BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025
BSE Madrid Carlos III Report
InterSTEMllar : Shaping Interdisciplinary Learning July 2025 Madrid, Spain
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BEST BEST, Board of European Students of Technology, is a constantly growing non-profit and non-political organisation. Since 1989, it has provided communication, co-operation, and exchange opportunities for students across Europe. With 83 Local BEST Groups (LBGs) in 29 countries, BEST is building a well-organised, powerful, and innovative student network. BEST aims to help European students of technology become more internationally minded by fostering a better understanding of European cultures and developing their ability to work on an international level. The organisation creates opportunities for students to meet and learn from one another through academic and non-academic events, as well as educational symposia. While "Learning makes the master," the ultimate goal is a successful career. To support this, BEST offers services like an international career centre to help students broaden their job market horizons. The organisation's priority is to provide high-quality services to students across Europe, bringing together the "student-company-university" triangle more effectively.
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Educational Involvement Department The Educational Involvement Department (EduID) is the coordinating body of all educational involvement in BEST including the BEST Symposia on Education (BSE). The core activity of EduID is the Educational Involvement Program (EIP)- a multistep research program that follows the principles of the research cycle, in which a topic that is relevant in engineering higher education is chosen, quantitative and qualitative data are gathered and summarized in a research paper, which is then disseminated to relevant higher education stakeholders. The program is used as a vessel to make students' voices on educational matters heard. As the BEST Symposia on Education is a crucial step for gathering quantitative data for the research, EduID is responsible for supervising all of the academic content.
Management of the department Management of 2024/2025 Coordinator of EduID: Nadica Koloska Secretary: Viktorija Barisic HR: Ana Radovic Management of 2025/2026 Coordinator of EduID: Kristina Zaprova Secretary: Bojan Bosnjak HR: Tamara Zharova
BEST Symposia on Education A BEST Symposia on Education (BSE) is an event where students discuss educational topics, together with university and/or company representatives. Students have the chance to identify current problems and propose innovative solutions, with the aim of defining the future of higher education in Europe. The gathered opinions are disseminated through scientific work and presented at conferences to universities, companies and higher education institutions representatives. Participants have the opportunity to discuss, share ideas, and find solutions to current Higher European Education matters, alongside experts in the field. Throughout the event, students develop skills such as oral presentation, academic discussion, debating, teamwork, as well as analytical, critical, and innovative thinking, among other relevant soft skills related to project analysis and development.
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BSE Madrid Carlos III - InterSTEMllar : Shaping Interdisciplinary Learning Website link: https://bestuc3m.es/bse25/ Curriculum Design for Industry Relevance - BSE Madrid Carlos III ● How can interdisciplinary STEM curricula be designed to equip students with industry-relevant skills? ● Bridging academic learning with industry requirements ● Ensuring students gain real-world problem-solving skills
Learning Goals and Objectives: Develop an understanding of the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in STEM education, emphasizing how the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with the arts, humanities, and social sciences leads to more holistic learning. Equip participants with actionable strategies to foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in their learners. As part of the Educational Involvement Programme, this initiative aims to strengthen participant engagement by encouraging cross-sector collaboration between educators, students, researchers, and community stakeholders. The programme supports the design and implementation of locally relevant, globally inspired STEM+ education practices,
helping
institutions
build
more
inclusive
and
innovative
learning
environments.
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Content team - “Edunauts”
BSE coordinator EduID elects a BSE Coordinator for each BEST Symposium on Education. The BSE Coordinator is the contact person between EduID and the LBG hosting the BEST Symposium on Education, but also is part of the Content team. The BSE Coordinator is responsible for the success of the BEST Symposium on Education. This BSE’s coordinator was Rita Araújo from LBG Porto.
Content team - facilitators The Content Team is responsible for the overall design and delivery of the working hours and workshops at the event. They prepare, design, and facilitate sessions, ensuring activities align with the goals of the BSE and meet participants' needs. The team strives to create interactive, inspiring, and valuable workshops, fostering a supportive environment for knowledge exchange and skill development.
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BSE Madrid Carlos III Content Team Name: Rita Araújo Background: Bachelor in Bioengineering at University of Porto Contacts: rita.pereira.araujo@best-eu.org Resume/CV: Rita Araújo Resume Name: Shubham Verma Background: MSc Software Systems Engineering at RWTH Aachen University Contacts: shubham.verma@best-eu.org Resume/CV: Shubham Verma Resume Name: Kristina Zaprova Background: Bachelor in Food Technology and Engineering at University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" Contacts: kristina.zaprova@best-eu.org Resume/CV: Kristina Zaprova Resume Name: Nadica Koloska Background: Bachelor in Computer Engineering at University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" Contacts: nadica.koloska@best-eu.org Resume/CV: Nadica Koloska Resume
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LBG Madrid Carlos III LBG Madrid Carlos III is the Local BEST Group at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Growing since 2005, they are a strong and dynamic group of Engineering students willing to improve themselves and develop their full personal and professional potential. They were accepted as an observer member group of BEST for PM 2005 in Ljubljana and we were officially born on November 29th of 2005. The first event organized was an Iberian Regional Meeting, in Colmenarejo, March 2006. They were accepted as baby members at PM 2006 in Ghent. They organized their first BEST Course in Summer Season 2007. In PM07 (Valladolid) we became Full Member with 100% of positive votes.
Board of LBG Madrid Carlos III President: José Urich Treasurer and VP for internal support: Celia García Secretary: Emanuel Lazar HR coordinator: Blanca Sánchez VP for External Services: Alejandro Collado
Core team of the BSE Main organizer: Sofia Urich Pax responsible: Ignacio Sánchez (Nacho) Pax responsible: Alejandro Quiros Logistics Responsible: Adrián González Logistics Responsible: Javier Planelles CR responsible: Victoria Fernández
Other members of BEST that contributed to the event Maj Ferjan from LBG Ljubljana Malena Papadopoulou from LBG Athens
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Yago Weisse from LBG Madrid Carlos III Marta Rubia from LBG Madrid Carlos III David Gómez from LBG Madrid Carlos III Ariel Ediang from LBG Liège
Schedule of the event
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People who also contributed to the content of the BSE
Dr. Professor Paloma Díaz Research gate Area of studies: PhD Computer Science. Computer Science and Engineering Professor. Global Engineering Deans Council Chair. Telefónica-UC3M Chair on Women and Technology. (Past) First woman Dean of the UC3M School of Engineering. Contribution to the event: Session “Challenges and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary STEM learning”
Dr. Professor Ramon Vilanova Research Gate Area of studies: Professor of Control and Systems Engineering, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona. Dean School of Engineering . 2020-Board of Directors of SEFI (European Society for Engineering Education) Contribution to the event: Session “ Challenges and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary STEM learning”
Professor Oscar Elías Bonilla Manrique Profile Area of studies: Electrical engineering. Research Group : Sensors and Instrumentation Techniques (SIT) Contribution to the event: Session “TMAE: Teaching Methodologies Applied to Engineering”
Professor José Maria Alvarez Rodrigues Area of studies: xxx engineering Contribution to the event: Session “Mission: Industry - Integrating Interdisciplinary STEM education”
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Professor Vanesa Guerrero Lozano Area of studies: Mathematics and Statistics Contribution to the event: Session “Mission: Industry - Integrating Interdisciplinary STEM education”
Company Mahou Beer company
Andres Martinez Susilla and Rocio Suarez Gonzalez Contribution to the event: Session “Mission: Industry - Integrating Interdisciplinary STEM education”
Company Axpo Energy systems company
Rahine Rodriguez and Oscar Toledo from the company Axpo. Contribution to the event: Session “Mission: Industry - Integrating Interdisciplinary STEM education”
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Participants *Note: not all participants were in all activities PARTICIPANTS Name Surname
Country of Origin
University
Field of study
Alice
France
INSA Lyon
Initial Engineering Education
Antonino
Italy
Sapienza University of Rome
Mechanical Engineering
Athanasios
Greece
Technical University of Crete
Berkay
Türkiye
Suleyman Demirel University
Computer Science
Deniz
Türkiye
Bogazici University
Industrial Engineering
Dilek Nur
Türkiye
Ege University
Food Engineering
Eirini
Greece
National Technical University of Athens
Chemical Engineering
Eren
Türkiye
Istanbul Technical University
Mechanical Engineering
Giovanni
Italy
University of Naples
Industrial Engineering
Iva
Croatia
University of Zagreb
Mechanical Engineering
Anthimos
Greece
University of Patras
Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics
Katerina
Macedonia
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM)
Chemical Engineering
Kobe
Belgium
KU Leuven
Biological/Biotechnical/Gene Engineering
Kristina Cokovska
Macedonia
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM)
Computer Science/Automatic Control/Informatics
Kristina Mikec
Croatia
University of Zagreb
Food Engineering
Staša
Serbia
University of Belgrade
Computer Science
Metaxia
Greece
Technical University of Crete
Chemical Engineering
Shamail
Germany
Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen
Data Science
Tamara
Montenegro
University of Montenegro
Electrical engineering
Vicky
Greece
National Technical University of Athens
Chemical Engineering
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Working methods Each of these working methods represents a unique approach to learning and engagement, allowing participants to develop a variety of skills in different contexts and give their opinion.
