Workshop Open Education & Science Practices 2026
13th edition
Friday, March 6, 2026, 10:00 - 15:00 EET (9:00 - 14:00 CET) | Hybrid
The event will be held in a hybrid format and participants can opt for ONLINE registration, via Zoom or physically, in the K1 Room – UPT Conference Center.
The 13th edition of the International Open Education & Science Practices Workshop is organized on Friday, March 6, 2026, by The Politehnica University of Timișoara, through the Digital and Distance Education Department, together with European Universities Alliance E³UDRES² and Accelerate Future HEI, with IEEE support Romania, within the Open Education Week 2026, supported by Open Education Global, in room K1, Conference Center of Politehnica University Timișoara (Vasile Pârvan Boulevard, no. 2 B, next to the UPT Central Library) and online.
Highlights
- Captivating presentations from international experts
- Interactive discussions and networking opportunities
- Key insights on integrating open science into university practices
- Introduction to projects E³UDRES² partners and Accelerate Future HEI
- Updates on European Open Science
- National and institutional perspectives on science and open access
- Demonstrations of open digital scientific tools
- Exploring open pedagogies, emerging technologies, and generative AI
Under the theme "Digital and emerging technologies in education and science”", the presentations will focus on how open science and open educational resources are applied in everyday life, especially in the context of universities, research projects, but also education in general. An emphasis will be placed on the response of educational and research systems to the challenges of emerging technologies of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and blockchain.
The workshop aims to bring together international speakers, preparing interactive sessions and discussions and is addressed to teachers, students, as well as actors in the field of education and training, IT trainers or human resources departments.
Participation is free, and attendees can choose between physical attendance at the UPT Conference Center or online participation. Participants will receive Open Education Workshop Participant Open Badges online and Certificates of Participation for physical attendance.
Jesus Alcober | ON-SITE
UNITE! European University Alliance, aUPaEU (Agora of acceleration services for Higher Education Institution), Alteraid SL
Jesus Alcober is a technology expert, holding a PhD and a Telecommunications Engineer degree. He currently works as a tenured professor in the Department of Telematics Engineering at the Political Science University of Catalonia (UPC), carrying out his teaching and research activities at the School of Telecommunications and Aerospace Engineering of Castelldefels (EETAC) and at the Institute of Educational Sciences.
His academic career is closely linked to innovation, being an active member of the BAMPLA research groups, where he focuses on broadband network design, and AGROTECH-UPC, a center dedicated to agri-food technology within the TECNIO network. He also collaborates with the i2CAT foundation in the development of the Internet of the Future and advanced communication services.
His extensive expertise covers essential areas such as audio-video systems, telematics and social networks, but Jesus Alcober particularly stands out for his contributions in the mHealth sector. He promotes patient-centered systems and digital solutions aimed at increasing user engagement and empowerment in modern healthcare systems.
Diana Andone | On-site
Director of the ID/IFR and Digital Education Department
Dr. Diana Andone is the Director of the Department of ID/IFR and Digital Education at Politehnica University of Timișoara, Romania, responsible for the planning and implementation of digital technologies, online learning technologies and the university's award-winning CVUPT Virtual Campus. She is also an Associate Professor at Politehnica University of Timișoara, Romania, in the field of multimedia, interactive and web technologies. Since 1998, she has been teaching course modules at universities in the UK, France, USA, Finland, Italy, Greece.
She holds a PhD in Designing eLearning Spaces for Digital Students from Brighton University, UK, has extensive research experience, with an intense publishing activity (over 17 books, 100 research papers, 11 Best Paper Awards), and over 30 research and educational projects, mainly funded by the European Commission. She is passionate about ubiquitous access to technologies and how they can be used to improve people's lives.
Dr. Andone actively promotes the use of OER, MOOCs and open education principles, developing UniCampus.eu for digital skills training, acting in international associations (EDEN, IEEE, AACE, IADIS, IAFES,) actively supports the local start-up movement (StartUp Weekend, HackTM, hackathons, CoderDojo) and Girls in Tech, Women in Tech and STEM education. She also works on the Board of Directors of Romanian NGOs (Fundația Pentru Voi), in Timișoara 2021 European Capital of Culture Task Force and in other volunteer organizations. Dr. Andone is an EDEN Senior Fellow, IEEE Education Society 2021 Distinguished Chapter Leadership Award recipient, EDEN Vice President for Communication and Communities (2018-2021) and member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Education Society (2021-present), and within the IEEE Romania Section the Educational activities Chair (2019-present).
Radu Vasiu | On-site
University professor, PhD engineer
Prof.univ.dr.ing. Radu Vasiu is a professor at the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies of Politehnica University Timișoara. His recent research focuses on e-learning, multimedia, web technologies, open data and smart cities. He has published 12 books and presented over 100 papers at various international conferences. He has participated in 28 international research and cooperation projects and is part of 7 international professional associations.
UPT Conference Center
It is located on Vasile Pârvan Boulevard no. 2 B, right next to the UPT Central Library.
The OPen Education & Research Practices workshop will be organized in K1 Amphitheater.
The K1 amphitheater has:
- 89 seats for the public;
- 4 seats in the presidium;
- 16:9 video projection system (projector + projection screen);
- sound system (4 microphones for the presidium, 2 mobile microphones, 2 lavaliers);
Timisoara
We are delighted to host you this spring in the heart of Timisoara. Also known as “Little Vienna”, Timisoara – a city with a rich history and impressive architecture. We invite you to discover its vibrant squares and the multitude of green parks:
- Visit Union Square – This is the central square of Timisoara and a great place to start exploring the city. The Union Square (Domplatz) was unusually large compared to the size of the fortress, which served to highlight the baroque appearance of this space.
- Brück Palace (located in Union Square) – On the southern side of the Union Square, in the immediate vicinity of the Baroque Palace, is one of the most recognizable buildings in Timisoara – the Salamon Brück Palace. Built according to the plans of the Timisoara architect László Székely, in the Secession style, the palace was completed in the summer of 1911.
- National Theatre and Opera (Union Square) – The building was built between 1872 and 1875 in the intra muros area of the fortress, according to the plans of architects Ferdinand Fellner Jr. and Hermann Helmer, in a historic eclectic style.
- Maria Theresa Bastion –, also known as the "Fortress Bastion", is the largest surviving part of the former citadel of Timișoara. Inside it is also National Museum of Banat.
- Explore the Rose Park – Formerly called the Rose Park, Rosarium, Ștefan Plavăț Culture and Recreation Park, it is one of the parks in Timișoara, located in the Cetate neighborhood.
- Orthodox Cathedral "Holy Three Hierarchs" – The Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral impresses both by its size and by the artistic value of the monument, combining elements of Byzantine architecture with those of old Romanian architecture.
- Bega Canal – enjoy a “cruise” on the Bega River by vaporetto. The canal runs through the entire city, connecting neighborhoods and historic areas.
>>> Discover more places to visit in Timisoara on the official page Spotlight Heritage Timisoara
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