International Scientific Conference Brings Together Researchers from Around the World
Researchers from thirteen countries gathered at Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija on May 8th for the annual international scientific conference "Higher Education for Sustainable Development of a Smart Region," exploring the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and regional development.
Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija annually organizes this international scientific conference together with international partners including the Polytechnic Institute of Braganca (Portugal), Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain), University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (Portugal), Tallinn University of Applied Sciences (Estonia), and UNESCO Chair For Communication Research (Spain).
The plenary session was moderated by Dr. Nedas Jurgaitis, Deputy Director of Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija, who highlighted the expanding role of higher education institutions beyond traditional knowledge provision. "We can confidently call higher education institutions a vital link between science, business, government, and the local community, successfully creating preconditions for increasing the competitiveness of the country and especially regions," Dr. N.Jurgaitis emphasized. "They play a crucial role in regional development by maintaining regular contact with all stakeholders, cooperating with industry, society, and local and regional authorities."
The conference addressed several critical areas for sustainable regional development, including the impact of smart technologies on societal change, challenges posed by artificial intelligence, sustainable management of human and other resources, information and communication in the educational process, and health and well-being advancement strategies. Researchers from Albania, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sakartvelo, Turkey, Ukraine, and Lithuanian higher education institutions read papers in the plenary session and four specialized sections, sharing diverse perspectives and research findings.
All conference participants are invited to submit articles for publication in Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija's peer-reviewed scientific journals "PROFESSIONAL STUDIES: THEORY AND PRACTICE" and "APPLIED RESEARCH." Articles can be submitted through the Open Journal System at https://ojs.svako.lt/ or emailed to s.papaurelyte@svako.lt.