Presentation The presentation consists of an introduction to the concept of the BEST Symposium on Education. This format allows students to be aware of the structure framework of the week.
Panel Discussion A panel discussion consists of a group of experts or experienced individuals who share their insights on a relevant topic. This format allows for a diverse range of perspectives and encourages
audience engagement through questions. It typically includes moderated
discussions that highlight different viewpoints, making it ideal for complex subjects that benefit from multifaceted exploration.
Discussion groups A brainstorming session is a collaborative activity aimed at generating ideas and solutions in an open and judgement-free atmosphere. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts freely, which fosters creativity and innovation. The emphasis is on quantity over quality, allowing for a diverse array of ideas to emerge, which can then be refined and developed further.
Workshop Workshops are interactive sessions that provide participants with hands-on experience in specific skills or topics. They are designed for active learning, where attendees engage in practical tasks, discussions, and collaborative exercises. Workshops often focus on developing skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, making them valuable for experiential learning environments.
Model United Nations (MUN) simulation Focusing primarily on using a Simulation of United Nations (MUN) conferences format to explore and develop solutions related to interdisciplinary STEM learning.
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Group activities Group activities are structured tasks that promote teamwork and collaboration among participants. These activities require participants to work together to complete a specific challenge, enhancing communication and fostering a sense of community. They often emphasise the importance of utilising diverse skills and perspectives to achieve a common goal.
Case Study A case study is an in-depth examination of a real-world scenario, often used to analyse and solve complex problems. Participants explore the details of the case, identify key issues, and propose solutions based on their analysis. This format allows for practical application of theoretical knowledge and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Presentation Presentations involve individuals sharing information or insights on a specific topic in a formal setting. They typically include visual aids and structured content to effectively convey messages to an audience. Presentations aim to enhance public speaking skills, organisational abilities, and the capacity to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively.
Pre-materials Here, you can find a list of materials that are relevant to the BSE. Name
Research Proposal on Interdisciplinary STEM Learning
Topic/field
Educational Involvement Department Research Proposal EIP 24/26
Short Description
Outline of the project led by the Educational Involvement Department within BEST. It aims to explore and promote interdisciplinary approaches in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) higher education across Europe. The proposal highlights the need to integrate arts, project-based learning, and digital technologies into STEM education to better equip students with critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Name
Research Proposal on Interdisciplinary STEM Learning The document includes a comprehensive literature review, identifies current gaps in STEM curricula, and proposes a mixed-method research methodology involving surveys, interviews, and BEST Symposia on Education (BSE). The goal is to assess student and faculty perspectives, institutional readiness, and global best practices, ultimately providing recommendations for implementing interdisciplinary STEM frameworks in universities. The findings will support academic publications and conference presentations, contributing to future curriculum development in Europe.
Name
Educating for the Future: The Power of Interdisciplinary Spaces | Theresa Lim
Topic/field
Interdisciplinary spaces
Short Description
Based on her experience doing genetics research, Theresa saw how real work on big problems is not and cannot be done based on the single subject learning model used in high schools today. Because meaningful and important work is nearly always interdisciplinary in nature, she calls on schools to develop interdisciplinary learning spaces.
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Sessions “InterSTEMllar: Shaping Interdisciplinary Learning” July 2025 Madrid, Spain
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Day 1 Mission: Industry - Integrating Interdisciplinary STEM education Date: 07/07/2025 Facilitators: Shubham , Rita Minute taker: Nadica, Maj _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● This session, a panel discussion with a panel comprising industry and university representatives, along with active participation of the BSE participants, will enable them to gain a real-world perspective on Interdisciplinary STEM education. This acts as an excellent starting point for the BSE and can provide a perspective for the sessions in the rest of the BSE.
Objectives ● Bringing together the panellists from Academia and the industry to benefit the students with knowledge and know-how of interdisciplinary STEM education.
Session Format ● The panel consisted of a mix of Academia and Industry Experts. There were Jose Maria Alvare Rodrigues and Vanesa Guerrero Lozano from the academia, and Andres Maartinez Susilla and Rocio Suarez Gonzalez from the company Mahou and Rahine Rodriguez and Oscar Toledo from the company Axpo. ● The questions were asked to the panellists individually, with the others having an opportunity to pitch in if they had a point to make. The BSE participants also had the opportunity to ask questions to the panellists.
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Methodology Key Activities 1. The session started with an introduction to the session and the panellists. 2. The panellists were asked questions one by one, keeping in mind that all the panellists have equal opportunities. 3. Later, group questions were asked where panellists could discuss together. 4. At the end, participants were able to ask questions to the panel directly.
Expected Outcomes: ● Real-World Insights: Industry panellists sharing firsthand observations about skill
gaps they encounter in recent graduates.
