Author: giulia.groppazzi

Creativity Week 2026 in Braga: Apply for the Summer School and the PhD Conference

Applications are now open for the T4EU Creativity Week 2026, which will take place in Braga (Portugal) from 12 to 16 October 2026 and will be hosted by Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

The Creativity Week 2026 programme includes:

  • Summer School – Shaping the Future: Philosophy, Creativity, and Human Transformation in the Age of AI (12- 16 October);
  • PhD Conference – Thinking Creativity: An International PhD Conference in Philosophy (12 – 14 October);
  • Matchmaking Event – Together We Create the Future.

SUMMER SCHOOL

The T4EU Creativity Week Summer School brings together students, researchers and academics from across Europe to explore creativity as a driver of innovation, sustainability and social transformation. Through keynote lectures, workshops, challenge-based learning and collaborative projects, participants will engage in interdisciplinary dialogue across philosophy, the arts, science and technology.

Participants will work in international teams on one of three thematic pathways:

  • Creativity and Artificial Intelligence
  • Creativity and Conflict Resolution
  • Creativity towards Sustainability

Alongside the Summer School, participants will attend the Creativity Week PhD Conference, Thinking Creativity: An International PhD Conference in Philosophy and a Matchmaking Event, providing opportunities to engage with researchers, industry representatives and societal stakeholders while expanding their European networks.

#1Call_SummerSchool_CreativityWeek_UCP_102026 (004)Download

The T4EU Creativity Week Summer School is open to Master’s students (interested in doctoral studies) and PhD students who are currently enrolled at the University of Trieste and will remain enrolled at the time of the event and have good communication and comprehension skills in English (minimum B2 recommended). UniTS will select 5 candidates; preference will be given to PhD students.

In the application form, candidates will be asked to submit a Motivational Letter (English; maximum 500 words) explaining:

  • Why would you like to participate in the Creativity Week?
  • Which thematic pathway interests you the most, and why?
  • How will you share the knowledge and experience gained with the T4EU community?

The Summer School students may request recognition of up to 3 ECTS credits. Please consult the guidance below for more important information regarding credit recognition.

APPLY NOW

Deadline: 30 August 2026.

CREATIVITY WEEK PHD CONFERENCE

The University of Trieste will select 5 candidates for the Creativity Week PhD Conference. Applications will be open only to PhD students with good communication and comprehension skills in English (minimum B2 recommended). As part of the Creativity Week 2026, participants wishing to extend their stay will also have the possibility to take part in the Matchmaking Event on 15 and 16 October, offering them the opportunity to engage with researchers, industry representatives and societal stakeholders while expanding their European research networks.

#2Call_PhDConference_CreativityWeek_UCP_102026 (004)Download

Participants attending the Creativity Week PhD Conference are invited to submit a proposal for a 15-minute oral presentation on a topic related to creativity from a philosophical or interdisciplinary perspective.
Proposals may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

  • Philosophy of Creativity
  • Artificial Intelligence and Creativity
  • Creativity and Ethics
  • Creativity and Sustainability
  • Creativity and Conflict Resolution
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Creativity

Submissions should include:

  • Title of the presentation
  • Abstract (maximum 250 words)
  • Three to five keywords
  • Author’s name and institutional affiliation
  • Short biography (maximum 100 words)

Submission of a paper proposal is entirely optional and is not a requirement for participation in the conference. Preference will be given to participants who submitted a paper proposal, particularly to participants ultimately selected by Universidade Católica Portuguesa to give the oral presentation.

Participants wishing to present their research should submit their proposal to: creativityweek.braga@ucp.pt. Please remember to cc t4eu@units.it in your submission.
Use the following subject line:
Creativity Week 2026 – PhD Conference Paper Proposal

More details can be found in the call description above.

APPLY NOW

Deadline for the UniTS application form and for submitting the paper proposal to Universidade Católica Portuguesa: 30 August 2026.
Any application sent after this deadline will not be considered.

IMPORTANT:
MA students attending the selected programme, must remember to inform their “Coordinatore del Corso di Studi” and the “Segreteria didattica” of their Department, following the dedicated guidelines.
Failure to comply with these guidelines will preclude credit recognition.Doctoral students should consult the record book for the Recognition of credits in PhD programmes. Please consult UniTS’s credit attribution rules and discuss with your supervisor or coordinator, following also the dedicated T4EU guidelines. The activity will be evaluated by the Doctoral Teaching Body. Failure to comply with these guidelines will preclude credit recognition.

