Dozens of students stood in line in front of a table, their faces were filled with excitement. They were not there to collect autographs from their favorite celebrity or to get tickets for a concert, but to receive their credentials for the first EELISA International Conference. Many of these faces were seen repeatedly in the UNSTPB’s auditorium during the plenary sessions as well as in the screenings, workshops, and roundtables. They shared the room, and sometimes the panel, with renowned researchers and professors. A sense of excitement and discovery lingered in the air, even on the event’s third day, as the conference concluded and the EELISA Diversity Award was presented, marking the transition into the final sessions
Thus, the 1st EELISA International Conference has marked the culmination of the initial three years of EELISA’s transformative and impactful journey. It featured two high-level plenary sessions and 27 workshops, abstract presentations, and roundtables that addressed various crucial topics. These encompassed topics such as the new European engineering model, the university of the future, innovative pedagogies, entrepreneurship, and innovation, as well as fostering sustainable cooperation and promoting gender equality and inclusion.
These elements were carefully curated not only to commemorate the accomplishments of the first three years of the alliance but also to promote collaboration and cultivate a collective understanding of the context and prospects for the next four years of the Alliance. “I have had the opportunity to speak with many of the participants, ranging from speakers to attendees, and I truly believe that this goal has been fully achieved,” remarks Sofia d’Aguiar, EELISA Executive Director and a member of the conference’s organizational team.
One of the pivotal highlights of this year’s conference was the presentation of the EELISA Diversity Award by EELISA InnoCORE to Prof. Dr. Hatice Köse, a distinguished Professor of Computer Engineering at ITU, for her groundbreaking initiative, “Artificial Intelligence-Based Assistive Systems for Children with Disabilities
On behalf of EELISA, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who made this conference possible, as well as the hundreds of individuals who brought it to life and shared it with the world through social media. We would need many pages to be able to gather a summary of everything that has happened these days and the impressions of all the participants. It also takes time to assess the real impact of such an event. But for now, here we offer you a compilation of quotes and materials generated during the conference
Watch the EELISA Re-cap Video
Some quotes of participants of the 1st EELISA International Conference
“Congratulations for this very rich and fruitful conference! And very happy to see Member States such as RO and ES committed to facilitate deeper transnational cooperation, paving the way for more countries to join. (…) You are real pioneers!”
Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Head of Higher Education Unit at European Commission. Speaker at the EELISA International Conference Plenary Session
“Connecting with like-minded and motivated students from different universities was an enriching experience, both culturally as well as intellectually.”
Baihui Liu, FAU Bachelor student in Business and Economics
“Being able to attend and contribute by sharing my expertise in the field of equal opportunities and diversity on an European level is truly a privilege. Shaping the university of the future is challenging but being part of a pioneering journey is such a blast”.
Magda Luthay, FAU Gender and Diversity team
“What united us all was our shared commitment to tackling today’s challenges and preparing for the future through innovative and inclusive actions”.
Yan Medeiros, BME Bachelor student in Civil Engineering
“Can’t wait to return to Bucharest and Universitatea POLITEHNICA din București to connect our innovation ecosystems as part of EELISA European University.”
Kathrin Moeslein, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg Professor and EELISA Governing Board
“Happy to share my experience on what the European universities should do to help with the fight against climate change.”
Razvan Nicolescu, Member of the Governing Board European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT). Speaker at the EELISA International Conference Plenary Session 2
“We have managed to create an effective international space for cooperation and implication”
Mihnea Costoiu, Rector UNSTPB
“An inspiring event with significant student participation to celebrate the success of the first phase of our Alliance – and more importantly, to renew our commitment to EELISA, defining the way forward for the next four years.”
Dale A. Martin, EELISA President