Outcomes ● Introduction ○ The moderators talked about the panel discussion and introduced what the panel discussion would cover. The panellists are introduced to the idea of the BSE and why this panel discussion is an important part. The panellists then give a brief introduction about themselves. ● First Activity: Panel Discussion Idea ○ The moderators, after the introductions are done, bring back the attention to the topic and lay the groundwork for the panel discussion to start. The plan was to ask individually directed questions to people in the panel. This was supplemented by allowing the other panellists to expand on some other answer or give a perspective of their own. ● Panel Discussion: Q&A ○ From your experience, what are the top 3 skill gaps you see in recent engineering graduates entering your industry, and how do they impact their ability to contribute effectively on interdisciplinary teams?: Professor Vanessa: ■ Communication skills, ● need to be more effective, we call it a power skill, it’s not that students are missing it, but it's very important to be effective. ● In our company, similar to BEST, we have a multicultural team. ● You have to put the client at the centre of all the decisions you make, that's why you have to listen and understand. ● It is important to be able to work with people from different backgrounds. ● We need to encourage communication and assessment of needs, especially with companies. We want workers who know
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 how to make a profile of people who can get along with their team and colleagues. ■ Critical thinking ● It's very important to assess problems with this mindset. ■ Practical thinking is very important. ○ How can academic institutions and industry better collaborate to bridge the gap between education and workforce needs? Professor Vanessa: ■ This type of event is a great example of how we can connect with students. ■ We have a program called Growing Up ● It's not an internship, it's a working programme, where we hire around 20 from STEM careers. ● They have a legal contract from the first day, but they have a year of training in different areas. ● The idea is to have a 360 vision of the company. ● Having the bridge and connection is key to understanding what is moving the academic world. ● We had initiatives, where we had a hackathon, so we could know how we can connect. Professor José Maria Alvarez: ■ Usually, we are in our office rooms, we are concerned about our research and what it solves, things like publishing and funding ■ We don't care in general in those moments about any other things. ■ The companies have a goal to become profitable. They don't always care about the university ■ We need to collaborate with each other by sponsoring masters, by having research projects together, giving funding to the university and solving the problem here, and that communication can be a gateway to the company. ■ Personal relationships enable easier communication. Rahine [Axpo]: ■ We develop a lot of projects with the University. We had a problem with the power plant, we have a fish in the power plant and wanted to resolve it without hurting the environment. The solution comes out of collaboration with the programmes with the universities and students. ○ How can we adapt to the rapid changes?
Andres [Mahou]:
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ■ Most of the time, you can find tools that can help you with a lot of optimizing of time but also pushing yourself to learn and not to be limited. Learn by doing, instead of learn by studying, but in the real working world, we need to start doing, we need to have a drive and try to do and fail, so you can learn. Don't be afraid of change, stay curious. ○ Which disciplines do you most often see intersecting in your projects, and how can education better prepare students for this? Andres [Mahou]: ■ The day-to-day work has to do with automation and AI. In my years of experience, I needed to work with non-technical people, so I had to learn how to share my technical knowledge with non-technical people. It was very important to work on practical skills and education. Try to work with people who think in a different way than you, in those moments I enjoy my work and uni the most. The most important discipline to me is not only technical, it's very important to have Practical communication and work with other teams. ○ Are internships, co-ops, or project-based learning effective in this regard? What improvements would you suggest?
Rahine [Axpo]: ■ We have a lot of different topics for internship opportunities in our company. 80% of our interns improve their soft skills, and it can be seen in how they tackle problems. ○ How does interdisciplinary STEM education contribute to more inclusive and diverse workplaces? Rahine [Axpo]: ■ These careers open the doors. If we talk about inclusive, about SAP, they had a target of hiring more than 3% people with autism. They were good at analysing, they were good at developing projects and problem-solving. We are a very inclusive company; we have 20 nationalities in Spain and many more in other offices in other countries. Inclusiveness should be the core of the company Oscar [Axpo]: ■ In 1995, when I started my career, we were mostly male; that has now changed. We also need to show practical stuff to kids, so we can include them in the process of learning early on.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ○ How important is interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration in your workplace? Can you share examples where graduates either succeeded or struggled in this regard? Oscar [Axpo]
■ We are not all with the same mindset when we start toward the same objective in a team. In our area of work, there should be a clear protocol of how we work and communicate. The right balance between the right people and the right technology, hand in hand. ○ What mindsets or attitudes (e.g., curiosity, resilience, lifelong learning) do you find most valuable in new graduates navigating complex, interdisciplinary challenges? Professor José ■ Mindset is like doing a sport, taking up an example of how they behave and how they approach their career. This is something that we can copy and train our students in the same way. Continuous learning is something that needs to be encouraged. Persistence is key, as well as setting proper and specific goals. Working with teams, maybe they wonºt be your friends, but still you have to collaborate and build a relationship. A senior serves as a mentor when you make mistakes and shows you aspects that you missed. Rest and reset as in the sport, like in the sport measuring performance is very important. Failure is part of the process. Take care of ourselves, not just the work; we need to look after ourselves. It's also important to rely on practical knowledge, not only theoretical knowledge. ○ Are there particular soft skills that are often overlooked in STEM education but crucial in your field? Professor José ■ Communication is something we do every day with different people; we negotiate every day. That's why it's the most important soft skill. What we do to improve our communication: read books,listen to podcasts. Once we have the thought of what we want to do, we must follow it with action. Stay humble, sometimes we think we are too deep into things, but in the end, we need to realise to take a step back. Networking with people is essential, and also being able to stay in contact with them. Professor Vanesa:
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ■ Asking for feedback is key to improving. This is something I talked about in a panel about communication in my research field. You are the person who knows the most about the topic you are presenting. I know it's not easy for everyone to be confident. Pitch your ideas to your stakeholders. We are not perfect; we make mistakes, but we improve with time. People need to understand your message that you are sharing ○ Do you value certifications or specific credentials that demonstrate interdisciplinary skills? Professor Vanesa: ■ Collecting certificates is what gives you evidence that you are a part of something, but at the end of the day is just a piece of paper. The ability to apply the skills gained in the process of the acquisition of those certifications is important. You need ways of putting this into practice. Find projects where you can apply your knowledge. When I am in assessment teams, I see only a list of certifications, but I'm not convinced that they can implement them in a real project Oscar [Axpo] : ■ You need to find an objective of what you want to do, and try to find a career path that you want to follow. Right now, certificates can only be marketing for you, but you shouldn't just follow the trend; you should be adaptable and find new skills. It's important to specialise in specific areas to be able to go in-depth. Professor José: ■ Make the things you want to do public, something you can demonstrate (Github for programmers, Simulink…) and make a public portfolio. It's not only showing the soft skill, but to having them hand in hand with the technical skills.
Professor Vanesa: ■ What you learn on the certification, it's important to share your experience with others. Share where you struggled while gaining that certification. Personal purpose in mind, adding to Oscar [Axpo] :, you need to have the path that you are heading towards, don't be afraid to zig-zag until you get there. I started with a different background, with what I have today, but my personal purpose was in the right way, so I knew where to go. Curiosity for learning and continuous learning should be there. Be able to migrate to the field that is needed. Manage expectations, have the right environment, as well as take into account the speed and cost of projects.
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Andres [Mahou]: ■ Being able to change is what is enjoyable to me. ○ How can universities or training programs better assess the readiness of students for interdisciplinary STEM careers? Professor Vanesa: ■ II It is difficult to innovate how we assess the students because there are a large number of students, and usually the only viable way is the traditional one. The university collaborates with industry to develop new methodologies. Every professor should be aware of bringing to their rooms examples of real-life collaborations or personal collaborations. Implementing testing the readiness is harder because of the rigidity. The system of how exams are conducted is very rigid. It is hard to maneuver around the predetermined topics. ● Panel Discussion: Group Discussion ○ What’s one piece of advice you would give educators designing interdisciplinary STEM programs today? Professor José: ■ Identify the stakeholders and also the ones who will be affected by my changes. Check how you can make them involved Professor Vanesa: ■ Be proactive, have contacts with academia and industry. Be curious so you can be able to make changes. Oscar [Axpo] : ■ Do something that you are not going to do every day. For the final project, do something that you can keep for later and try not to do it fast; try to think of it as sustainable and lasting. Enjoy the moment. Rahine [Axpo]: ■ My final project is about creating a company and exporting it Rocio [Mahou]: ■ Be generous with your paper and share it. Andres [Mahou]: ■ You don't need to be an expert in a field to start; you just need to get going and do the work. Don't be afraid of change, new challenges, it's going to make you grow as professionals.
