Accelerate Future HEI featured at the 13th Edition of the International Open Education & Science Practices Workshop in Romania
Politehnica University of Timișoara (UPT), through its Digital and Distance Education Department, together with the E³UDRES² – Engaged and Entrepreneurial European University Alliance and the Accelerate Future HEI project, with support from IEEE Romania Section, hosted the 13th International Open Education & Science Practices Workshop on 6 March 2026.
The event was organised as part of Open Education Week 2026, supported by Open Education Global, and took place in a hybrid format at the UPT Conference Centre in Timișoara, Romania, while also being streamed live online via Zoom and Facebook.
The workshop brought together 14 speakers from Romania, Italy, Spain, and the United States, with more than 300 participants attending, including over 280 online and 30 on-site. Sessions were highly interactive, with questions and feedback submitted during the event through Zoom, in-person discussions, and live Mentimeter polling.
Participation was free of charge, and all presentations were delivered in English. Attendees received Open Education Workshop Participant Open Badges, while in-person participants also received certificates of participation. Submitted papers will be published in open-access format by the Politehnica University of Timișoara Publishing House.
Accelerate Future HEI Session Highlights Digital Transformation
A dedicated session presented by Dr. Diana Andone, Director of the Digital and Distance Education Department at UPT, highlighted the Accelerate Future HEI project and its role in advancing digital transformation in higher education institutions. The session showcased best practices developed within the project, demonstrating how universities can build more agile, connected, and future-ready ecosystems through open education principles and strategic digital investment.
The presentation attracted strong interest from participants, reflecting the growing relevance of the Accelerate Future HEI approach for educators, researchers, and institutional leaders exploring future-ready higher education systems.
Exploring Emerging Technologies in Education and Science
Under the theme “Digital and Emerging Technologies in Education and Science”, the workshop explored how open science and open educational resources are shaping research, teaching, and institutional development. Particular attention was given to the impact of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and blockchain technologies on universities and digital learning environments.
The programme featured contributions from an international group of speakers addressing topics such as European university alliances, AI-supported learning design, open research infrastructures, MOOCs, digital education platforms, and the integration of emerging technologies into teaching and research practices.
The programme featured presentations from an international line-up of speakers:
- Jesus Alcober (UNITE! European University Alliance, Spain) opened the workshop with the keynote, exploring how European university alliances are redefining the circulation of open knowledge across digital ecosystems
- Diana Andone presented open courses integrated into the E³UDRES² learning platform
- Gabriela Grosseck (West University of Timișoara) examined the concept of the AI prompt as an open educational resource
- Silviu Vert and Diana Szekely (UPT) shared a user-centered redesign of UPT’s admissions web platform
- Vlad Mihăescu (UPT) discussed how MOOCs can improve student motivation
- Marina Marchisio (University of Torino, online) presented the Edvance Digital Education Hub, a federated ecosystem of 16 Italian universities offering over 150 open courses
- Radu Vasiu (UPT) outlined open research practices and infrastructure within the E³UDRES² alliance
- Andrei Ternauciuc (UPT) presented the architecture and challenges behind the E³UDRES² ARENA digital platform
- Carmen Holotescu (“Ioan Slavici” University of Timișoara) demonstrated how Generative AI can support student-centered course redesign using the ABC Learning Design methodology
- Mark Frydenberg (Bentley University, USA, online) introduced vibe coding, building functional applications through AI-assisted prompting, without prior programming knowledge
- Diana Andone (UPT) presented open courses and the flipped classroom model within the Ent-r-e-novators platform
- Diane Popa (“Florin Fleșeriu” Sports High School, Sebeș, online) explored the intersections between Open Science, emerging technologies, and the digital transformation of research
- Angela Nistor (West University of Timișoara, online) presented findings from a mixed-methods study on the integration of social and medical services for vulnerable elderly patients in emergency departments.
More details about the workshop programme are available here:
https://elearning.upt.ro/en/proiecte/proiecte-eu/sute-de-participanti-la-workshop-open-education-science-practices-2026-upt/
The International Open Education & Science Practices Workshop has been organised annually since 2014 by the Digital and Distance Education Department of the Politehnica University of Timișoara, with the support of EDEN Digital Learning Europe and the IEEE Romania Section, as part of Open Education Week.
More information about the workshop series is available at:
https://elearning.upt.ro/en/ws-open-education-practices/
