European Universities 2030: Building Knowledge Ecosystems for Europe’s Strategic Capacity in an Age of Polycrisis

3 Jun 2026, 09:00 → 5 Jun 2026, 21:45 Europe/Berlin

ONLINE

FORTHEM international conference

European Universities 2030: Building Knowledge Ecosystems for Europe’s Strategic Capacity in an Age of Polycrisis

^{June 3-5, 2026}

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This conference brings together researchers and practitioners from biosciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and education to co‑create responsible, democratic, and sustainable innovation for Europe. We invite contributions that connect cutting‑edge science with ethics, inclusion, governance, and societal impact, drawing inspiration from the FORTHEM Alliance’s efforts to connect worlds of science and society.

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1st Day of the FORTHEM conference, Wednesday 3rd, 2026

Conference pre-event: From Principles to Practice – Enabling Better Research Careers for Early-Stage Researchers
Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/382730707203035?p=65WsHZB32EeR2wyd4y 

Opening Ceremony
Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/327548773570903?p=bEUUuFGLVqmKjAwULe 

Transforming Higher Education: Governance, Values & Alliances as Strategic Systems
Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/36982026185134?p=6ylo1VJzimVxiKBdEE 

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2nd Day of the FORTHEM conference, Thursday 4th, 2026

Starting 9:00 CET/10:00 EET

Democratic Innovation, Participation & Epistemic Justice: Who Is Recognized as a Knower?: 

Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/331457992218257?p=wmLSbHllmM9hgOKZXO

 

Starting 11:00 CET/12:00 EET

Multilingualism, Language Justice & Knowledge Infrastructures: Who Gets to Know-and in What Language?:

Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/310609190008006?p=kU0frSalkyZV2KqcgE

 

Starting 13:00 CET/14:00 EET

Cultural Heritage, Identity & Democratic Cohesion: From Preservation to Political Function?:

Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/396077404567625?p=6tZY2Rt7wFEI6PEtWf

 

Starting 15:00 CET/16:00 EET

Learning Futures: Teaching, Engagement & Cognitive Transformation: 

Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/33917580428515?p=lEBOW0uzroImR2fVFd

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3rd Day of the FORTHEM conference, Friday 5th, 2026

Starting 9:00 CET/10:00 EET

Migration, Belonging & Plural Knowledge Systems: Beyond Integration to Epistemic Plurality:

Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/349031647068509?p=dSxTF99ZY5Yap6NAbg

 

Starting 11:00 CET/12:00 EET

Technology, Ethics & Human Impact: From Innovation to Consequence: 

Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/363336264541363?p=OOHTOs67m4fQYnxxJR

 

Starting 13:00 CET/14:00 EET

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions: 

Join the session: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/399364375980678?p=nb0a00nzTVyqXnhw4W

 

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Wednesday, 3 June

Conference pre-event: From Principles to Practice – Enabling Better Research Careers for ESRs & Postdocs

This interactive 3-hour session focuses on how current European policy developments translate into better career pathways for early-stage researchers and postdocs. Moving beyond research assessment alone, the session explores skills development, career progression, and employability inside and beyond academia.
Bringing together policy, institutional, and researcher perspectives, the eventn combines short inputs, discussion, and interactive exchange to identify practical approaches for strengthening research careers across Europe.

Opening Ceremony

1 Opening of the 4th FORTHEM international conference

Speaker: Dr Antra Boča (University of Latvia)

2 On economic investment agenda for the universities under the EU Global Gateway strategy

European universities are operating in an increasingly complex geopolitical and geostrategic environment marked by intensified global competition, technological transformation, climate challenges, and shifting international partnerships. In this context, higher education institutions play a critical role not only as centres of education and research, but also as strategic actors contributing to Europe's resilience, competitiveness, and global engagement.

Universities are uniquely positioned to foster knowledge diplomacy, develop talent, support innovation ecosystems, and strengthen international cooperation based on shared values. Through research partnerships, academic mobility, capacity-building initiatives, and skills development, they help address global challenges while advancing European interests and priorities.

The European Union’s Global Gateway strategy provides an important framework for this engagement. By promoting sustainable and trusted partnerships in areas such as education, digitalisation, energy, health, and infrastructure, Global Gateway creates new opportunities for universities to deepen collaboration with partners around the world. The presentation will reflect on the role of education and research cooperation under the Global Gateway and opportunities for universities and university alliances to engage globally.

Speaker: Luisa Bunescu (Higher Education Policy Analyst, European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA))

3 European University Alliances as Platforms for Soft Power and Science Diplomacy: Insights from the FORTHEM Alliance

In a world marked by geopolitical uncertainty, societal polarization, and complex global challenges, universities are increasingly recognized as influential actors of soft power. Through education, research, and international collaboration, they foster trust, intercultural understanding, and long-term relationships that extend beyond national borders and political cycles.

This presentation explores the role of universities in advancing science diplomacy and argues that the European Universities Initiative represents not only an educational transformation but also a new model of international engagement through knowledge. By connecting institutions, researchers, students, and regional stakeholders across Europe, university alliances create transnational ecosystems that strengthen cooperation, resilience, and shared European values.

The FORTHEM Alliance provides an example of how universities can contribute to science diplomacy. Through joint research, innovative learning opportunities, civic engagement, and collaboration with external partners, FORTHEM demonstrates how academic cooperation can generate diplomatic value by building trust, facilitating dialogue, and addressing societal challenges.

Speaker: Dr Barbara Curylo (University of Opole)

4 University as a Knowledge Ecosystem for Resilient Democracy

Speaker: Sigita Struberga (Secretary General of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, Head of the board of organisation "Women for Security" and researcher at the University of Latvia)

Transforming Higher Education: Governance, Values & Alliances as Strategic Systems

institutional transformation; alliance governance models; strategic capacity building; cross-border integration; value-driven leadership; systemic coordination mechanisms; ecosystem governance; strategic autonomy; capacity building under constraint; inter-institutional coordination architectures; resilience of alliances; Alliance as knowledge ecosystem node

5 Transforming Higher Education: Governance, Values & Alliances as Strategic Systems – The Emerging Research Dimension of European University Alliances

European University Alliances are increasingly evolving from cooperation platforms into strategic systems that connect education, research, innovation, skills development, and societal engagement across borders. This contribution examines how alliances move beyond project-based collaboration toward more durable forms of institutional transformation through governance structures, coordination mechanisms, and alliance-level enabling capacities.
Using FORTHEM as an illustrative case, the presentation explores how thematic labs, alliance governance architectures, early-stage researcher ecosystems, and regional innovation linkages contribute to the institutionalization of cross-border collaboration between the European Education Area (EEA) and the European Research Area (ERA). The talk particularly focuses on alliances as value-driven knowledge ecosystems operating under conditions of fragmented governance, financial constraints, and increasing expectations regarding resilience, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy. The presentation further discusses emerging challenges such as research assessment reform, professionalization of research management, and the tension between inclusive collaboration and increasingly competitiveness-oriented European funding frameworks. It argues that alliances are becoming implementation environments for European policy ambitions and experimental spaces for new forms of systemic coordination and institutional integration.