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● Panel Discussion: Q&A for BSE Participants ○ Do you really believe that engineers can work in different departments or fields? Professor José: ■ If you don't specialise, it's hard to go in-depth about a topic. Different sectors require general knowledge. After you start working, you can specialise. But the basic general knowledge is important. Andres [Mahou]: ■ When you go through an engineering career, you pass through different subjects. They may not be related, but they are different. It's not all the knowledge you know, but it's the mindset that you are ready to adapt to different environments and learn along the way.
○ When do you feel the most proud of your work? Andres [Mahou]: ■ When a department asked to analyse invoices, we extracted a lot of data, thanks to Gen AI, and we made a real positive impact, and we were very proud of it Rocio [Mahou]: ■ The company gave me a moment to develop a programme for infrastructure engineers. It was not a big project, but I felt the trust of the company that I could develop myself in a new field. Oscar [Axpo] : ■ Mentorship is the pinnacle of understanding the subject. Professor Vanesa: ■ I'm proud when I read phd or a master's and the final work, and I think of the first steps they take and how they develop till the end of their journey Professor José: ■ We were working with journalists to detect fake news on x, Instagram and Telegram. ■ One of the social perspectives of teaching is for people with disabilities, as well as improving the lives of others.
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● Conclusion The session acted as an excellent start to the BSE, with the participants gaining an academic and industry perspective on Interdisciplinary STEM education.
Materials Minutes
Minutes - Panel Discussion
Original design of the session
PanelDiscussionQuestions
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“Skill Alignment – A Venn Voyage Through Education, Industry, and Students" Date: 07/07/2025 Facilitators: Kristina Zaprova, Nadica Minute taker: Shubham , Malena _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● The session aims to gather students’ opinions on the types of soft & hard skills needed by all three stakeholders (students, educators, and company representatives) and identify where they align by arranging them in a Venn diagram form. This session also acts as a summarisation of the previously held panel discussion where university professors and company representatives present, shared their personal perspectives on the types of skills needed for industry relevance.
Objectives ● Identifying 21st century soft and technical skills for successful students, company representatives and university educators in a world where interdisciplinarity is the key to a growth-oriented and sustainable future. Distinguishing the overlapping among the skills among all three stakeholders. ● The ultimate goal of this session is for students to gain insight on which abilities are valued in the workforce and to compare whether they are obtained in the classroom.
Session Format The session featured a quick interactive exercise to highlight the importance of possessing a wide range of skills, followed by an introductory discussion to help summarise the main points of the previously held panel discussion. The main exercise of the session was creating a 3 circle Venn diagram in order to visualise
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 the overlap of skills between all 3 stakeholders, followed by a short presentation and final discussion to conclude the session.
Methodology Key Activities 1. Quick Introductory Game: A game to engage participants into understanding the importance of possessing a variety of skills in a world that values interdisciplinarity 2. Intro Discussion: Introduction to the BSE, discussion on takeaways from panel discussion and key terms related to interdisciplinarity in STEM 3. Venn diagram: Skills mapping among all three stakeholders 4. Final Discussion: Discussion to gain further insights from the participants on the main topic
Expected Outcomes: ● Skills mapping and alignment of soft and hard skills that shape an individual in STEM, whether student, company representative or educator, towards an interdisciplinary approach in solving complex real-world problems.
Outcomes 1. Introduction ● The facilitator began the session with a quick game in order to energise and engage the participants in the topic to be discussed, followed by a quick introduction to the importance of their participation in the event and an explanation of key concepts and terms related to interdisciplinarity in STEM.
2. Venn diagram: ● The main part of the session consisted of a skills mapping using a Venn diagram as a tool for visualisation. All participants were randomly divided into 3 groups and were assigned one of the 3 stakeholders: students, educators or company representatives. Each group was prompted to place themselves in the position of their assigned stakeholder and to ponder what are the necessary soft and hard skills for a person of that position to possess in order to succeed.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Stakeholder Skills
Group “Students”
Group “Educator”
Group “Company representatives”
-Problem solving, -Time -management, -Strategy, -Curiosity, -Flexibility, -Critical thinking, -Communicati on, -Teamwork, -Open mindedness, -Creativity.
-Adaptability and flexibility, -Empathy or ability to put yourself in others’ shoes, particularly students’, -Openness and curiosity, especially to questions from students, -Using a creative variety of teaching methodologies, -Ability to inspire and motivate, -Fluency in technology, good observation skills, -Patience and willingness to explain and elaborate further in their teachings.
-Networking, active listening, empathy and understanding the needs of others, -Flexibility, -Curiosity, -Communication, -Teamwork, -Critical thinking, good communication skills, -Ability to transfer knowledge, -Openness to feedback and persuasion skills.
3. Skills mapping and alignment: ○ After each group placed their selection of skills into the corresponding circle on the Venn diagram, they were instructed to identify which skills overlapped between the 3 categories and to rearrange them in the appropriate intersection.
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4. Conclusion and final discussion ○ Flexibility or adaptability was chosen as the most valued skill, which fits into the theme of interdisciplinary in STEM very well. The ever-changing environment of STEM fields in which more complex challenges emerge to be solved, require not only expertise in one’s own respective field but also understanding
of
other
scientific
fields,
collaboration
and
good
communication with experts in other fields, good proficiency in new technologies and much more. A person in STEM requires flexibility as one of the key interdisciplinary skills needed to adapt in that ever changing environment of the future. ○ The participants were asked to answer why and how this skill alignment is significant to which they answered that it is important to have cohesivity and continuation between the skills that you acquire in higher education and the ones you will be expected to possess and use in the industry or when educating the next generation. This skill alignment visually maps out that continuation. ● Key Takeaways: ○ Flexibility is identified among the skills most needed to excel in a future in STEM that functions in an interdisciplinary principle. ○ It’s essential to identify which skills are important to excel in the industry or as an educator, and whether they are being taught in the classroom. ● Moving Forward:
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ○ Through this principle of a skill alignment we can better pinpoint the bottlenecks in that continuity of skills mastery and utilization from
classroom
to
industry.
As well as introducing new
improvements to the curriculum in order to foster those necessary skills.
Materials Minutes
Minutes-“Skill Alignment – A Venn Voyage Through Education, Industry, and Students"
Flipcharts and photos
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lz5YBD2mEKx4yzybWfXQ6YMgP5vc bQfw/view?usp=sharing
Original design of the session
Session outline-“Skill Alignment – A Venn Voyage Through Education, Industry, and Students"
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Da Vinci’s way: The Ultimate interdisciplinary STEM God Date: 07/07/2025 Facilitators: Shubham, Kristina Minute taker: Rita and Maj _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● This interactive session explores how Leonardo da Vinci's unique blend of science, art, engineering, and curiosity can inspire interdisciplinary STEM education. Participants will engage in storytelling, group analysis, creative problem solving, and curriculum design activities. Through Da Vinci’s legacy, they will discover key transferable skills like visual thinking, curiosity, and creative problem solving—and apply them to modern challenges.
Objectives ● To spark high engagement and creativity among participants, helping them deeply understand the value of interdisciplinary thinking in STEM through the lens of Leonardo Da Vinci’s work. ● Attendees will recognise key transferable skills such as curiosity, visual thinking and creative problem solving. ● To inspire lasting changes in how participants approach teaching or learning, encouraging more integrated, student-centred, and innovation-driven education beyond traditional subject boundaries.
Session Format ● The session starts with introducing DaVinci and his ideas to people. ● Furthermore, people are divided into groups and made to work on one step of an exercise on a sheet of paper, which is then passed along to the next group to build upon the idea, encouraging learning and curiosity in them.
