IEEE DEMOcon 2026 at the Politehnica University Timișoara: five days of Summer School and the IEEE DEMOcon 2026 Digital Education and MOOCs International Conference, held for the first time at the Politehnica University of Timișoara: 5 days, with over 110 participants from 23 countries

Timișoara, June 2026

The Politehnica University Timișoara, through its Digital and Distance Education Department, hosted two consecutive international events dedicated to digital education from June 21–26, 2026: DEMOcon Summer School 2026 (June 21–24) and the IEEE DEMOcon 2026 Digital Education and MOOCs International Conference (June 24–26), organized by the IEEE Education Society. The events brought together more than 110 researchers, students, faculty members, and experts from 23 countries at the UPT's Conference Center in Timișoara.

IEEE DEMOcon Research Summer School 2026

The DEMOcon Summer School 2026 took place at the Department of Digital and Distance Education (DEL) at UPT and brought together more than 10 doctoral students, master’s students, and researchers for three days of intensive sessions on the topic ofExperiences and Developments in Digital Education Ecosystems: Harnessing MOOCs, AI, and MicrocredentialsThe event was opened by Academician Dr. Eng. Liviu Marșavina, Vice Rector of UPT, and Prof.Em.Dr.Eng. Radu Vasiu.

The program included lectures by international experts: Prof. Em. Dr. Eng. Radu Vasiu about Open Science and Open Access; Dr. Eng. Diana Andone on the integration of generative AI into research; Prof. Dr. Eng. Carmen Holotescu (Ioan Slavici University of Timișoara) on verifiable credentials and blockchain in education; Senior Lecturer Mark Frydenberg (Bentley University) about AI-based tutoring; Prof. Dr. Arnold Pears (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) on research in engineering education; Prof. Dr. Thomas Staubitz (German University of Digital Science) on projects and teamwork in the age of AI; Prof. Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos (Carlos III University of Madrid) on the future of education in the context of AI; and Ella Hamonic (UNESCO-IIEP) on games and simulations in adult education using AI.

In addition, participants visited UPT’s 360° Immersive Space—the first immersive projection cylinder in the Romanian academic environment, part of the DigiUPT (PNRR) project—where they explored virtual heritage applications developed by the DEL team as part of the Spotlight Heritage Timișoara project. Summer School certificates of completion were presented to participants during the conference’s welcome reception, held in the UPT Senate Hall and the Rector’s Office lobby, following a tour of downtown Timișoara, during which participants learned about the history of the university and the city.

IEEE DEMOcon 2026 Digital Education and MOOCs International Conference

The Politehnica University Timișoara, through its Digital and Distance Education Department, hosted, for the first time, from June 24–26, 2026, IEEE DEMOcon 2026 International Conference on Digital Education and MOOCs — organized by the IEEE Education Society and merged this year with eMOOCs, the European MOOCs Stakeholders Summit. The conference was attended by over 100 researchers, faculty members, and experts from 23 countries at the UPT Conference Center in Timișoara.

The opening plenary session was chaired by Prof. Em. Dr. Eng. Radu Vasiu — General Chair of the conference — featuring a presentation by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Florin Dragan (Rector of UPT), Prof. Dr. Arnold Pears (KTH, Sweden, and President of the IEEE Education Society), Dr. Eng. Diana Andone (Vice President of the IEEE Education Society and Director of the Digital and Distance Education Department, UPT) and Prof. Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos (Co-Chair of the IEEE DEMOcon Steering Committee).

During the opening session, the following awards were presented IEEE DEMOcon Meritorious Service Award (Prof.Dr. James Sluss și Prof. Dr. Thomas Staubitz) and IEEE Education Society Student Travel Award (Rohini Trimurthy, India). Prof. Dr. Arnold Pears presented awards of recognition to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Florin Dragan, for hosting the conference, and Prof. Em. Dr. Eng. Radu Vasiu, for serving as General Chair.

Plenary Sessions

Day 1 Keynote, “AI Integration in Higher Education: A Roadmap and Discussion“, was presented by Prof. Dr. Arnold Pears (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, President of the IEEE Education Society) and discussed the risks and opportunities that generative AI presents for teaching, assessment, and cognitive development in higher education.

Day 2's keynote, “Navigating AI's Frictions in Education“, was supported by Ella Hamonic (UNESCO-IIEP) and examined changes in the architecture of online learning, the evolution of MOOCs, and the skills teachers need to navigate an educational landscape shaped by AI.

The final day of the conference, Friday, June 26, featured the plenary panel session “Digital Experiences in European University Alliances”, moderated by Dr. Eng. Diana Andone. Alongside of the representatives of the following alliances: UNITE! (Prof. Dr. Jesus Alcober), E³UDRES² (Șl. Dr. Eng. Andrei Ternauciuc), UNIT (Prof. Dr. Marina Marchisio Conte) and YUFE (Prof. Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos) discussed crucial topics such as platform interoperability, micro-credentials, and the integration of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need for a future European digital federation.

Scientific Program and Workshops

The conference featured parallel research sessions, work-in-progress presentations, and workshops. Dr. Eng. Diana Andone led the workshop “Navigating Institutional Evolution through ITAPs – The UPT Digital Transformation Journey“, drawing on UPT’s experience within the European project Accelerate Future HEI (Horizon Europe).

The more than 80 papers presented at the conference have been published in the conference proceedings and will be available—some as open access—and indexed in IEEE Xplore and other international research databases.

Demonstrations and Exhibitions

Participants had the opportunity to interact with the humanoid robot Pepper—purchased by UPT through the DigiUPT project (PNRR) and used in teaching activities in the field of robotics—and to visit UPT's 360° Immersive Space, the first immersive projection cylinder in the Romanian academic community. Live demonstrations were conducted by the companies Lasting Software (digital twin framework for non-terrestrial 5G networks) and Nokia (5G Ultra Compact Network solution).

Awards Ceremony

At the end of the second day, Dr. Eng. Diana Andone and Prof. Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos presented certificates of recognition to all members of the organizing committee, including the co-chairs of the steering committee, the track chairs, the publicity chairs, and the conference treasurer.

The event officially concluded with the awards ceremony Best Paper Awards, where the following works were awarded: “Improving Cause-of-Death Certification in Portugal Through a nanoMOOC for Health Professionals”, authored by the researchers Joao Paz, Antonio Moreira Teixeira and Maria do Carmo Teixeira Pinto (University of Lisbon) (Best Short Paper), and “From awareness to evidence: Building an online training program that produces audit-ready proof for tisax (VDA ISA 6)”, authored by Muguraș Mocofan and Andrei Ternauciuc (Politechnical University of Timisoara) (Best Full Paper).

During the same ceremony, the sponsors, members of the DEL (local organizing committee), and student volunteers received certificates of recognition for their involvement and efforts in organizing the event.

Conference participants—the vast majority of whom were visiting Romania and Timișoara for the first time—discovered the history and culture of Timișoara, the cuisine of the Banat region, and the heritage of Transylvania through the program offered by UPT.

In 2027, IEEE DEMOcon Digital Education and MOOCs International Conference will be held in Montevideo, Uruguay.