Speaker: Dr Nicole Birkle (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)

The Research Dimension of Alliances_Nicole Birkle.pptx

6 Sustainability Paradox of European University Alliances

Background. European University Alliances (EUAs) are positioned as strategic instruments to transform higher education and strengthen the European Education and Research Areas. Despite strong political support and ambitious integration agendas, many alliances remain structurally dependent on temporary, project-based funding and fragmented governance arrangements. This creates a sustainability paradox: alliances are expected to operate as long-term, transformative structures while simultaneously functioning under short-term, unstable coordination conditions. Existing governance research increasingly highlights tensions between collaborative governance ambitions and institutional fragmentation (Ansell & Torfing, 2021; Pierre & Peters, 2020).
Aim. The aim of the ongoing study is to explore the sustainability paradox of European University Alliances and to identify the governance-related mechanisms, factors, and tensions that shape their long-term continuity.
Methods. The study applies a qualitative Grounded Theory approach based on Strauss and Corbin’s methodology (1998). Data collection includes semi-structured expert interviews, a roundtable with alliance leaders and governance actors, policy and strategic document analysis, and observational insights from European University Alliance activities and governance processes. The ongoing analysis focuses on sustainability dimensions, governance dynamics, projectification effects, and meta-organisational coordination mechanisms. <...>

Speaker: Edita Lenkauskaite (Klaipeda University)

7 Building a Biodiversity Venture Building Platform for European Universities

The growing urgency of biodiversity loss calls for new mechanisms capable of transforming scientific knowledge into scalable solutions with environmental, social, and economic impact. While European universities produce significant biodiversity-related research, the pathways through which scientific discoveries evolve into entrepreneurial initiatives remain fragmented and underdeveloped. Traditional technology transfer approaches often struggle to address the early-stage challenges associated with translating complex scientific knowledge into viable ventures.

This contribution proposes the development of a transnational Biodiversity Venture Building Program within the European Universities as an innovative strategic capacity-building instrument for higher education institutions. Building on the experience of the Biodiversity Venture Building Program developed by the University of Palermo in collaboration VeniSIA, Spin-off of Ca'Foscari University of Venice, the initiative seeks to position university alliances not merely as networks for education and research, but as integrated knowledge ecosystems capable of orchestrating the creation of impact-driven ventures.

The venture building can serve as a missing organizational layer between research generation and technology transfer, enabling the systematic identification, validation, and development of biodiversity-related opportunities emerging from university laboratories. Through a collaborative alliance-based model, universities can pool scientific expertise, entrepreneurial competencies, industrial networks, and regional innovation ecosystems to create a shared platform for venture creation.

Speaker: Prof. Enzo Bivona (University of Palermo)

8 The University after Human Knowledge

The growing integration of generative artificial intelligence into higher education is reshaping not only pedagogical practices, but also the institutional conditions through which knowledge is evaluated and legitimised. While AI is often framed in terms of efficiency and innovation, less attention has been paid to how computational systems may transform the epistemic role of universities as spaces historically organised around interpretation, intellectual disagreement, and critical judgment.
This paper examines how AI driven infrastructures are altering the relationship between knowledge production, institutional authority, and human intellectual practice within contemporary universities. Drawing on critical university studies, sociology of knowledge, and digital governance scholarship, the study analyses the increasing reliance on automated writing systems, predictive analytics, algorithmic evaluation tools, and AI assisted learning environments.
The analysis suggests that universities are gradually shifting toward data driven systems shaped by optimisation, scalability, and computational predictability. AI systems increasingly influence how academic legitimacy, expertise, and epistemic visibility are constructed within digital knowledge ecosystems. At the same time, universities continue to retain an important role in preserving interpretive plurality and forms of judgment resistant to computational standardisation.
The paper contributes to current debates on higher education futures, epistemic governance, and democratic knowledge infrastructures in increasingly algorithmic societies.

Speaker: Dr Murtaza Mohiqi (University of Agder, Norway)

The University after Human Knowledge.pptx

9 Knowledge Ecosystems for Sustainable Food Systems: AI and Digital Competencies in Education and Cooperation

Global food systems face growing pressure from population growth, climate change, resource degradation, geopolitical instability, and rapid digital transformation. At the same time, there is increasing demand for sustainable, transparent, and socially responsible food production. In response, the EU Farm-to-Fork strategy promotes resilient and environmentally friendly food systems through innovation and digitalization.

Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, and big data are becoming essential in modern agriculture. They enhance productivity, improve supply chain transparency, optimize resource use, and reduce environmental impacts. However, effective implementation depends on specialists with strong digital and analytical skills.

Agricultural universities play a key role in preparing such professionals by combining agronomic knowledge with digital competencies and sustainability thinking. Their role is shifting from traditional education providers to innovation hubs linking education, research, and society. However, a gap remains between rapid technological progress and slower curriculum adaptation. While many students are aware of digital tools in agriculture, fewer have structured opportunities to study them in depth.

This highlights the need to modernize agricultural education by integrating artificial intelligence, data analytics, digital traceability, and interdisciplinary learning. Strengthening these competencies is essential for sustainable food systems and long-term agricultural resilience.

Speaker: Uliana Shelinher (Mykolaiv National Agrarian University)

10 Lifelong learning infrastructures for a skills-first Europe: ai literacy, micro-credentials and adaptive professional upskilling

This study considers lifelong learning infrastructure as a key enabler for building a skills-driven Europe. It examines how AI literacy, microskills and adaptive upskilling can help individuals, organisations and education systems respond to rapidly changing labour markets. The study is based on the European context, where digital transformation, the green transition, demographic shifts and the increasing use of artificial intelligence are changing professional competences and learning needs. The study argues that lifelong learning should be understood not only as participation in individual courses or programmes, but also as an interconnected infrastructure that integrates intellectual skills , learner profiles, flexible learning pathways, assessment, quality assurance and transferable competences. Drawing on recent research in the academic literature, European policy priorities and official statistics, the study demonstrates that Europe needs more integrated, inclusive and robust learning systems Such systems can increase employability, professional mobility, innovation potential and social sustainability in a changing economy.

Speaker: Mrs Halyna Mishenina (Klaipeda University)

11 Surviving the “Hunger Games”: Early-Career Social Science Researchers Navigating Academic Systems across Western European countries

Since taking his oath of office on 20 January 2025, President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign to reshape parts of the United States scientific infrastructure. The dismantling of research-funding agencies, the dismissal of thousands of federal employees, and the termination of contracts and grants highlight the vulnerability of scientific systems to shifting political priorities, as previously witnessed in Europe after the 2008 financial crisis. Although the European research landscape has recovered (Slack, 2026), the prospect of future backlashes and persistent challenges continues to loom over the continent. Among the most vulnerable groups within scientific systems are Early Career Researchers (ECRs), who face challenges during a critical stage of their academic careers. Recent research shows that their experiences are shaped by national context, with studies across Western Europe revealing country-specific issues in job security, institutional support, and career confidence. Disciplinary context also plays a role, with evidence of challenges including limited mentorship, funding constraints, administrative burdens, and job insecurity. Despite growing recognition of these conditions, comparative cross-national analyses remain limited, while the social sciences remain under researched. To address this gap, the present investigation reflects on the experiences of social science ECRs navigating academic careers across Western European countries.

Speaker: Joan Enguer (University of Valencia)

12 Traditional universities in European University Alliances - from: Risk Management to: Opportunity Management

Speaker: Dr Agnese Rusakova (Faculty of Education, Psychology and Arts)

Rusakova_innovationAlliances_FORTHEM4conf.pptx

Thursday, 4 June

Democratic Innovation, Participation & Epistemic Justice: Who Is Recognized as a Knower?

epistemic authority; legitimacy of expertise; participatory governance; open science; citizen science; trust formation; research evaluation regimes; crisis governance; legitimacy under uncertainty; adaptive participation models; knowledge trust ecosystems

13 From Institutional Repositories to Knowledge Ecosystems: Trust, Visibility and Epistemic Authority in Open Science

Open Science (OS) infrastructures are commonly discussed in terms of access, interoperability, and the technical exchange of research outputs. Less attention is paid to how these infrastructures reshape the distribution of visibility, trust, and epistemic authority within the scholarly communication ecosystem.
Drawing on the experience of integrating the University of Opole Knowledge Base (Omega-PSIR repository) with OpenAIRE and its subsequent inclusion in the EOSC ecosystem, this presentation explores how research outputs circulate beyond their originating institutions through interconnected OS infrastructures. The case demonstrates that interoperability enables publications and metadata to become part of a broader European knowledge network, increasing discoverability and opportunities for reuse.
At the same time, the aggregation of records, metadata enrichment processes, and multi-source dissemination mechanisms can alter the visibility of the institutional source itself. While knowledge objects remain accessible and reusable, users increasingly encounter them through infrastructures rather than through the repositories that originally curated and provided them.
The presentation examines how OS infrastructures influence the formation of trust and the distribution of epistemic authority across the research ecosystem. By reflecting on the relationship between institutional repositories, aggregating platforms, and knowledge users, it contributes to ongoing discussions on trust, legitimacy, and knowledge governance in contemporary OS.