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Methodology Key Activities 1. The session starts with an Introduction and Icebreaker session where participants are told about the life and contributions of DaVinci. 2. The participants were divided into 4 groups. The exercise was of 4 steps where at every step, the sheet that the group worked upon is passed along to the next group clockwise and the next group has to build upon the things on the existing sheet. 3. First, the participants were given an image to look at closely and describe that image in a poetic manner. 4. For the second step, the groups were asked to draw on the sheet a solution for the above description. 5. For the third step, the people were actually asked to think about the technical implementation of the solution. 6. And for the fourth step, the participants were asked to look into the Moral Dilemmas that arise with the solution.
Expected Outcomes: ● Identify key interdisciplinary skills exemplified by Leonardo da Vinci. ● Understand how da Vinci's mindset, curiosity, and practices can inspire modern STEM learning. ● Generate ideas for learning modules or student projects inspired by da Vinci’s interdisciplinary methods. ● Reflect on transferable skills such as creative problem-solving, observation, and visual thinking.
Outcomes 1. Introduction ● The facilitator gave the introduction to the session, along with describing the contributions and life of DaVinci.
2. First Activity: Thinking like DaVinci
People were introduced to the activity, and they started working on it. They were divided
into groups and the 1 image was given to each group and then rotated after each step. The following exercise results were presented.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● Image: Woman working on the hills
○ ○ Description: image ○ Solution sketch: Machine that makes work faster ○ Design Implementation: Solar Energy power. Blades to crop the weed. ○ Moral Dilemmas: Noise pollution, Habitual problem, Moral dilemmas with AI, Technology taking jobs from human ● Image: Rotten Fruits
○ ○ Description: Use your colors before your time passes ○ Solution Sketch: Fridge powered by a solar panel. Ideas come from the observation of nature. ○ Design Implementation: Cooling liquid, outlet, electricity needed, solar cells. Growing the fruits: fertilisation, irrigation, pruning ○ Moral Dilemmas: Material and environmental impact ● Image: Villagers
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○ ○ Description: Working hard, campside life, companionship ○ Solution sketch: Car for transporting pizza ○ Design implementation: specification, solar panel ○ Moral Dilemmas: Toxicity for the environment-cooling gas liquid, CO2 release from transportation ● Image: Boat
○ ○ Description: Lost, despair, hopeless ○ Solution sketch: Boat with wings ○ Design Implementation: Stainless steel for the propellers ○ Moral dilemmas: Animal exploitation, deforestation, promotion of an unhealthy lifestyle, and invasion of the natural habitats
3. Reflection ● What was the thought process for the step? What kind of skills do you use?
Though Process: ● Observation, understanding the original idea, delegating the tasks in the team (writer, drawer, etc.) ● Brainstorming, choosing between ideas and final idea distillation ● Curiosity about the ideas of the other groups
Skills:
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● Creativity ● Cooperation ● Imagination ● Out of the box thinking ● Connecting to our artistic side
● What disciplines did you have to think about when coming up with these ideas? ■ Electrical ■ Mechanical ■ Culinary ■ Literature ■ Poetry
● What blocks curiosity today from your perspective? ○ Being too logical ○ Bounded by the education STEM thinking ○ Difficulty finding the people who believe in the idea and can work collaboratively on a project
● Why did we do this session today? ○ To find the steps to get the solution, thinking about the process. ○ Teamwork, rethinking education, need for creativity, open-mindedness, and to be more curious.
4. Conclusion The session on DaVinci was to inspire people to think outside the box and promote a more creative way to look at problems and find solutions to these problems. The session focused more as to set a tone for the rest of the BSE and opening up their mindsets when approaching problems.
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Materials Minutes Flipcharts and photos Original design of the session
DaVinci Minutes Da vinci DaVinci Session Design
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Day 2 Galactic Forum on Engineering Education: New Orbits Beyond Tradition Date: 08/07/2025 Facilitators: Rita and Ariel Minute takers: Shubham, Malena ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● Focusing primarily on using a Simulation of United Nations (MUN) conferences format to explore and develop solutions related to interdisciplinary STEM learning ● Previous sessions have highlighted the importance of personal experiences with education that vary from country to country because of distinct systems
Objectives ● The session is designed to be interactive, global delegates explore how engineering curricula respond to emerging real-world challenges and industry needs ● This process aims to produce tangible outcomes, such as identifying key student motivating factors and common barriers, and co-creating proposed strategies and student-suggested ideas for implementing educational changes
Session Format ● The session started with an explanation of the Model United National format ● Afterwards, students gathered in groups corresponding to their countries and wrote down main characteristics about their education system and experiences creating a country profile. ● Back in the circle, each country shared their remarks and discussed qualities and flaws of each system
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● In order to create actionable strategies participants gathered in teams and formed resolution statements comparing and improving each other's systems. ● In the end of the session participants made final remarks and closed the session with a discussion
Methodology Key Activities 1. Identifying each country profile on higher education: Participants reflect and identify main characteristics of their educational systems 2. Brainstorming and Problem-Solving: Participants brainstorm ideas for curriculum reform and identify what improvements each country can make inspired by the others 3. Final discussion: guided by the facilitator the participants discuss key findings of the session
Expected Outcomes: ● Identify at least 5 key factors that motivate students to choose interdisciplinary STEM approaches ● Identify at least 5 common barriers students face ● Co-create a list of 5+ student-suggested ideas universities could implement ● Encourage students to reflect on their own interdisciplinary potential and readiness ● Collect insights for future educational research or policy recommendations
Outcomes 1. Introduction ● Facilitator Rita gave the introduction, welcoming all participants and outlining the session's objectives and agenda. ● The introduction presentation can be seen here
2. First Activity: Identifying the country profile
Each following table corresponds to a country profile created by a student or group of
students. All findings were gathered in flipcharts that can be found here.
The following questions were given as a guideline to ensure student understanding of
the session: 1. How does my university tackle interdisciplinary learning?
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 2. How is this done across my country? 3. How many universities do you have? 4. How old are your universities? 5. What is the percentage of the population in your country that has attended/concluded university studies? 6. What is your country’s total gross domestic product (GDP)? 7. How is the relationship between university education and industry? 8. Do you have mixed degrees?
*remark: the information that was presented was given by the students themselves, all data must be checked before publication of any material
Spain represented by Nacho from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Link for the flipchart Number of universities
96 universities
Distribution public/private
80% of students are in the 50 public universities 20% of students are in the 46 private universities
How old are universities
Oldest funded in 1218 Newest funded in 2024
Country economy
$2’811T PPP Per capita $56’554
How does my university tackle
Double degrees (usually mixing engineering with business)
interdisciplinary learning?
How is the relationship between university education and
Collaboration for internships, sometimes Is mandatory to do internships as part of your credits
industry?
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Greece represented by: ● Athanasios and Metaxia from the Technical University of Crete ● Antimos from the University of Patras ● Eirini, Malena and Vicky from National Technical University of Athens Link for the flipchart Number of universities + Distribution public/private
24 public universities + private universities more recently
How old are universities
From 20 to 180 year old
Country economy
GDP 20.00€
How
do
universities
tackle
interdisciplinary learning?
How is the relationship between university education and industry?
What is the percentage of young people that go to university?
● Mixed degree non existent ● Few elective classes ● Depending on the university there is the possibility of a class that several degrees can take ● Laboratory work ● Project ● Noted the lack of connections between subjects Evolving In some universities is mandatory to work on a company on the last year
44%
Turkey represented by: ● Berkay from the Suleyman Demirel University ● Deniz from Bogazici University ● Dilek from Ege University ● Eren from Istanbul Technical University Link for the flipchart Number of universities + Distribution public/private How old are universities
Country economy
129 public, 78 private ● oldest university os istanbul 1453 ● ITU (Istanbul Technical University) founded in 1773 ● University of Bogazi founded in 1863 1.1 trillion USD
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Turkey represented by: ● Berkay from the Suleyman Demirel University ● Deniz from Bogazici University ● Dilek from Ege University ● Eren from Istanbul Technical University Link for the flipchart How does my university tackle interdisciplinary learning?