Startup Weekend in Saarbrücken 2026: apply now!

Applications are now open for the T4EU Stakeholder Challenge: Startup Weekend Saarbrücken 2026, which will take place in Saarbrücken (Germany) from 13 to 15 November 2026, hosted by Saarland University.

T4EU is looking for motivated, forward-thinking students from all academic backgrounds to form international, interdisciplinary teams. Together with top researchers and external European organisations, you will co-create innovative solutions for pressing corporate, public, and social challenges.

You will learn how to think, work, and build like a startup in 54 thrilling hours.

Techstars Startup Weekend will be an exciting and immersive foray into the world of startups. Over an action-packed three days, you will meet the very best mentors, investors, co-founders and sponsors who will show you how to get more done faster – and maybe even start that business!

APPLY NOW

WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY

  • Real Impact: Work on active, practical tasks set by real companies, NGOs, and public institutions.
  • International Networking: Collaborate closely with peers and experts from across Europe.
  • Skill Acceleration: Boost your intercultural communication, professional problem-solving, and teamwork skills.
  • Academic Recognition: Earn official recognition or certificates to elevate your CV.

PROGRAMME

  • Day 1 – 5.00 PM to 10.00 PM: Official introductions and presentations of business ideas. Hands-on team-building activities to form working groups.
  • Day 2 – 9.00 AM to 10.00 PM: Intense development of a Minimum Viable Product. One-on-one coaching with expert mentors from the startup scene.
  • Day 3 – 9.00 AM to 10.00 PM: Final project adjustments and presentations. Closing pitches, feedback jury, networking session, and party.

Three UniTS students will be selected from those in the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programmes.

DEADLINE: 23 AUGUST 2026

Join Mnemosyne, the 3rd T4EU Heritage Week

Would you like to explore European heritage, memory, and artistic practices?

Would you like to discuss these topics with students, scholars, artists, and cultural professionals from across the Transform4Europe Alliance?

Join Mnemosyne – the 3rd T4EU Heritage Week, hosted by the University of Trieste from 21 to 23 October 2026 as part of WP7 – Tasks 7.2 and 7.5.

Inspired by Aby Warburg’s reflections on the relationship between art and memory, this year’s Heritage Week explores how Europe’s shared heritage is constructed, interpreted, and reimagined through critical memory studies and artistic methodologies. Bringing together scholars, artists, students, cultural institutions, and GLAM+ professionals, the programme promotes an interdisciplinary dialogue on participatory artistic practices and sustainable heritage.

The event is organised around two complementary initiatives:

  • Reframing Memories in Times of Crises – Regional Heritage Workshop (21–22 October), dedicated to examining how contemporary crises reshape remembrance practices and public narratives across Europe through historical and anthropological perspectives.
  • Art and Science as Participatory Practices – Regional Artistic Research Roundtable (23 October), exploring how artistic methodologies can strengthen interdisciplinary research, education, and public engagement.
Tentative Programme

Throughout the three-day programme, participants will attend keynote lectures and thematic panels, engage in discussions with museums and cultural institutions, take part in a participatory World Café, and exchange ideas with scholars, artists, researchers, and heritage professionals from across the T4EU Alliance. Topics will include contested memories, wars and forced migrations, border regions, authoritarian pasts, public memory, participatory artistic practices, and innovative approaches to heritage research and education.

The University of Trieste will host participants from the Transform4Europe Alliance. Each partner university may nominate up to five Master’s students and PhD candidates (in total), giving priority to candidates whose academic background, research interests, or study programmes are related to the Humanities, Social Sciences, Visual Arts, and Architecture.

If you are a Master’s or PhD student interested in attending all sessions over the 3 days of the event, fill out the form!

DEADLINE IS 1 SEPTEMBER 2026.

Professors will evaluate applications based on the relevance of your field of study to the topics covered, as well as your personal motivation.

Selected participants will be contacted in September, and a certificate of attendance will be issued.

Stay tuned for updates on our website and social media channels!

University of Trieste Faculty Members Receive T4EU Teaching Qualification Certificate for Excellence in Teaching

Four faculty members from the University of Trieste have been awarded the Transform4Europe (T4EU) Teaching Qualification Certificate, an international distinction that recognises outstanding achievements in teaching and educational innovation across the Transform4Europe European University Alliance.

The certificate acknowledges academic staff who demonstrate excellence in teaching while promoting the Alliance’s core values of inclusivity, sustainability, and international cooperation. Through innovative pedagogical approaches and a strong commitment to student-centred learning, the recipients have contributed to enhancing the educational experience and strengthening collaboration among T4EU partner universities.