Speaker: Dorota Wierzbicka-Próchniak (Uniwersytet Opolski)

From-Institutional-Repositories-to-Knowledge-Ecosystems_DWP.pptx

14 From Google to ChatGPT: Artificial Intelligence as a New Epistemic Authority in Information

The rapid adoption of generative AI fundamentally changes how we search for and evaluate information. As conversational AI systems replace traditional search engines, the need for independent source analysis diminishes, raising critical questions about epistemic authority and trust. This presentation analyzes generative AI as a new epistemic authority. Drawing on Miranda Fricker’s framework of epistemic injustice (Fricker, 2017), it explores how trust in AI is constructed. Using the concept of "testimonial sensibility," it argues that conversational interfaces trigger spontaneous, unreflective judgments of algorithmic credibility rather than critical inference. Additionally, empirical research shows that the precise format of AI-generated answers acts as a powerful cognitive anchor, artificially inflating user trust. Discussing the shift toward AI as knowledge brokers (Perreault et al., 2025), the presentation highlights the risks of pre-emptive testimonial injustice, the concentration of epistemic power, and threats to democratic information access. Ultimately, as AI is increasingly perceived as a potential "knower," combating these emerging epistemic imbalances demands both individual critical self-reflection and the implementation of robust structural mechanisms.

Speaker: Maciej Krzemiński (University of Opole)

Krzeminski_FORTHEM2026_presentation.pptx

15 Intergenerational Memory of Fading Cultural Heritage

Speaker: Raluca Mihaela Bârsan (ULBS)

IMCH.pptx

16 Co-creative citizen science in advancing social justice: adult immigrants' perspective of language proficiency requirements and associated language testing

Speaker: Minna Sorri (JYU)

Minna Sorri_poster_ECSA2026_.pdf

17 Stakeholder-Based Analysis of Inland Aquaculture Development in the Baltic States: A Preliminary Research Framework

Sustainable aquaculture is increasingly recognised as an important component of the blue economy, food security and climate resilience policies in Europe and worldwide. However, inland aquaculture development in the Baltic States remains limited despite the region’s potential for traditional pond aquaculture and recirculating aquaculture systems. The interdisciplinary project “Potential of traditional and recirculation inland aquaculture for inclusive and intelligent fisheries development in the Baltic States (AQUA4DEV-BS)” examines the structural barriers and drivers affecting inland aquaculture in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, with particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises.

The study applies an interdisciplinary qualitative approach combining comparative legal and policy analysis, stakeholder analysis and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Planned interviews will involve representatives of aquaculture enterprises, sectoral associations, public institutions, researchers, environmental experts, policymakers and other stakeholders across the three Baltic States. The research is expected to provide an integrated understanding of administrative, environmental, market, technological and governance-related challenges influencing the sector’s development.

The project will also identify opportunities linked to sustainable food production, species diversification, bioeconomy development and resilient local food systems. Its comparative regional approach may reveal transferable governance and production practices and support policy recommendations tailored to the Baltic context.

Speaker: Leila Neimane (University of Latvia)

18 EdgeVision: Neuromorphic Vision Based Edge-Powered Haptic Navigation System for Visually Impaired People

Speaker: Muhammad Hamza Zafar (UiA)

FORTHEM Project Presentation.pptx

Multilingualism, Language Justice & Knowledge Infrastructures: Who Gets to Know-and in What Language?

linguistic inequality; translation as governance; epistemic access; knowledge mediation technologies; inclusive pedagogy systems; AI-driven language infrastructures; knowledge interoperability; cross-border communication systems; crisis communication infrastructures; linguistic resilience

19 Language barriers and language policies in public service institutions: Germany as a case in point

As in many other countries, a significant proportion of the population in Germany consists of people whose first language is not German. In addition to recognised linguistic minorities such as the Sorbs and Danes, Germany is home to sizeable language communities speaking languages such as Russian, Turkish, Polish and Arabic, a result of the country’s history of migration. The group of people who encounter language barriers when dealing with public institutions originates from these language communities. Individuals with limited German proficiency need linguistic mediation (spoken or written) in order to overcome language barriers. This lecture describes the practices, regulations and associated ideologies that govern the use of linguistic mediation in public institutions in Germany. Mediation policy in Germany, as in many countries, is characterised by improvisation or bricolage. As a result, many public institutions are more difficult to access for people with limited German language skills. In addition to describing linguistic mediation policy, the lecture discusses how these challenges can be addressed in academic training programs.

Speaker: Prof. Bernd Meyer (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)

Meyer Forthem 2026.pdf

20 Increasing use of chatbots in HE - increasing linguistic inequality?

The use of chatbots in higher education has gained significant popularity, and research shows that the number of students consulting chatbots is increasing rapidly. It is well known that chatbots can be a valuable learning aids, however, they also rise ethical concerns. Therefore, it is very important is to understand how accurate these chatbots are [1].

The aim of the current study was to investigate how well one of the most popular chatbots, ChatGPT, responds to practical physics questions and solves different physics problems in different languages.

We compiled about 500 multiple-choice questions and physics problems in four languages: Latvian, English, Kazakh and Russian in order to analyse the correctness of answers. The results showed relatively good performance in English but weaker performance in Kazakh and Latvian. Since ChatGPT is trained mainly on English language data, it is less proficient in other languages. Thus, there is still a language barrier and some important information may “get lost in translation”

Speaker: Gita Revalde (UL Institute of Atomic Physics)

FORTHEM_4conference_abstract_Revalde, Aubakir, Abola.pdf

21 Understanding Cross-Linguistic Influence: Insights from Child Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition

The current paper provides a critical overview of current trends in child bilingualism research, with particular emphasis on psycholinguistic testing methods and standardised language proficiency assessments. It highlights the use of experimental psycholinguistic measures, as well as the advantages and drawbacks of standardised proficiency tests. Finally, several methodological and theoretical limitations are identified and examined in the context of bilingualism research conducted in Latvia.
A more nuanced approach to bilingualism research will contribute to a deeper understanding of cross-linguistic influence and provide valuable insights for language assessment, educational practice, and theories of second language acquisition.

Speaker: Justīne Bondare (Latvian Language Institute, University of Latvia)

FORTHEM_Bondare.pptx

22 The Role of English in Multilingual Contexts: A Comparison of the Republic of India and the European Union

Global English functions not only as a practical instrument of communication but also as a force that shapes individuals’ language choices in everyday interaction. The aim of this paper is to compare the role of English in multilingual contexts in the European Union and the Republic of India by identifying the sociolinguistic domains in which English occurs most frequently and examining how these practices align with speakers’ language beliefs. The empirical basis of the paper consists of survey data on respondents’ linguistic repertoires, language use and beliefs about language as a value and a component of identity. A comparison of the two respondent groups highlights both shared patterns and context-specific differences, offering insight into how perceptions of language value correlate with actual language practices. In multilingual settings marked by tensions between local languages and wider lingua francas, English is often established as an ostensibly neutral means of communication; yet how neutral is it in the long term?