How is the relationship between university education and industry?
● Numerous options for minor and double degrees with other fields ● First year of university often consists of classes from different departments ● Mandatory internships in different departments ● Most degrees are available in different departments (Bio and food engineering are examples of mixing different departments) ● Its mandatory to choose electives from other departments ● Professors are not very interdisciplinary ● “ some inter fields in universities, have mandatory internships that gives us the opportunity to see industries”
Italy represented by: - Antonino from Sapienza University of Rome - Giovanni from University of Naples Frederico II Link for the flipchart Number of universities
97 universities
Distribution public/private
Mostly public
How old are universities
● University of Naples Frederico II is 801 years old ● Sapienza University of Rome is 722 years old ● University of Bologna as one of the oldest ones in Europe that is 1088 years old
How many people attend university?
30.6% of youth have at least a degree 56.8% attend uni
How is the relationship
● Very theoretical approach to study, few opportunities for practical, or industry especially the public universities. Not many projects ● Private universities distinct themselves by having this ● There is the need for individual initiative if you want to gain experience.
between university education and industry?
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North Macedonia represented by: - Katerina and Kristina Cokovska from Skopje University Link for the flipchart Number of universities
5 public universities Other universities are mostly private
Distribution public/private How old are universities?
1949 formed, oldest one, first slavic uni in ohrid
How many people attend university?
5000 student graduate in an year
How is the relationship between
Kristina - computer science: ● have the opportunity to have classes from other faculties as well, ● have a lot of agreements with companies to have opportunities for internships but things are very competitive, ● a lot of lectures from foreign professors, ● a lot of hackathons, a lot of professors from facilities in these activities. Katerina - natural science and maths: ● interdisciplinarity, chemical , also has biology course so can work in that as well, you have to lab work first, then math and them theoretical exam, then a projects, ● a lot of project outside of uni, ● the institute itself has a lop of collaboration especially for internships, company visits, lab exercise done in companies, ● a lot of visiting professors from other universities like from america, oxford etc., ● You have the ability take elective course at other faculties.
university education and industry? How does my university tackle interdisciplinary learning?
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Germany represented by Shamail from Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen Link for the flipchart Number of universities
420 universities
Distribution public/private
320 public universities and 100 private
How old are universities?
Oldest university is in Heidelberg in 1386 FAU was founded in 1743
How many people attend university?
30.3% hold a university degree 57.9% attend full university
Country economy
4.5 trillion USD
How is the relationship between university education and industry? How does my university tackle interdisciplinary learning?
● good relation with companies in the city erlangen ● professors work in university and in company ● uni help for getting opportunities in companies, ● The student studies data science, which is an interdisciplinary course. Mixture of statistic, maths and statistics ● There is a lot of flexibility to choose want to study ● There are 15 ECTS allocated to applied field from Biomedical engineering to business studies ● There are 5 ECTS block allocated for skill enhancement like scientific writing and presenting, ● interdisciplinarity is very well covered and promoted
Serbia represented by Stasha from University of Zagreb Link for the flipchart Number of universities
116 accredited faculties
Distribution public/private
8 public and 2 private universities
How old are universities?
University of Zagreb is 365 year old
How many people attend university?
1 in 4 serbian adults have completed tertiary education
How does my university tackle interdisciplinary learning?
● In belgrade, a lot of faculties, have interdisciplinary stem learning ● [faculty of organisational sciences, informational
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Serbia represented by Stasha from University of Zagreb Link for the flipchart
● ● ● ● ● ● ●
How is the relationship between
systems and technologies] management, marketing etc, data science mathematics, organisation, marketing, etc, Not a very wide spectrum of disciplines but they are very well connected between subjects, Projects that connect various disciplines a lot of practical things, a lot of student organisations, around 15 on the faculty Development of team work, theoretical + practical work, project solving, company visits Well connected curriculum Wide spectrum of optional subjects, specifically in the 3rd and the 4th year of studies
Good relationship with industry and educational systems
university education and industry?
Croatia represented by - Iva from the University of Zagreb - Kristina from the University of Zagreb Link for the flipchart Number of universities Distribution public/private
8 public 2 private
How many study programs?
1500 study programmes
How old are universities?
Zagreb university is 365 years old
How many people attend university?
80% attend university studies
How is the country economic?
GDP: 90 billion usd
How is the relationship between university education and industry?
28% are actively studying
● Only some universities have mandatory internships so students have an opportunity to collaborate with industry ● Old students share their work experiences with current students in organized lectures
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Croatia represented by - Iva from the University of Zagreb - Kristina from the University of Zagreb Link for the flipchart How
do
universities
tackle
interdisciplinary learning?
Iva [mechanical engineering + medical design] ● Varied courses (programming, electrical engineering, sociology) ● Bridges between subjects poorly developed ● Possibility to take extra course on law or economics Kristina [food technology/engineering] ● The field itself requires requires interdisciplinary approach. ● Mix of chemistry, biology, physics, maths, engineering, law, marketing etc. In general ● Interdisciplinary STEM learning has a lot of room to improve
Montenegro represented by Tamara from the University of Link for the flipchart Number of universities
Around 9 higher education institutions
Distribution public/private
University of Montenegro is the only public university in Montenegro.
How old are universities?
Oldest university founded in 1974 More recent universities have around 20 years
How
do
universities
tackle
interdisciplinary learning?
exchange programs to enhance interdisciplinarity but there are very little such degrees in the country
France represented by Alice from the INSTA Lyon Link for the flipchart Number of universities
75 universities
How many people attend university?
52% of people finished university
How is the country's economy?
GDP 5.052 billions USD (2023)
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 France represented by Alice from the INSTA Lyon Link for the flipchart How
do
universities
tackle
interdisciplinary learning?
● By default, the first 2 years of higher education are interdisciplinary and general. ● Students have all general engineering classes: physics, chemistry, thermodynamics,.... ● Specialization is only chosen in the 3rd year. ● There is the possibility to be part of a interdisciplinary degree in the 3rd year (ex.: architecture) ● Some universities offer artistic section
Slovenia represented by Maj from the University of Ljubljana Link for the flipchart Number of universities
8
Distribution public/private
3 public 3 private 2 international
How old are universities?
Main university was founded in 1919
How is the country's economy?
69.16 billion USD
How many people attend university?
24.5% of people with degrees
How is the relationship between university education and industry?
How
do
universities
interdisciplinary learning?
tackle
● Students can write the bachelor's and master’s final work while working at a company ● Industry specialists are invited professors ● Companies provide scholarships for students that are later hired by them. you have to work for as many years they give you the scholarship for There are a lot of institutes that combine science, they collaborate on projects and learn from each other. Example Institute Jozef stefan that includes: ● Cognitive ● Environment sustainability ● Biomedical sciences ● AI+humanities
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Belgium Flanders represented by Kobe from the University of Leuven Belgium Wallonia represented by Ariel from University of Liège Distribution public/private
11 universities in belgium 5 in flemish 6 in wallonia (french)
How old are universities?
● In Belgium, Universities are quite old and have long history of multidisciplinary higher education. University of Leuven (KU Leuven) is one of the oldest in Europe
How many people attend university?
