciocchi 4

Organised by the University of Trieste in collaboration with the University of Primorska, Koper

Working language(s): Italian. The abstracts will be multilingual (ITA/ ENG/SLO)

The roundtable will focus on the Trieste border and the (in)visibility of migration from both an Italian and Slovenian perspective. Depending on the time period and on the people crossing it, the Trieste border has been part of the Iron Curtain, a space connecting different worlds, an everyday transit space or a European barrier. The border conceals and exposes, constructs identities, routes and patterns of life. But, above all, it builds cross-border territories and identities, it shapes the areas it encompasses and it gives rise to new social meaning.

Starting from an analysis of the border and its past and present function, this public roundtable allows for discussion between scholars, local institutions and those who have crossed and experienced the border in their migratory journeys. UniTS roundtable is the second stop in a European alliance path that began with the Koper roundtable on the theme of Borders & Migrations. It will be an opportunity to present the Border’s Archive (Archivio di Frontiera), an ongoing operative research project of students from the Universities of Trieste and Primorska.

With the participation of:

• Alessandro Monsutti (Anthropologist, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva)
• Katja Hrobat Virloget (Anthropologist, University of Primorska)
• Roberta Altin (Anthropologist, University of Trieste)
• Tullia Catalan (Historian, University of Trieste)
• Sandi Klun, (Mayor of the border municipality of- Dolina)
• Rita Casseler (border witness)
• Ismail Swati (border witness)
• Students of the ’Archivio di Frontiera – Border’s archive’ Laboratory

Moderators:

Giuseppe Grimaldi ( Anthropologist, University of Trieste) and Alessandro Carrieri (Historian, University of Trieste).

With the participation of voluntary associations, local stakeholders, students and citizens.

TEAMS: https://u.garr.it/9S5fc

Call for applications by students at the Transform4Europe alliance universities

On April 10-12 2024, the third session of the European Student Assembly (ESA) will take place in Strasbourg at the European Parliament. 

The European Student Assembly is a grassroots project that gathers each year more than 200 students from different European University Alliances (EUA) to debate current issues, draft political recommendations for the future of Europe and advocate them among stakeholders and decision makers.

The T4EU students can apply until 5 November.

As students and part of Transform4Europe, you are eligible to apply!

Please note that accommodation costs will be taken care of by ESA, and that selected students will have their travel costs from European countries covered by Transform4Europe.

Please read the #ESA24 handbook before applying.

Education is constantly evolving, adapting to the ever-changing needs of students and the world at large.

Two weeks ago, during the international conference “INNO-METHODS for Quality Curricula,” the T4EU Innovative Teaching Awards were presented, showcasing the exceptional efforts of educators who are at the forefront of implementing innovative teaching practices.

These awards not only recognize these educators’ contributions but also serve as an inspiration for the collective adoption of new teaching methods.

Here’s the awarded professors and their remarkable contributions to the world of education.

1) Dr. Evelina Bendoraitienė – Creation of Life Escape Room

Imagine learning biology not through traditional textbooks and lectures but by immersing yourself in a real-life scenario. Dr. Evelina Bendoraitienė from Vytautas Magnus University did just that by creating a “Life Escape Room.” This innovative teaching method allows students to step into a thrilling adventure, where they solve biology-related puzzles and challenges. By making learning an exciting and interactive experience, Dr. Bendoraitienė’s approach sparks curiosity and enthusiasm, making complex subjects more accessible and engaging.

2) Magdalena Christ – ABC of Visual Thinking and Sketchnoting

Visual thinking and sketchnoting are powerful tools for enhancing learning. Magdalena Christ, from the University of Silesia in Katowice, has taken these concepts to a new level with her “ABC of Visual Thinking and Sketchnoting” course. This innovative approach helps students unlock their creativity and communication skills through drawing, visualization, and note-taking. Magdalena’s method not only makes learning more enjoyable but also equips students with valuable skills for the future.

3) Jun.-Prof. Dr. Benedikt Schnellbächer and Alexander Schöneseiffen – Digital Entrepreneurship

In today’s digital age, entrepreneurship is taking new forms. Jun.-Prof. Dr. Benedikt Schnellbächer and Alexander Schöneseiffen from Saarland University have developed a cutting-edge approach to teaching “Digital-enhanced and International Teaching of Digital Entrepreneurship.” Their method equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the digital business landscape. By combining technology and entrepreneurship, they prepare students for the challenges of the modern business world.

4) Assoc. Prof. Giovanni Bacaro – Universal Game Design for Learning

Assoc. Prof. Giovanni Bacaro from the University of Trieste has created an exciting teaching approach called “Universal Game Design for Learning and Game Co-design for Student-centered Learning.” By integrating game design principles into the learning process, students not only acquire knowledge but also develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. This innovative method redefines traditional education and encourages a student-centered approach to learning.

The T4EU Innovative Teaching Awards have highlighted the exceptional contributions of these educators, each of whom has taken innovative steps to revolutionize the teaching and learning process. These award-winning methods not only make education more engaging but also better prepare students for the challenges of the modern world.

As we celebrate these pioneers in education, we should also take inspiration from their work to further enhance our teaching methods and encourage innovative practices in the field of education.

• 

Innovative Teaching Conference

Digital technologies have transformed the learning ecologies of higher education systems and offer new opportunities to create innovative quality curricula to deal with societal challenges.

Against this scenario, the “INNO-METHODS for quality curricula” conference intends to promote reflection on innovative teaching and quality curricula, share innovative teaching approaches enhanced by digital technologies and build a shared perspective for the T4EU Alliance.

It will be an opportunity for mutual exchange and enrichment, thanks to the participation of professors and experts from the whole T4EU Alliance, as well as of international experts.

Up to 10 teachers per partner university are invited to participate, as are researchers, PhD students and staff.

During the conference, the winners of the innovative Teaching Award Competition will be announced and the prize-giving ceremony will take place.

You can register simply by filling in the dedicated application form by 15^th August EOD