Speaker: Vija Požarnova (University of Latvia)

Role of English.pdf

Cultural Heritage, Identity & Democratic Cohesion: From Preservation to Political Function

memory infrastructures; symbolic power; contested heritage; civic identity formation; digital preservation systems; conservation science as epistemic authority; crisis narratives; resilience cultures; identity under disruption; heritage in polycrisis

23 Customers’ Perception of Using Artificial Intelligence in Art Creation and Art Management: A Comparative Analysis of Poland and Turkey

This study examines art consumers’ perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in art creation and art management through a comparative analysis of Poland and Turkey. As AI becomes increasingly present in the arts, it challenges traditional ideas of creativity, authenticity, and artistic value while also transforming the management of cultural institutions.

Drawing on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory and Wallas’ model of creativity, the study explores how cultural values and religious backgrounds influence attitudes toward AI-generated art and AI-assisted management practices. Previous research suggests that consumers often perceive AI-generated artworks as less authentic and less valuable than human-created works, while acceptance of AI in management depends on the context and role performed by the technology.

Using semi-structured interviews with art consumers in Poland and Turkey, the research investigates the factors shaping acceptance or rejection of AI in the arts and examines how cultural differences affect these perceptions.

The study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between culture, technology, and consumer behavior, offering insights into the growing role of AI in contemporary art and cultural institutions.

Speaker: İsa Yeşildağ (University of Lodz)

24 From Deservingness to Precarity: Linguistic Constructions of Belonging in Polish Media Discourse on Ukrainian Refugees

My presentation examines how Ukrainian refugees are represented in Polish media discourse following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its aim is to identify the dominant evaluative frameworks shaping these representations and to explore how they interact within broader narratives of social inclusion, economic participation, and institutional governance. The study employs a corpus-assisted discourse analysis approach, combining quantitative corpus methods with qualitative interpretation. The dataset consists of Polish online media texts published between February 2022 and June 2024. The findings show that representations are primarily structured around a deserving frame, emphasizing vulnerability, victimhood, and humanitarian need as the main sources of legitimacy. A secondary precarious frame highlights instability, dependency on institutional support, and temporary status. The demanding frame appears less frequently and is typically expressed through indirect references to economic pressure, resource allocation, and systemic strain. Importantly, these frameworks often co-occur, producing layered representations in which refugees are simultaneously portrayed as vulnerable, economically relevant, and subject to administrative regulation. The study concludes that Polish media discourse reflects a dynamic tension between humanitarian solidarity and socioeconomic evaluation. While moral legitimization remains dominant, it is increasingly intertwined with economic and regulatory perspectives, resulting in a complex and evolving representation of refugees.

Speaker: Rafał Matusiak (University of Opole, Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu)

25 Gendering Symbolic Space: Urban Street Names and the Politics of Visibility

Street names are powerful instruments in the linguistic production of symbolic space, encoding hierarchies of recognition, authority, and belonging into the urban landscape. Previous research has shown that commemorative toponymy overwhelmingly privileges male historical figures, yet most studies rely on single-city analyses and limited descriptive evidence. This paper provides a nationwide, multi-level examination of gendered street nomenclature based on the complete dataset of street names in all Romanian cities and towns (N ≈ 50,000). It tests five hypotheses concerning the determinants of gender inequality in urban commemorative naming, focusing on the effects of historical regions, ethnic composition and local ethnopolitical dynamics, urban hierarchy, and intra-urban differentiation of the road network. The analysis also considers the impact of recent institutional and political transformations on naming practices. Findings show that gender disparities in street nomenclature are systematic rather than incidental, reflecting historically entrenched power relations, territorial politics, and institutional arrangements that shape symbolic inclusion and exclusion. Street naming emerges as a form of linguistic governance through which symbolic space is gendered and hierarchically ordered. By combining comprehensive national-level data with multi-level modelling, the study contributes to debates on language, memory, and the reproduction of gender inequality in urban symbolic landscapes.

Speaker: Mihai S. Rusu (Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu)

26 An Analysis of Intergroup Relations, Identities, Conflict Dialogue and Diversity Narratives on Digital Platforms from the Past Decade. Imagefare and Polarization in YouTube Commentary on the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict, 2014–2023

This presentation examines how digital publics negotiate identity, memory and legitimacy around the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through YouTube commentary on Vice News coverage from 2014 to 2023. Using the concept of imagefare, the study treats online comment spaces as arenas where spectators and self-identified stakeholders participate in conflict dialogue beyond the battlefield. The analysis draws on a manually curated corpus of 10,000 highly visible comments from the top 33 threads across 20 randomly selected videos in a 37-video Vice News playlist. Through inductive qualitative content analysis, the findings are reported thematically through seven content categories. Four categories are interpreted as central to polarisation: empathy and affective positioning; rights to existence and the ethics of violence; historical, religious and politico-cultural interpretations; and settlements as a focus of legality, dispossession and moral argumentation. The presentation shows how commenters rework contested histories into present-day claims, reproduce in-group and out-group boundaries and frame violence through victim and defensive logics. It concludes that platformed commentary can amplify conflict narratives while also revealing possible spaces for dialogue, recognition and de-escalation.

Speaker: Mr Julian Pavel (University of Latvia)

Learning Futures: Teaching, Engagement & Cognitive Transformation

cognitive architectures of learning; AI-mediated education; digital epistemologies; learner agency; engagement dynamics; decolonizing knowledge systems; adaptive learning environments; future skills ecosystems; cognitive resilience; adaptive learning systems; lifelong learning infrastructures

27 Online schooling: A premise for digital dependency?

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift toward continuous digital connectivity in secondary education, profoundly impacting Generation Z learners. This quantitative study (n=526) examines the relationship between in-class digital dependency, non-academic multitasking, school engagement, and subjective well-being among Romanian high school students during emergency remote teaching. Findings indicate that elevated synchronous digital dependency correlates with increased non-academic screen behaviors, affecting academic engagement and emotional states. The study concludes that mitigating non-academic multitasking is crucial for effective hybrid pedagogy and recommends fostering digital self-management skills in students.

Speaker: Bogdan N Mucea (1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia)

28 Mathematics without fear: Supportive learning environments in early education

Mathematical anxiety is becoming an increasingly important challenge in education. For many children, mathematics is connected not only with learning, but also with stress, fear of making mistakes, and loss of confidence. Negative experiences with mathematics appear already in the first years of school and influence students motivation, self-esteem, and future educational choices.

This presentation focuses on the importance of supportive and adaptive learning environments in early mathematics education. It is based on the author’s educational experience and on the original educational approach “Matematyka KLIKa”, developed to support inclusive learning through hands-on activities, visual thinking, respect for individual learning pace, and emotionally safe classroom environments.

The presentation also introduces the main ideas of the author's planned doctoral research on mathematical anxiety, learner agency, and inclusive educational practices. Special attention is given to the connection between emotional wellbeing and students engagement in the learning process.

The presentation invites reflection on how education can move beyond pressure and fear toward learning environments where children feel safe, capable, and actively involved in learning mathematics.

Speaker: Monika Sawicka (Uniwersytet Opolski)

Mathematics-without-fear (2).pdf

29 Working While Studying: Employment Precarity, Professional Identity, and Cognitive Transformation Among University Students

The employment of university students is progressively becoming a widespread occurrence. Especially in business-related education students experience during the study process is often defined as a very important part of their development. The goal of the pilot study was to investigate the relationship between student employment characteristics and the perceived development of professional skills and career motivation.
64 survey responses were collected at the University of Latvia among full-time business education students. 79% of surveyed university students are actively engaged in the workforce, with 6% identifying as self-employed and 73% working in salaried positions. Only 5% had never worked before. The findings revealed that students generally perceive their jobs as only moderately supportive of professional development (mean 3.12) and report moderate career motivation (mean 3.0). There is a clear positive association between the perceived development of professional knowledge/skills and motivation for career development in the current job. This research was supported by a Marie Curie Staff Exchange within the Horizon Europe Programme Horizon RISE 101086415 project “PRELAB – Precarious Labour in Asia: Exploring Challenges and Solution to Labour Insecurity through Case-Study-Based Evidence from 8 Asian Countries”.