● 2021/2022: A total of 266,2200 students attended higher education institutions (117,500 men and 148,700 women)
How is the relationship between
● [leuven] in flemish part, has a very strong startup culture. ● Easy to start company, they have incubator hubs for startups to guide on courses ● [liege] The University creates networks involving companies, research institutions and businesses to create spin-offs (Exemple : Liège science park). The University is like a knowledge hub for many companies in the region ● Many opportunities for students and the communities
university education and industry?
How
do
universities
tackle
interdisciplinary learning?
● [leuven] there are at least 20 organisations that organise competitions ● [liege] within university you have the possibility to do projects with other people from many other fields. In the fourth year of University (it is probably similar in Leuven and the Flemish part) students have to work on a big project that lasts 1 year where they have to design a solution that needs knowledge sometimes from many disciplines.
3. Final group discussion Rita [Porto]: Do cultural differences influence the interdisciplinarity of the curriculum? Nacho[Madrid] ● the older the university -> the older style of teaching
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● University Madrid Carlos III is newer so it offers more innovative stuff Giovanni [Naples] ● Italy has strong classical university culture ● Students after university have to create practical experience by themselves ● Teaching style at university is too theoretical ● Change is hard in the system ● There is the need to have high grades to get good opportunities Eirini [Athens] ● Culture of being conservative and the professors are more theoretical ● Students have a very packed schedule that does not allow them to take other classes and explore other fields ● Students feels they cannot think outside the box because there are no resources ● Practical classes material is deteriorated (chemistry lab case) Athanasios [Chania] ● Lack of fundings ● There is not a lot of resources to do practical stuff ● Money is a factor not only culture Anthimos [Patras] ● Anthimos is also from Greece but he stated “It all depends on the university, my uni is renovated and looks like a top college, depends on faculties too. Some uni are very good and very bad” Katerina [Macedonia] ● Skopje University is very flexible, people can decide which literature to use, what exam to take ● The style of the class depends on the age of the professor. ○ If it is an older professor, the class is more theoretical ○ If the professor is younger the class is more practical, promotion of work and presentations
Nadica [North Macedonia]: What creates a great academic environment in Belgium or Germany ? How come they want to help the students so much to develop in this way?
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Shubbham [Aachen] ● The government plays a great part, 1.1 billion funding each year, ● Collaborations with automotive industry which helps interdisciplinarity even more Giovanni [Naples] ● Ferrari gives a lot of money from mechanical engineering, so industry drives the interdisciplinary STEM learning.
4. Resolution groups In order to create actionable strategies participants gathered in teams and formed resolution statements comparing and improving each other's systems.
Group 1 remarks [Members are from Belgium, Greece, Spain] ● The biggest difference they were able to see was in the amount of money universities got.
Belgium as an example: ● In Belgium public universities have more money because of government investment ● in belgium, there is a startup culture ● In belgium there is more investment in student organisations. 5k-6k every year from uni for BEST, funding from europe.
Group 2 remarks [Members are from Turkey, Croatia, France and Greece] Difficulties ● Lack of funding ● Because of lack of funding there are less practical experience ● When there are job initiatives there is the problem of low salaries or no salaries ● No initiative for innovation
Solutions
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● More government initiates and opportunities for recent graduates and young people (higher salaries and lower cost of living) ● More government support of universities financially ● Encourage companies to take in students for internships ● Integrate AI without taking away job opportunities ● Mandatory ERASMUS (inspired by France)
Group 3 remarks [Members are from Macedonia, Italy, Croatia, Turkey and Greece] ● Mandatory internships for all ● Need for funding ● Implementation of interdisciplinary competitions ● Simulation of real world challenges where different skills are learned ● Collaboration between universities of different countries ● Mandatory internships in different departments ● Industry collaboration ● Mandatory different elective courses ● Student organizations that collaborate between different countries
Group 3 remarks [Members are from Macedonia, Italy, Croatia, Turkey and Greece]
Idea of european collaboration to improve education quality ●
Symposium founded by th european union,
●
A big gdp country can look for problems in other universities and fund them
●
The EU provides funds to small universities to upgrade the education level
●
Assign delegates from universities, probably some professors or administration staff which can act locally and internationally .
●
Some changes can be made and presented in a symposia.
●
Some mixed classes, professors can go on exchange so that they can enhance themselves
5. Reflection * You can listen to the full conversation in this audio starting from minute 17
The students had an opportunity to gather and reflect on what they discussed during the
session.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Some similar challenges were identified regarding government funding such as: ○ corruption ○ Funding is directed to more striking matters such as healthcare
Students reflected about the influence academic culture has on interdisciplinary STEM
learning implementation. Given the example of Italy, participants stated that both industry and students could benefit from improvements in practical knowledge.
Implementation of change was discussed: ● Nacho [Spain]: ○ Difficulties regarding money ○ Difficulties regarding bureaucracy ○ Positive side is that professors are open to talk about change, being approachable about this ● Eirini[Athens]: ○ Antiquity of the curriculum is a challenge ● Deniz [Turkey] ○ Professors usually won't listen, change in system is not easy ● Eren[Istanbul]: ○ Changes are sometimes not good for students ○ Some changes have to be taken back because students did not like it ● Giovanni [Italy]: ○ Pathway to change: student representatives> professores> departments ○ Bureaucracy and time consuming ○ Need to do extra-work to implement changes ● Iva [Croatia]: ○ If there was funding, more courses could be popularised as many people do not enroll into new innovative degrees
Afterwards participants discussed student bodies and representatives. ● All the participants stated they have student representatives. ● Politisation of student councils was discussed, has some students stated these organizations have political affiliation
6. Conclusion ● Key Takeaways: ○ Enhanced Understanding: Participants gained a deeper understanding of how engineering curricula across different countries respond to emerging real-world challenges and industry needs. This process highlighted the impact of cultural differences (such as the
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 highly theoretical approach in Italy and Greece) and funding structures (e.g., strong government investment in Belgium's public universities and industry-driven funding in areas like Germany and Italy) on the implementation of interdisciplinary studies. Delegates also identified a prevalence of similar challenges across Europe, notably lack of funding, outdated curricula (curricula up to 50 years old), and bureaucratic rigidity within older university systems. ○ Collaborative Efforts: The session fostered a collaborative environment where participants could share their insights and build on each other's ideas. ○ Actionable Strategies: The session enabled participants to identify current practices such as: ■ mandatory internships (e.g., in Turkey and Macedonia) ■ the promotion of strong startup cultures supported by incubator hubs (e.g., in Belgium) ● Moving Forward: The workshop concluded with a sense of optimism and commitment to making meaningful changes in engineering education. Participants left with a clear understanding of the next steps and a renewed dedication to fostering a culture of responsibility and ethics in the engineering profession.
Materials Minutes
Galactic Forum on Engineering Education: New Orbits Be…
Flipcharts and photos
model UN
Session introduction
what is MUN.pdf (1).pdf
Session recording
Part I individual countries MUN.m4a Part II group presentations until macedonia MUN.2.m4a Part III
UN model.m4a ,
Original design of the session
Galactic Forum on Engineering Education: New Orbits Be…
Similar session from previous years
Pannel discussion report
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TMAE: Teaching Methodologies Applied to Engineering Date: 08/07/2025 Facilitators: Nadica Koloska, Alejandro and Prof. Oscar Minute taker: Kristina Zaprova
Background Purpose and Motivation ● The workshop is designed to foster discussion and active engagement around innovative methodologies for teaching and learning electronics within diverse fields of knowledge. The motivation comes from the need to move beyond passive information transfer and create a dynamic learning environment that reflects the rapid advancements in engineering and technology. By exposing participants to new and sometimes uncommon pedagogical approaches, the workshop aims to broaden perspectives, improve local teaching practices, and strengthen the integration of emerging technologies into education.