The initiative was open to academic staff at the University of Trieste through a self-nomination process. Candidates were evaluated on the basis of evidence from their teaching activities over the previous two years, including the implementation of innovative teaching practices, participation in interdisciplinary and interinstitutional initiatives, professional development in pedagogy, student feedback, and the integration of T4EU values into educational activities.

The University of Trieste warmly congratulates the following faculty members on receiving the T4EU Teaching Qualification Certificate:

  • Emanuele Carosati, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Fabio Spitaleri, Associate Professor, Department of Legal, Language and Interpreting Studies
  • Margherita De Michiel, Department of Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies
  • Stefano D’Errico, Associate Professor, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences

The recognition highlights the high quality of teaching and educational innovation at the University of Trieste and reflects the institution’s active contribution to the Transform4Europe Alliance’s mission of shaping a more innovative, inclusive, and interconnected European Higher Education Area.

ABOUT THE T4EU TEACHING QUALIFICATION CERTIFICATE

The T4EU Teaching Qualification Certificate is awarded by the Transform4Europe European University Alliance to recognise university teachers who demonstrate excellence in teaching and a commitment to innovative pedagogical practices. The certificate formally acknowledges educators who contribute to creating inclusive learning environments, promote sustainability-oriented education, and foster international collaboration in higher education.

Recipients are selected according to a range of criteria, including teaching excellence, innovative methodologies, student engagement and feedback, professional development, mentorship activities, and participation in collaborative educational initiatives within and beyond their institutions.

The certificate is awarded annually across the Alliance and forms part of Transform4Europe’s commitment to enhancing teaching quality and strengthening a shared European educational community.

T4EU Student Garden: an Open-Air Green Laboratory Takes Root on the Piazzale Europa Campus

A small green space on campus has been transformed into an open-air laboratory where students and staff can observe firsthand how nature adapts to the challenges posed by climate change.

This is the idea behind the T4EU Student Garden at the University of Trieste, developed within the framework of Work Package 6, “Green Campus Life, Inclusion and Wellbeing”, of the Transform4Europe (T4EU) European University Alliance. The initiative envisages the creation of a Student Garden at each partner university through a collaborative process aimed at raising awareness of ecological sustainability and environmental transformation across the academic community.

At UniTS, the project has taken shape in a previously unused green area located next to Building H3, on the side facing the University Botanical Garden. The site has been redesigned and redeveloped as a biodiversity hotspot, featuring predominantly native Mediterranean plant species selected for their ability to withstand increasingly frequent heatwaves and prolonged periods of drought.

At the heart of the initiative lies the concept of assisted plant migration—an approach already adopted in several European cities to support the resilience and sustainability of urban green spaces in the face of rapidly changing climatic conditions. The students involved took part in the design of the garden, the selection of plant species, and the planting activities. During the initial establishment phase, they will also contribute directly to the care of the garden through a scheduled irrigation programme.

The project was made possible through the collaboration between T4EU, the Department of Life Sciences (DSV), and several central administrative offices of the University, with the active involvement of DSV students. The design and implementation of the initiative were coordinated and supervised by Dr Andrea Moro, Curator of the University Botanical Garden, Professor Andrea Nardini, Full Professor of Plant Physiology, and Dr Martina Tomasella, Assistant Professor in Plant Physiology.

T4EU Week Lisbon 2026: the UniTS staff perspective

WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE PART OF A EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY ALLIANCE?

For many members of the University of Trieste’s technical and administrative staff, the answer became much clearer during the T4EU Week held in Lisbon from 25 to 29 May 2026.

Hosted by Universidade Católica Portuguesa under the theme Community, Communities: Engage to Transform, the event brought together students, academics, researchers and professional staff from across the Transform4Europe Alliance for a week of workshops, meetings and collaborative activities.

For participants from the University of Trieste, involved in areas ranging from Vertical and Seamless Mobility and Metacampus implementation to Open Science, Lifelong Learning, Communication, Outreach and Sustainability, the week offered a valuable opportunity to step back and look at the bigger picture.

Working on highly specialised tasks often means focusing on a specific piece of a much larger project. Lisbon provided the chance to see how the many activities, communities and initiatives that make up Transform4Europe connect and contribute to a shared vision for the future of higher education.

Participants highlighted the value of exchanging ideas with colleagues from different universities and professional backgrounds, comparing practices and exploring new approaches to common challenges. Equally important was the opportunity to meet in person with colleagues they usually collaborate with online, strengthening existing partnerships and creating new connections across the Alliance.