Speaker: Kristīne Bērziņa-Cunska (University of Latvia)

30 Emotional intelligence and ambiguity tolerance as future-oriented competences in foreign language learning

Foreign language learning increasingly requires learners to navigate uncertainty, emotional challenges, and complex communicative situations. This presentation examines emotional intelligence and ambiguity tolerance as future-oriented competences that support successful language learning in contemporary educational contexts. Emotional intelligence enables learners to recognize, understand, and regulate emotions that may emerge during the learning process, such as anxiety, frustration, or lack of confidence. Ambiguity tolerance, in turn, helps learners cope with unclear meanings, unfamiliar linguistic structures, and unpredictable communicative situations without losing motivation or withdrawing from interaction.
The presentation argues that these two competences play an important role in developing learner autonomy, engagement, and cognitive resilience. In foreign language learning, the ability to manage emotions and accept uncertainty can strengthen learners’ willingness to communicate, persistence, and openness to new experiences. These qualities are especially relevant in future-oriented and digitally mediated learning environments, where learners are expected to adapt, make decisions, and take responsibility for their own progress.
By focusing on emotional and cognitive adaptability, the topic highlights the need to view foreign language learning not only as linguistic development but also as preparation for lifelong learning and flexible participation in a changing world.

Speaker: Mrs Kamila Styś (Doctoral School University of Opole)

Emotional intelligence and ambiguity tolerance as future-oriented competences in foreign language learning - Kamila Styś.pdf

31 Will Vocal Technique Become Obsolete? Technology and the Transformation of Actor Training

The increasing use of amplification technologies, wireless microphones, digital sound processing and artificial intelligence is reshaping contemporary theatre practice and actor training. As technological systems become capable of enhancing, modifying, and even simulating vocal performance, questions arise regarding the continuing relevance of traditional vocal technique.
This paper examines the role of vocal training in an era characterized by growing technological mediation. Drawing on voice studies, theatre anthropology, performance theory and vocal pedagogy, it argues that vocal technique cannot be reduced to a functional means of sound projection. Rather, it constitutes a form of embodied knowledge through which actors develop bodily awareness, breath control, expressive presence, and performative agency.
The discussion revisits key contributions by Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, Roland Barthes, Mladen Dolar and Nina Sun Eidsheim in order to explore the relationship between voice, body, technology, and meaning. While contemporary technologies may compensate for certain acoustic limitations, they cannot replace the psychophysical processes through which vocal expression emerges.
The paper proposes a critical approach to actor training that integrates technological innovation while preserving the embodied foundations of vocal practice, highlighting the continued significance of the human voice as a site of artistic presence and communication.

Speaker: Martha Melinda Samson (Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu)

32 DigIntMentoRes: Interdisciplinary mentor programme for research in a digital teaching-learning setting

Framed within the Education for Sustainable Development context adopted by UNESCO, the aim of this contribution is to present an interdisciplinary mentoring program implemented at the University of Valencia. And in parallel, to show how this experience can contribute to sustainable teaching and learning. In general, results suggested that this educational activity might improve diverse competencies (digital, interdisciplinary, green, social and research) and also it might benefit reflection and critical analysis, student as active learner, personal and professional development, and promotion of diversity and inclusion.

Speaker: Dr Yolanda Estreder (University of Valencia)

Friday, 5 June

Migration, Belonging & Plural Knowledge Systems: Beyond Integration to Epistemic Plurality

negotiated belonging; epistemic plurality; knowledge coexistence; migrant knowledge systems; indigenous epistemologies; inclusive citizenship models; social integration vs transformation; mobility in crisis contexts; transnational knowledge flows; social resilience systems; integration under systemic stress

33 International Humanitarian Debates in the 1970s between the West, the East, and the South”

The talk demonstrates that some of the fundamental moral-political categories we use in Europe today – such as humanitarianism – have been developed through historical conversations between the so-called West, the East, and the South. Drawing from her book “Realigning Humanitarianism in the Balkans: From Cold-War Politics to Neoliberal Ethics” (Indiana University Press 2026), Brković explores the 1970s attempt of the Red Cross of Yugoslavia to encourage the International Red Cross Movement to reconsider its humanitarian principles and include perspectives from the countries belonging to the Non-Aligned Movement. The Yugoslav proposal provoked discussion in the International Red Cross Movement over the meaning of “humanitarianism,” “neutrality,” and “peace.” The push for the perspectives of non-aligned countries to be better represented within the International Red Cross Movement resulted in an ambivalent humanitarian imaginary that both challenged and reproduced the premises of the humanitarian sector in the West. This episode in the history of humanitarianism shows that rebuilding the international order after WWII was a messy, contradictory, and multifaceted undertaking, marked by multipolarity, disagreement, and randomness, in which the East and the South played an active role.

Speaker: Prof. Čarna Brković (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)

34 The Middle-Land of the Unrepresented Inequalities: Evidence from the Spatial Distribution of the Foreign Population in Palermo (Italy)

Urban growth, restructuring since the late twentieth century have produced new forms of socio-spatial inequality in Southern European cities. Traditional urban policies have mainly addressed historic centres or peripheral neighbourhoods, while intermediate areas of the consolidated city have often remained overlooked. This study explores the concept of Middle Land as an analytical framework for understanding these emerging urban marginalities, focusing on the relationship between spatial transformation, migrant settlement patterns, and inclusive citizenship.

Using Palermo, Italy, as a case study, the research combines theoretical reflection with empirical analysis. It draws on literature concerning urban inequalities, migration, socio-spatial inclusion, and citizenship, while testing innovative ways to map vulnerability beyond conventional socio-economic indicators. Attention is given to migrant distribution, access to services, citizenship practices, transnational knowledge flows, local forms of social resilience.

Findings show that inequalities increasingly affect intermediate urban areas marked by multidimensional vulnerability and significant migrant presence. These spaces experience uneven access to services, opportunities, rights, challenging the adequacy of the traditional centre–periphery model. At the same time, migrant communities contribute to urban transformation through social networks, resilience practices, transnational exchanges.

The Middle Land framework helps reinterpret urban inequality as a dynamic process shaped by mobility, citizenship, diversity, and territorial change.

Speaker: Prof. Vincenzo Todaro (University of Palermo)

35 Migration, Resilience, and War: How Do Ukrainians Narrate Survival?

This presentation seeks to explore the ways in which resilience and survival are represented in the testimonies collected in the edited volume 100 Days of War: Through the Eyes of the Ukrainian Academia (2023), focusing especially on the ethical and emotional dilemmas surrounding migration, staying, and leaving. Using qualitative research methods and the analysis of social-autobiographical narratives, the study highlights several key dimensions of wartime experience. The findings suggest that resilience is often expressed through ordinary practices that recreate a sense of order and continuity, such as obtaining food, organising temporary shelter, or caring for children. Silence emerges as an important indicator of danger, fear, and disrupted normality. At the same time, decisions related to migration or remaining in place appear shaped by moral responsibility, attachment to community, and the support of volunteer networks. The narratives further reveal how ideas of justice, education, and collective future provide individuals with symbolic frameworks that preserve hope and continuity of identity. The main findings reveal that resilience in wartime of Ukraine should be understood not only as an individual capacity, but also as a socially grounded process sustained through community support structures and shared normative values.

