Category: International

From 11 to 14 May 2026, the Academy of Arts and New Technologies, AANT, took part in the International Staff Week hosted by Özyeğin University, OzU, in Istanbul. Representing the Academy were Gianna Angelini, Scientific Director and Head of Internationalisation, and Rossana Quarta, General Director of AANT, who joined a programme focused on academic cooperation, mobility and the evolving future of higher education.

Organised by OzU’s International Exchange and Partnership Programs Office, the week brought together representatives from universities and international offices to exchange experiences, best practices and collaboration models. The programme included partner presentations, structured networking sessions, thematic workshops, roundtables and a partner fair, creating a dynamic setting for the development of new institutional relationships.

During the opening sessions, Özyeğin University presented its academic model, strongly oriented towards research, entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and global impact. For AANT, the exchange with OzU and the other participating institutions offered an opportunity to explore educational and organisational approaches that connect learning, applied research, industry relations and internationalisation.

A key focus of the programme was the role of artificial intelligence and digital transformation in higher education. The keynote session, “The New Era of Higher Education: Research, Innovation, and Impact”, opened a discussion on the major changes currently reshaping universities: from learning and assessment processes to the need to train professionals who can use AI critically, ethically and responsibly. These themes are closely connected to AANT’s ongoing work on contemporary languages, emerging technologies and the creative skills of the future.

The programme also included a workshop at MakersLab/OpenFab, dedicated to maker culture, digital fabrication and prototyping processes. The lab presented how 3D modelling, 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, biomaterials and collaborative design can become part of educational pathways in design, engineering, gastronomy and innovation. This dimension is particularly close to AANT’s identity, which has always been rooted in the dialogue between arts, design and new technologies.

Another central moment of the week was the session dedicated to best practices in student and staff mobility. Participants discussed common challenges and possible solutions to improve welcome processes, communication, orientation and integration: from incoming student onboarding to peer support programmes, as well as digital tools designed to make information more accessible and encourage greater autonomy.

Alongside the academic activities, the week also included moments dedicated to Turkish culture and to the city of Istanbul, including workshops on marbling and woodblock printing, a session on Turkish coffee culture, social activities and a guided city tour. This experiential dimension strengthened the intercultural value of the programme, turning mobility into an opportunity for dialogue, connection and shared learning.

AANT’s participation in the International Staff Week at Özyeğin University is part of the Academy’s broader internationalisation strategy, developed through partnerships, exchanges and shared projects.

From March 23 to 26, AANT took part in the International Week hosted by UDIT – Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología – in Madrid, an event dedicated to international academic exchange, the sharing of teaching practices, and the creation of new connections between institutions. UDIT, a partner of AANT since 2024, is now recognized as the first and only Spanish university specializing in Design, Innovation and Technology, and with this first edition of its International Week, it brought together more than 30 participants from 22 universities and 15 countries.

Throughout the week, the programme featured academic presentations, workshops and masterclasses, visits to the university’s two campuses, meetings with students, and access to various laboratories and learning spaces. It was a dynamic and international setting, designed to encourage dialogue among academics and professionals, foster new opportunities for collaboration, and strengthen an increasingly open and shared vision of higher education.

The participation of Gianna Angelini, Head of International Office, represented an important opportunity for AANT to engage and connect within a broad and highly qualified international network. Experiences such as this help strengthen AANT’s European positioning and expand opportunities for exchange, shared project development, and growth for the academic community.

AANT’s presence at UDIT’s International Week is part of a coherent and ongoing path of international openness, which in recent months has also seen the Academy active in other strategic contexts, from Valencia to Prague and Gothenburg. It is a constant effort that strengthens relationships, creates new opportunities for collaboration, and confirms AANT’s commitment to playing an active role in the European spaces of education, creativity, and innovation.

Starting today, Monday 2 March, and running until Friday 6 March, AANT opens its doors for BIP Week 2026—a week dedicated to internationalisation, academic exchange, and collaborative project development. The programme features three Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes: the third edition of Light & the City, the second edition of Think, Prompt, Create, and the first edition of Secret Spaces. More than 80 students and faculty members will take part in the activities, arriving from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, France, and Croatia.

Now in its third edition, Light & the City offers a technical, educational, and experiential path devoted to Rome and to light as a design material. The programme brings photography and lighting design into dialogue and invites participants to interpret places, monuments, and urban landscapes through the transformations of light and an immersive on-site experience.

In its second edition, Think, Prompt, Create explores the transformative applications of generative artificial intelligence in communication, publishing, and the creative industries. Through online preparatory sessions, in-person workshops, and individual study, the programme combines technical skills with critical thinking, culminating in the production of a portfolio of projects developed with tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, and RunwayML.

Making its debut, Secret Spaces focuses on museums and lesser-known exhibition venues as places of inclusion, knowledge, and human and social development. The programme experiments with immersive and multisensory modes of engagement, integrating physical and digital devices; the first workshop is scheduled at the Centrale Montemartini Museum, where participants will also develop virtual reality experiences accessible via Oculus.

BIP Week brings together an international network of European partners. The partners involved are: VERN (Zagreb), IPCA (Barcelos), Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, Hochschule der Medien (Stuttgart), L’École de design (Nantes), Algebra Bernays University (Zagreb), Artevelde (Ghent), and die Angewandte (Wien).

Until Friday 6 March, BIP Week will turn AANT into an international hub for dialogue, experimentation, and shared project work—reflecting the Erasmus+ BIP format, which combines virtual collaboration, short-term in-person mobility, and shared learning outcomes.