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Conference Contact: unic-conference-2027@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
The 3rd UNIC Thematic Conference brings together the perspectives of UNIC’s Thematic Line 5 (Entrepreneurial Learning for Innovation) and Thematic Line 7 (Arts, Culture and Creativity), while drawing on the transversal contribution of Thematic Line 1 (Superdiversity).
Hosted by Ruhr University Bochum, the conference focuses on the role of creativity, culture, entrepreneurship, participation, and innovation in shaping the futures of post-industrial cities.
Across Europe and beyond, urban communities are confronted with complex challenges related to economic restructuring, social fragmentation, environmental transitions, technological transformation, and growing diversity. At the same time, cities are becoming laboratories for new forms of collaboration, creativity, civic engagement, and social innovation.
The conference seeks to explore how artistic practices, cultural initiatives, entrepreneurial approaches, and participatory methodologies can contribute to more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban futures. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which creative and human-centered approaches can foster innovation, strengthen communities, and support urban transformation in superdiverse contexts.
The conference intentionally adopts a broad and interdisciplinary perspective, welcoming contributions from academia, public institutions, civil society organisations, cultural actors, creative practitioners, entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders. It aims to create a space where research, practice, experimentation, and societal engagement can interact and mutually enrich one another.
The conference will also host the presentation of the UNIC Best Paper Awards and the UNIC Best CityLab Awards, celebrating outstanding research and impactful university-city collaboration across the alliance. These awards recognise contributions that advance UNIC's mission of fostering inclusive, sustainable and post-industrial urban transformation, while strengthening excellence and engagement within the UNIC community.
Best Paper Award submissions should be made through the conference submission form, while the Best CityLab Award follows a separate submission procedure.
All UNIC Thematic Conferences will have two optional strands to encourage contributions in educational innovation and engaged research related to the conference topics. Contributors may indicate the relevant strand in the submission form to ensure their work is considered in the appropriate context.
Innovative Methods of Teaching and Learning
This strand welcomes contributions focusing on innovative pedagogical approaches, challenge-based learning, experiential education, creative teaching practices, and educational innovation connected to entrepreneurship, creativity, urban transformation, arts, culture, and socially engaged innovation.
Transdisciplinary Engaged Research
This strand highlights research that actively involves cities, communities, cultural actors, public institutions, NGOs, entrepreneurs, and civil society organisations. Contributions may focus on participatory methodologies, co-created knowledge, societally impactful and policy-oriented engaged research, and socially engaged innovation.
We invite proposals, from scholars, independent researchers, students, civil society actors, practitioners and policymakers. Submissions may include individual papers, thematic panels, workshops, book presentations, stakeholder roundtables, artist talks and student-led activies. Both theoretical and empirical work are welcome from applicants at all stages of their career.
Conference Contact: unic-conference-2027@ruhr-uni-bochum.de