Speaker: Dr Delia Stefenel (Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania)

36 “Antimicrobial resistance is everyone’s responsibility!”: Pluralistic knowledge ecosystems at a time of a health crisis

Antimicrobial resistance is a biological process by which microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites adapt to and withstand treatment with drugs. Its reason is inappropriate use of antibiotics, making them difficult or no longer effective in curing routine infections. Despite institutional efforts to raise awareness of AMR, persistent gaps remain in access to knowledge, trust in science and engagement across Europe and globally (Frid-Nielsen et al. 2019; Karvanen and Cars, 2024). This study draws on discourse analysis and functional linguistics (Halliday, 1978) to identify textual and visual patterns in the 2024 World Health Organization’s “Stories of AMR” photobook. WHO campaign has been designed to represent the AMR crisis as a common concern through inclusive citizen-oriented appeals and endorsements. Instead of relying on institutional expertise and medical jargon, the materials give voice to individuals, medical practitioners, educators and victims of AMR, representing the interests and perspectives of various sectors and lifestyles. Such message design aims to produce a pluralistic, yet coherent, knowledge ecosystem and facilitate a horizontal rather than top-down information flow, building community and shared purpose, especially around educating youth. The study points to how such campaigns can enhance collective engagement and bridge knowledge gaps regarding preventable health crises.

Speaker: Artur Cedzich (University of Opole)

37 Educational Futures in Polycrisis: Ukrainian Refugee Youth Between Integration, Belonging and Transnational Human Capital

This presentation examines how Ukrainian refugee youth in Latvia navigate educational transitions, belonging, and integration under conditions of war-related displacement and polycrisis. Based on ongoing doctoral research at the University of Latvia, the study focuses on post-9th grade educational pathways, language adaptation, institutional support, and future educational choices of displaced Ukrainian students.
The presentation combines perspectives from migration studies, sociology of education, and integration research to explore how educational institutions shape both social integration and long-term human capital formation. Particular attention is paid to multilingualism, state language policies, and the concept of “dual intent integration,” where adaptation to the host country coexists with continued social, educational, and emotional ties to Ukraine.
The contribution argues that displaced Ukrainian youth should be understood not only through the lens of vulnerability, but also as carriers of transnational knowledge, multilingual competencies, and future reconstruction potential within European knowledge ecosystems.

Speaker: Hanna Markova (University of Latvia, Faculty of Social Sciences, Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences)

FORTHEM_POLYCRISIS.pptx

38 Problems with the Definition of the Refugee in International Law and Political Sciences

The definition of the term "refugee" is one of the most debated issues in international politics and the social sciences. Before the Second World War, there was no specific or general definition of a refugee, and the refugee protection system was established under the League of Nations. The first treaties on the protection of refugees emerged in the 1920s under the auspices of the League of Nations, targeting a specific group of people rather than a universal definition. However, due to the two world wars, the world needed to provide a definition that would cover not only a specific people and group but also, more broadly, humanity. Therefore, under the 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee is a person who is outside their country, has a well-founded fear of persecution, and cannot return safely. Yet modern-day conflicts, crises, and economic issues, such as poverty and environmental problems that push people to move, do not fit the main definition, creating a need to understand, legally, who can be a refugee and who cannot. However, economic migration and other examples given here do not include the problem of defiance from an international law perspective.

Speaker: Mr Mohammad Murtaza Kohistani (University of Opole)

39 Gendered mobility trajectories and socioeconomic positioning among Romanian immigrant women in Spain

This paper examines how Romanian immigrant women in Spain negotiate belonging, social mobility, and knowledge production within contemporary European migration regimes. Focusing on the provinces of Barcelona, Lleida, Valencia, and Castellón, the study analyses how women’s labour trajectories are shaped not only by structural inequalities but also by the coexistence of diverse knowledge systems, adaptive practices, and transnational forms of resilience. Moving beyond conventional integration frameworks, the research adopts an intersectional and relational perspective that conceptualises mobility as a dynamic and non-linear process influenced by gender, ethnicity, institutional structures, and migrant agency.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative data from Spanish institutional sources and a semi-structured survey with qualitative life histories, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. Beyond mere labor, Romanian migrant women provide vital knowledge that anchors care networks and local economies amidst systemic uncertainty and recurring crises.
While labour market segmentation, credential devaluation, and gendered inequalities frequently reproduce downward mobility and exclusion, participants also develop strategies of negotiated belonging through entrepreneurship, digital connectivity, informal solidarity networks, and transnational knowledge flows.
By foregrounding migrant knowledge systems and everyday practices of resilience, the paper contributes to debates on epistemic plurality, inclusive citizenship, and migrant-led social transformation in contemporary Europe.

Speaker: Ioana Marin (University of Valencia)

Technology, Ethics & Human Impact: From Innovation to Consequence

algorithmic governance; data sovereignty; surveillance systems; ethical AI frameworks; power asymmetries; human-centered design; regulatory infrastructures; technological sovereignty; crisis technologies; digital resilience infrastructures; systemic risk and governance

40 AI, publishing and the education for the future knowledge worker labour market

Inspired by an extensive AI writing experiment in a seminar, I will try to build the bridge from the publishing value chain and the fascinating abilities of AI systems to support or take over publishing tasks like copy-editing or even gatekeeping to desirable future working set-ups in the book business; obviously, such set-ups will not least tie up on the limitations of AI systems. Finally, I will dwell on what we think all that means for publishing education at university level now

Speaker: Prof. Christoph Bläsi (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)

41 How can spectral comparison support scientific decisions?

Spectral comparison is central to many analytical decisions, including material identification, library searching, batch comparability, forensic screening, process monitoring and waste sorting. However, the apparently simple question of whether two spectra are similar can be answered in mathematically different ways. This presentation introduces the fundamentals of chemometric spectral comparison in infrared spectroscopy, with emphasis on the rationale behind commonly used distance- and similarity-based metrics. Classical Manhattan and Euclidean distances are presented as point-to-point measures of spectral deviation, while weighted spectral distance approaches are discussed as strategies to emphasise chemically informative regions and, when reference-class variability is considered, to account for spectral uncertainty. These methods are contrasted with similarity indices such as cosine similarity, Pearson and Kendall correlations, area of overlap and normalised local change, each reflecting a different definition of resemblance based on vector orientation, linear shape agreement, rank-order behaviour, shared spectral area or local variation. The presentation also discusses how these choices relate to practical analytical contexts, from MIR fingerprint comparison to NIR applications dominated by broad, overlapping bands. Overall, the aim is to provide a clear methodological framework for selecting spectral comparison metrics according to the scientific question, the spectral domain and the intended decision.

Speaker: Prof. Roberto Sáez-Hernández (University of Valencia)

42 Countering Hybrid Warfare Campaigns

Hybrid warfare campaigns have become a significant challenge to contemporary national and international security environments, combining conventional military actions with cyberattacks, disinformation, economic pressure, political manipulation, and psychological operations. This research examines the multidimensional nature of hybrid threats and analyses the mechanisms through which state and non-state actors exploit
institutional vulnerabilities in democratic societies; also highlights the increasing role of digital technologies, social media platforms, and information operations in shaping public perception and undermining social cohesion. Furthermore, it evaluates current countermeasures adopted by governments and international organizations, emphasizing the
importance of interinstitutional cooperation, strategic communication, cyber resilience, and intelligence sharing.
Particular attention is given to the development of adaptive security frameworks capable of responding to rapidly evolving hybrid tactics. Effective countering of hybrid warfare campaigns requires an integrated approach that combines military, political, economic, technological, and societal instruments in order to strengthen national resilience and preserve democratic stability.

Speaker: Nicoleta Annemarie Munteanu (Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu)

Nicoleta Annemarie Munteanu FORTHEM_4_conference_poster.pptx

43 Governing the "Black Box": Liability, Ethics, and Human Rights in Algorithmic Medicine

The advent of AI in healthcare is rewriting the coordinates of the therapeutic relationship, challenging the dogmas of civil and constitutional law.
The current European regulatory framework — even in light of the new AI Act — proves structurally inadequate. Traditional civil liability models fail to properly allocate the risks of "algorithmic errors" and reject the fiction of "electronic personality." Furthermore, the clinical use of algorithms generates profound information asymmetries and unprecedented cognitive vulnerabilities in the "digitalized" patient, demonstrating that purely ex post compensatory or deregulatory approaches cannot ensure the preventive protection of personality rights.
Consequently, jurists have to embrace a "new legal humanism," where the machine remains strictly ancillary to human judgment. To balance technological innovation with the protection of health, dignity, and self-determination, it is imperative to overcome classical categories. This requires adopting a functional liability framework that is dynamically modulated according to the system's level of autonomy, alongside no-fault risk-management insurance schemes for highly automated AI.
Ultimately, this represents a crucial paradigm shift to guarantee legal certainty and shield human centrality, without hindering scientific progress.