Several participants also noted how the experience helped them better understand the work being carried out not only by other Alliance partners, but also by colleagues from their own institution involved in different areas of Transform4Europe. This broader perspective reinforced the sense of belonging and contributing to a common European strategic initiative, despite working on diverse activities and objectives.

The week also confirmed the important role that technical and administrative staff play within the Alliance. Transform4Europe is not only about mobility and new learning opportunities – it is also a space where professional staff can exchange expertise, build international networks and contribute directly to the development of innovative solutions for European higher education.

As the University of Trieste delegation returned from Lisbon, they brought back new ideas, strengthened collaborations and a deeper understanding of the collective effort behind Transform4Europe.

An Alliance is built through projects and strategies, but it grows through the people and communities that bring them to life.

Applications Open: T4EU Sustainable Heritage Workshop in Lithuania

The University of Trieste will select 3 students to participate in the T4EU Sustainable Heritage Workshop, Cultural Responses to War: Shaping Heritage, Building Resilience, hosted by Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania).

This intensive workshop will take place at Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas) and the Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum from 28 September to 2 October 2026.

PROGRAMME

The programme bridges academic theory and institutional practice. Working alongside museum professionals and mentors, students will address urgent challenges arising from the war in Ukraine, focusing on the following key areas:

  • Practical Mentorship: Solving museum-defined problems in collaborative groups.
  • Heritage at Risk: Crisis management and anti-looting strategies.
  • Weaponised History: Deconstructing propaganda and colonial legacies.
  • Cultural Resistance: Art and museums as pillars of social resilience.

Join this intensive week dedicated to protecting European heritage in an era of global crisis.
The three participants will be selected as follows:
– one BA student;
– one MA student;
– one PhD student / early-career researcher.

Students may request recognition of 3 ECTS credits.

DEADLINE: 30 JUNE 2026

APPLY NOW

IMPORTANT!  
Before you attend the selected course, remember to inform your “Coordinatore del Corso di Studi” and the “Segreteria didattica” of your Department, following the dedicated guidelines.
Before attending the selected course, doctoral students must also inform their Doctoral Course Coordinator and the Delegate for Doctoral Studies (delegato.dottorati@units.it).
Failure to comply will preclude credit recognition.

Selection process of UniTS students for the T4EU Bootcamp at the University of Primorska

The University of Trieste has selected 2 students to participate in the T4EU Bootcamp Heritage and the Anthropocene – Foreseeing Futures, hosted by the University of Primorska (Koper, Slovenia) from 10 to 12 June 2026.

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The T4EU team at UniTS will be contacting the successful candidates in due course with further information.

Join the “Data-driven Solutions for a more Sustainable Future” event in Sofia

Are you passionate about sustainability and the future of our cities?
Do you want to learn how Artificial Intelligence can tackle climate change?

We are looking for motivated students to join the upcoming event hosted by Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski as part of the Transform4Europe (T4EU) Alliance!

The event will present the opportunities and capabilities of AI and GeoAI in studying the local effects of climate change across European regions. Participants will be introduced to the latest geospatial analytics and predictive modelling to directly address natural hazards and environmental risks.

Throughout the event, you will learn how to work with scalable, workflow-oriented methodologies for analysing complex data. The focus will be on geoinformation technologies, including Generative AI and no-code/low-code solutions for handling large datasets.

Finally, participants will work in groups to solve a specific issue as part of the T4EU Stakeholder Challenge, an open innovation initiative that will connect young talents with companies and public institutions.

The University of Trieste will select 3 students to take part in the T4EU event Data-driven Solutions for a more Sustainable Future, which will include:
– a virtual session on 22 October 2026;
– a physical mobility on 26–30 October 2026.

The three participants assigned to each event will be distributed as follows:
– one person from the BA;
– one person from the MA;
– one person from the PhD/Young researcher.

The target group is focused on students with no or little programming skills.

Students can ask for recognition of 3 ECTS credits.

IMPORTANT!  
Before you attend the selected course, remember to inform your “Coordinatore del Corso di Studi” and the “Segreteria didattica” of your Department, following the dedicated guidelines.
Before attending the selected course, doctoral students must also inform their Doctoral Course Coordinator and the Delegate for Doctoral Studies (delegato.dottorati@units.it).
Failure to comply will preclude credit recognition.

What are you waiting for?

APPLY NOW


Application deadline: 24 May 2026.