International scientific conference brings together researchers to share ideas
On 16 April, the traditional international scientific conference "Higher Education for Sustainable Development of a Smart Region" took place at Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija.
The conference brought together several dozen researchers from more than ten countries, including the Czech Republic, Sakartvelo, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
The event was organised as part of the 10th International Week at ŠVK, held this year under the theme WE ARE COMMUNICATION. Fittingly, the themes of communication and dialogue were revisited throughout the scientific programme.
A welcoming address at the plenary session was delivered by Dr. Rasa Pocevičienė, Head of the Study and Science Coordination Unit at Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija. Welcoming participants from Lithuania and abroad, she emphasised the importance of direct communication between researchers as one of the key goals of such scientific events. She wished participants productive discussions and the emergence of new shared ideas, and expressed her satisfaction that the conference had brought together not only researchers from higher education institutions, but also social partners of the ŠVK.
The plenary presentations explored the relationship between communication, culture, and artificial intelligence; the ethical dimensions of sustainable business; the use of artificial intelligence in the tourism industry; current challenges in teaching physiotherapy; and the transformation of entrepreneurship education through technology.
The presentations delivered across the four conference sections addressed the impact of smart technologies on societal change, the role of social dialogue in a time of global transformation, the importance of information and communication in education, and the challenges facing health and well-being — together with the changes these developments demand. A notable feature of this year's conference was the large number of papers co-authored by two or more researchers, often representing different institutions and countries. In total, nearly fifty presentations were delivered in Lithuanian and English.
All conference participants are invited to prepare articles on the basis of read papers for ŠVK's peer-reviewed journal Professional Studies: Theory and Practice.