Speaker: Sharon Alison Ferro (Università degli studi di Palermo)

44 Medical technology and its human impact – ethical considerations

Background. The analysed issue holds significant importance because the rapid development of medical technologies is one of the most important transformations of modern societies.These innovations have contributed to increasing life expectancy, early diagnosis of diseases and improving the quality of life for millions of people.
Aim. The aim of the current study is to analyze how the development and use of medical technologies influence human life,highlighting both the benefits of medical progress and the ethical issues it generates.
Methods. The research is based on a qualitative, interdisciplinary methodology, using documentary analysis and critical interpretation of specialized sources.
Results. The research results indicate that medical technology contributes significantly to the development of the healthcare system and to the improvement of the quality of life, but its implementation involves important ethical challenges, which require the development of policies and practices aimed at protecting fundamental human values.
Conclusion. The study demonstrates that medical technology plays a decisive role in the evolution of modern medicine, but its benefits must be balanced by respecting fundamental ethical principles.
Acknowledgements.Special thanks to the proffesors and the specialists in the fields of medical ethics and healthcare technology whose works and recommendations contributed to the completion of this research.

Speaker: Violeta Francu (University Lucian Blaga Sibiu)

45 Digital Ethics and Human-AI Interaction in Learning Systems: Emotionally Adaptive Dialogue Frameworks

This presentation explores emotionally adaptive dialogue frameworks for Human–AI interaction in educational environments. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into higher education, learning systems are beginning to influence cognition, interpretation, communication and meaning-making processes. The research develops an interdisciplinary, human-centered framework that combines cognitive engagement, ethical reflection, emotional responsiveness and contextual interpretation in AI-mediated learning.
The study emerged after research on cognitive-linguistic load in EMI at the University of Leicester and was further refined through interdisciplinary dialogue within the FORTHEM Alliance 2025. The framework integrates Human-Centered Phygital Learning, AI ecosystem modeling, AI-based Artistic Research to examine how emotionally and linguistically sensitive AI systems may support reflective, context-aware learning experiences.
The presentation also introduces the concept of Intellectual Sensitivity as an emerging form of conscious orientation within expanded reality, where physical, digital and AI-mediated environments are no longer perceived as separate domains of existence. The concept explores the capacity of consciousness to perceive meaning, ethical implications, cognitive interdependence, the intrinsic value of Life within increasingly hybrid informational and experiential ecosystems. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of dialogue, reflective cognition, emotional nuance and conscious human–AI interaction as foundational elements for future educational and cognitive systems.

Speaker: Halyna Mykhailenko (Founder “Code of Dialogue” Interdisciplinary Research Initiative | Independent Scholar and Stakeholder, Kharkiv Ukraine)

46 Civil Responsibility in Case of Damages Produced by Robots

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in healthcare for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, improving precision and efficiency in patient care. However, the growing autonomy of AI systems raises important legal issues concerning civil liability for damages caused by medical robots and intelligent technologies.

This study analyses the challenges posed by AI opacity and autonomy, focusing on the difficulty of identifying fault and causal links in cases of medical damage. Particular attention is devoted to the European Artificial Intelligence Act, which introduces different liability regimes according to the level of risk associated with AI systems.

The paper highlights how strict liability for healthcare professionals using high-risk AI technologies could discourage the adoption of innovative medical tools and encourage new forms of defensive medicine. The study concludes that European regulation should balance technological innovation, patient protection, and fair compensation mechanisms.

Speaker: Prof. Elisa Colletti (University of Palermo)

Environmental Humanities & Societal Futures: Narratives That Shape Transitions

climate narratives; cultural imaginaries; ecological belonging; sustainability transitions; environmental storytelling; wellbeing frameworks; socio-ecological systems thinking; polycrisis narratives; socio-ecological resilience; futures literacy; transformation pathways

47 ICT as a driver of sustainable business models: the moderating role of AI in retail.

Background. The retail sector is being transformed by the rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the growing demand for sustainable business models. In this context, Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation (SOSI) has emerged as an approach integrating innovation and sustainability in service activities [1].
Aim. This study analyses the influence of ICT on Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation (SOSI) in retailing and examines the impact of SOSI on brand equity and customer satisfaction. It also investigates the moderating role of AI use in these relationships.
Methods. An ad hoc survey was conducted among 1,746 customers of retail establishments in Spain during April and May 2025. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. A multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) was additionally performed to test the moderating effect of AI use.
Results. Findings show that ICT positively enhances SOSI perceptions among retail consumers. In turn, SOSI positively influences both brand equity and customer satisfaction, while brand equity significantly contributes to satisfaction. The multigroup analysis indicates that the ICT–SOSI relationship is stronger among consumers who have not interacted with AI-based chatbots, suggesting that familiarity with AI shapes perceptions of sustainable innovation practices.

Speakers: Antonio Marín García (Facultat d'Economia, Universitat de València), Prof. Mariia Bordian

Presentación_FORTHEM.pdf

48 Making environmental sustainability issues newsworthy through advocacy journalism

Environmental communicators today are under pressure to overcome issue displacement and a sense of fatigue with sustainability-related messages. This presentation reviews selected scholarship that explores environmental discourses produced by media, popularisers and activists to identify effective discursive strategies and dominant patterns used in environmental advocacy. It also reports on a discourse analysis of The Conversation’s environment-oriented award-winning newsletter Imagine to illustrate some ways in which environmental coverage is made newsworthy again. This analysis draws on the discursive approach to news values and a taxonomy of legitimization and intensification strategies. The study finds how current issues in environmental advocacy are newsworthy primarily through impact-driven stories and how actionable recommendations are rationalized with science and embedded in culturally resonant frames. The study offers further evidence-based guidelines for environmental communicators.

Speaker: Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska (University of Opole)

49 Evidence Advisory Bodies for Coastal and Marine Environmental Governance: tensions between administrative traditions and governance innovation in Mediterranean regions

In multilevel democracies, regional authorities have increasingly engaged in establishing science advisory systems for environmental governance through institutional arrangements. Concurrently, pressures in coastal regions have spurred the emergence of analogous bodies dedicated to the land–sea interface. While a growing body of scholarship has examined science advice, far less attention has been paid to how such advice is produced, delivered, and integrated into policymaking processes. Moreover, existing studies have only partially explored science advice in environmental governance, as they have predominantly focused on the national tier. Drawing on a review of the literature, an analysis of advisory bodies’ treats, and semi-structured interviews, this article examines how institutional design and features shape the provision of science advice for land–sea environmental governance at the subnational level in three Mediterranean multilevel democracies: Spain, Italy, and France. The paper underscores the role of evidence advisory systems in strengthening multi-level governance for environmental challenges. Their effectiveness depends on the interaction between institutional contexts, conditions, and policy dynamics, which shape legitimacy, accountability, and the uptake of knowledge. By identifying enabling and constraining factors, the study contributes to a research agenda on how evidence advisory systems can enhance coordination, knowledge integration, and adaptive capacity in coastal environmental governance.

