3 UNeECC General Assembly Meeting and Annual Conference Summary

The University Network of the European Capitals of Culture held its 3. UNeECC  General Assembly Meeting and Annual Conference

 
on 22-23 October 2009, in Vilnius, one of this year’s European Capitals of Culture.

The Conference was jointly hosted by the Mykolas Romeris Unversity and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. This unique collaboration clearly demonstrates how universities can and must contribute to the success of a European Capital of Culture programme.


In this European Year of Innovation and Creativity the central theme of this year’s UNeECC Conference was ‘Innovation, Creativity and Culture’.

University students and faculty, as well as cultural professionals active in past, present and future European Capitals of Culture presented papers in 5 different conference tracks:

1.    Cultural diversity as basis for Creativity and Innovation
2.    Creativity and Innovation in University Culture
3.    The Impact of Innovation and Creativity on Culture
4.    Creativity and Innovation and European Capitals of Culture
5.    Didactic Innovation and the University

The Vilnius conference touched upon key issues emerging from the relationship between ‘innovation and creativity’ and culture. Given the academic objectives of the conference, presentations focused on new insights into innovation  and examined questions like ’Are innovation and creativity the priviliged playground of technicians and engineers, or is it on the contrary the essence of fine arts? And what about the interrelation between the two? Is one at the service of the other, or can they find common ground?’

Nearly 40 speakers from 20 countries shared their ideas with the participants and the presentations were followed by very interesting debates and discussions.

The Keynote Speaker of the UNeECC Conference was Professor Edward de Bono,  EU Ambassador for the Year of Creativity,2009. The title of his presentation was ’The biggest problem is not climate-change, but inadequate thinking’.

Parallel to the UNeECC Conference the II. UNeECC Student workshop was organized with the participation of 27 students from 11 countries of Europe.