Speaker: Joan Enguer (University of Valencia)

50 Roblox as a digital space supporting student wellbeing

Roblox is currently one of the world’s largest multiplayer gaming platforms, bringing together millions of active users and creating complex digital environments in which young people interact, cooperate and build social relationships. Although online games are often perceived primarily as a source of distraction and a threat to education, this presentation explores their potential from a pedagogical and social perspective.
The presentation focuses on Roblox as a digital space that may support student wellbeing, motivation and social competences among secondary school students. The research is based on the assumption that multiplayer digital environments can function not only as entertainment, but also as spaces reducing school-related stress, strengthening peer relationships and supporting the emotional wellbeing of young people.
The topic corresponds with the conference area “Environmental Humanities and Social Futures: Narratives Shaping Transformations,” as it reflects on the changing environments in which young people function and on the role of digital technologies in shaping contemporary social and educational experiences. In a world of rapid technological transformation, digital spaces are becoming an important part of young people’s everyday lives, influencing the way they build relationships, cope with stress and perceive school and personal wellbeing.

Speaker: Aleksandra Joanna Słonka (University of Opole)

Conference FOTHEM - presentation.pptx

51 Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation, value co-creation and business results: Evidence from Spain

In an age of polycrisis, the interaction between sustainability and innovation has become a central challenge for organisations, governments, and society. In environmentally conscious markets, service firms are expected not only to remain competitive but also to contribute to social and environmental well-being. Therefore, this study examines the role of value co-creation with external stakeholders as an antecedent of Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation (SOSI) and analyses its effect on business performance. It also evaluates whether these relationships differ between hotels and retail establishments.
Data were collected from 450 managers of Spanish hotel and retail establishments.
The findings show that co-creation with customers and business partners supports SOSI, which positively influences business performance. While customer co-creation operates similarly in hotels and retail, collaboration with business partners plays a stronger role in hotels, where stakeholder interdependence appears especially relevant for translating sustainable innovation into business results.
The study shows that sustainable innovation is not only a firm-level managerial challenge, but also a collaborative ecosystem process. The findings suggest that public policies and institutional support can strengthen responsible innovation ecosystems by encouraging sustainability-oriented investment, cross-sector partnerships, and incentives that help service organisations respond to evolving societal and environmental challenges.

Speaker: Mariia Bordian (University of Valencia)

FORTHEM_SOSI_presentation_Mariia_Bordian.pdf

52 From Carbon Neutral to Nature Positive Higher Education Institutions

We examine HEIs can move from carbon neutrality towards contributing to the global Nature Positive goal. While carbon footprinting has become widespread, carbon neutrality claims often lack consistency and do not fully follow international standards. Biodiversity footprinting is an emerging field, and many HEIs are still developing approaches to measuring and addressing their impacts on nature. Because climate change is a key driver of biodiversity loss, biodiversity footprints inherently include carbon impacts, yet go beyond them by capturing broader environmental pressures.
The study is based on two expert workshops held in Finland with sustainability practitioners from universities and universities of applied sciences. The workshops focused on clarifying the carbon neutrality claims (particularly the inclusion of Scope 3 emissions) and on defining shared climate and biodiversity goals for Finnish HEIs.
To contribute meaningfully to Nature Positive outcomes, HEIs must demonstrate a measurable net positive impact on biodiversity and expand their assessments from carbon-only to integrated carbon and biodiversity footprints. Comprehensive inclusion of Scope 1 and 2 emissions and most Scope 3 categories is essential. The paper provides recommendations for target-setting, reporting, and a refined definition of a Nature Positive University, encouraging HEIs to lead systemic change towards planetary well-being.

Speaker: Ulla Helimo

53 Hybrid Governance Against Labor Exploitation in Agri-Food Systems: Evidence from the NoCap Initiative in Italy

Labor exploitation in agri-food supply chains persists across Mediterranean Europe as a structural governance failure, not a criminal exception. In Italy, the caporalato system — illicit labor intermediation relying on migrant workers in precarious legal conditions — endures despite legislative prohibition, sustained by labor shortages, retailer price pressures, and dysfunctional public employment services.
This presentation examines NoCap, an Italian social innovation that integrates workforce management, ethical certification, legal assistance, housing, and supply-chain price negotiation into a single governance model designed to counter caporalato. Drawing on 22 semi-structured interviews with workers, farmers, distributors, NGOs, and experts, analyzed through the Gioia methodology, the study identifies the conditions under which such initiatives can improve labor governance while remaining economically viable for all supply chain actors.
Findings show that ethical certification redistributes informational asymmetries and creates reputational incentives for downstream actors, while structural constraints (limited scale, seasonal discontinuity, and weak institutional support) restrict transformative impact. The study argues that durable sustainability transitions in agri-food systems require hybrid governance combining social innovation with public institutional anchoring. It offers an empirically grounded contribution to European debates on fair food systems, migration governance, and social sustainability.

Speaker: Claudio Mirabella (Università degli Studi di Palermo)

54 Affective Tensions in AI Use in Higher Education

Attention is increasingly paid to the role of ‘AI tools’ in educational practice. As institutional and pedagogical discussions about the use of ‘AI tools’ expand to involve more and different kinds of participants, expressions of affective experience are often filtered out. This leaves behind a discourse that is institutionally legible in the form of guidelines and best practices, but bears few traces of the struggles with language, metalanguage, cognition and metacognition that characterise reflective engagement with the tools themselves. This paper uses situated practitioner reflection to surface affective tensions around AI use by teachers and students. It draws on the presenter’s interactions at one Finnish university during the 2025-2026 academic year while teaching academic literacies and thesis-writing support to students of English-taught Masters programmes across disciplines. It suggests that a small contribution to building resilient knowledge ecosystems may lie in keeping the affective dimensions of AI use visible within institutional discourse.

Speaker: Christopher Jarvis (University of Jyväskylä)

55 Socio-ecological systems approach to food security in Ukraine in a time of polycrisis

The global crisis and the interdependence between countries in Europe in ensuring food security are intensifying, taking into account the transformations in the socio-economic and ecological system. Climate change and the impact of war have significantly affected food security. The standard of living has decreased and the environment has deteriorated due to ongoing military aggression.
The war significantly affected the potential for agricultural development, and production in 2025 decreased by 6.8% compared to 2024. Despite external financial support for the Ukrainian economy the standard of living of the population decreased significantly during 2022-2025.
The results of surveys conducted by the authors together with the Lviv Agrarian Chamber in March-April 2026 indicate that the main obstacles to the activities of farms in the Lviv Region, are: climate change, which causes sharp fluctuations in the yield of major agricultural crops; limited possibilities for state budget support for agricultural producers; a sharp increase in the cost of means of production in 2023-2025; negative ecological situation as a result of war damages; disputes with some EU countries in agricultural trade; unstable tax policy.
The research examined negative polycrisis impact on Ukraine’s food security that probably will have a negative impact on population dietary preferences.

Speaker: Ms Oksana Salamin (Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies of Lviv)

56 Between Information Saturation and Climate Experience: Citizen Narratives and Public Understanding of Climate Change in Spain

This study examines how citizens access, interpret, and evaluate climate change (CC) information in a media environment shaped by information overload, misinformation, and fragmented news consumption. The aim was to identify the information sources, trust criteria, and climate narratives that influence public understanding of CC. The research employed a qualitative approach based on a citizen consultation in Spain, in September 2025. 118 participants took part in 15 discussion groups. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis and a hermeneutic approach. The findings reveal a passive relationship with climate information, incidental news consumption, central role of social media platforms, and perceptions of information overload. Although scientists and experts were regarded as trustworthy sources, participants expressed fragmented trust patterns and skepticism toward political actors and news media. CC was commonly understood through personal experiences and extreme weather events. Feelings of disaffection, powerlessness, and confusion regarding the effectiveness actions were also widespread, often linked to concerns about misinformation and contradictory information. In conclusion, public understanding of CC emerges from the interaction between everyday experiences and a hybrid communication environment. The results highlight the need for strategies that strengthen trust, counter misinformation, and encourage meaningful citizen engagement in sustainability transitions.

Speakers: Ana Serra Perales (Universitat de València), Mrs Lorena Cano Orón (Universitat de València)