Objectives ● To introduce participants to eight different teaching techniques across various modalities. ● To encourage active participation through group dynamics and interactive activities. ● To promote the exchange of experiences and best practices among participants, instructors, and Content Team members. ● To highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in STEM careers and projects. ● To gather insights and outputs that will contribute to advancing pedagogical research and be shared at the Spanish National Engineering Conference.
Session Format ● The session began with a welcome and technical introduction, where the eight teaching methods were presented. ● Participants then moved into the first dynamic, working in groups to classify the methods within a matrix of student–teacher interaction versus effectiveness, and played a short game to demonstrate their understanding.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● Afterward, the main conclusions from the groups were summarised. The workshop continued with a topic presentation by the instructor on key industry areas such as renewable energy and mineral exploitation. ● In the second dynamic, participants used character sheets to explore the different interdisciplinary roles needed in STEM projects and reflected on which elements were missing from current curricula. ● Finally, the session closed with a quick online poll to capture overall conclusions, followed by catering that encouraged informal discussion and networking.
Methodology Expected Outcomes: ● Participants gain awareness and understanding of innovative teaching methodologies. ● Strengthened active learning skills through interactive group exercises. ● Improved appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of STEM projects and the roles required for successful implementation.
● Identification of curricular gaps and training needs in STEM education. ● Collection of participant feedback to inform future workshops and contribute to a paper for the Spanish National Engineering Conference.
Outcomes 1. First Dynamic ● Participants, divided into six groups, selected three methods and classified them in a matrix (student–teacher interaction vs. effectiveness).
● They played a game to reinforce understanding of each methodology. Summary of Conclusions ● Experiences were shared from different universities, highlighting project-based learning, flipped classrooms, and traditional testing. ● Key insights included: ○ Project-based learning increases motivation but requires adaptability and workload awareness (adaptive project-based learning). ○ Flipped classrooms improve communication, presentation, and deeper understanding.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ○ Traditional testing remains useful for efficiency, basics, and active recall but should be complemented with innovative approaches.
2. Key Findings a. Active Learning Matters: Participants emphasised that innovative methodologies help them feel more engaged, useful, and prepared for real-world challenges.
b. Project-Based Learning Dominates but Needs Adaptation: Widely practiced but requires careful adaptation to student workload and needs.
c. Balance with Traditional Testing: While traditional testing offers efficiency and foundational learning, combining it with modern methods produces stronger outcomes.
d. Interdisciplinary Awareness: The second dynamic highlighted the need for diverse roles in STEM projects and the importance of curricula that prepare students for interdisciplinary teamwork.
e. Student–Teacher Collaboration: Methodologies like flipped classrooms improve communication and allow students to take more responsibility for their learning.
3. Conclusion The workshop successfully created a collaborative space where participants, instructors, and facilitators exchanged ideas on diverse teaching methodologies and their relevance in engineering education. Through interactive activities, participants not only deepened their understanding of innovative approaches such as project-based learning, flipped classrooms, and gamification, but also critically reflected on the strengths and limitations of traditional testing. The discussions and group dynamics highlighted the importance of adaptability, interdisciplinary collaboration, and student-centered learning in shaping effective curricula. Overall, the session reinforced the value of combining traditional methods with modern pedagogical innovations to better prepare students for the evolving challenges of STEM fields, while also generating insights that will inform future research and academic contributions.
● Key Takeaways: ○ Adaptability is essential: Innovative methodologies such as project-based and flipped learning can greatly enhance motivation and skills, but they must be adapted to student workload and context. ○ Balance strengthens outcomes: Traditional testing remains valuable for efficiency and foundational knowledge, but its
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 effectiveness increases when combined with active learning methods. ○ Interdisciplinary focus matters: STEM education must go beyond technical skills, preparing students to work in diverse teams and understand the broader roles required for real-world projects. ● Moving Forward: The insights from this workshop provide a foundation for advancing teaching practices in engineering education. The next steps include piloting selected methodologies in classroom settings, gathering systematic feedback, and refining approaches based on student and faculty experiences. Importantly, the findings will also contribute to a paper presented at the Spanish National Engineering Conference, ensuring that the lessons learned extend beyond the local context and inspire broader pedagogical innovation.
Materials Minutes
TMAE - 8th of July Workshop on Electronics with MCIII
Original design of the session
Workshop
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Day 3 Challenges and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary STEM learning Date: 09/07/2025 Facilitators: Rita and Kristina Minute taker: Shubham and Nadica _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Background Purpose and Motivation ● The session aims to address the need to discuss and share about "Challenges and opportunities in interdisciplinary STEM learning”. It was held with SEFI and GEDC representatives ● Previous sessions have highlighted the importance of providing students with more interaction with professors. ● The content builds upon earlier discussions, including those from a UN model session where participants discussed challenges faced in their respective countries regarding interdisciplinary STEM learning and the skill alignment work conducted on the first day Objectives ● The overarching objective was to engage students in an open discussion about the challenges
and
opportunities
of
interdisciplinary
learning,
encouraging
active
participation and the exchange of perspectives ● The session was also designed to offer real-life examples of drivers & barriers in implementing interdisciplinary learning approaches. Professors planned to share stories addressing challenges such as funding, lack of motivation from colleagues, limited student engagement, and resource constraints, while also highlighting the skills developed and personal growth experienced by professors through interdisciplinary work ● The final goal of the session was to write down 10 challenges and 10 opportunities in Interdisciplinary learning. These findings are essential for use in a final academic paper and contribute to a deeper understanding of how STEM education can be improved. Key discussions touched upon how engineering education can have the most positive impact
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 on sustainability by integrating sustainability in the whole solution of problems, rather than just adding it, and advocating for a full change by changing the curriculum Session Format ● The session is designed to be interactive, with a mix of presentation and discussions with professors actively engaging in changing education. ● The agenda included an Intro presentation , followed by a Workshop and a Presentation of the discussion outcomes ● The core format involved dividing the class of 22 students into 2 groups, each led by one of the professors. This format encourages active participation and the exchange of perspectives among attendees
Methodology Key Activities 1. Introduction: Each representative presents their journey, so far, as engineers with a focus on internationalisation and interdisciplinary experiences , they will also present the association they are part of (SEFI or GEDC) 2. Group discussion: The class will be divided into 2 groups, each led by one of the professors. The goal is to discuss and share about "Challenges and opportunities in interdisciplinary STEM learning”. Expected Outcomes: ● To engage students in an open discussion about the challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary learning, encouraging active participation and exchange of perspectives. ● Providing real-life examples of drivers & barriers in implementing interdisciplinary learning approaches, based on personal experiences. Professors will share stories of collaborating with other faculties, including challenges related to funding, lack of motivation from colleagues, limited student engagement, and resource constraints. ● To highlight the skills developed and personal growth experienced by professors through interdisciplinary work throughout their careers. Outcomes
● Introduction Facilitator Rita gave the introduction, welcoming all participants and outlining the session's objectives and agenda.
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● First Presentation: Professor Paloma Dias Professor Paloma introduced herself and talked about her engineering background. She mentioned her accomplishments and work at GEDC. GEDC: Global Engineering Deans council
● Second Presentation: Professor Ramón Vilanova Arbos 20250709_Interdisciplinary_STEM_BEST.pdf Professor Ramón gave an introductory talk about STEM interdisciplinary education and the importance of STEM education for the sustainable development goals. After some questions to the audience the professor gave some examples of complex issues that need to be addressed in an interdisciplinary manner: ● Climate change needs climate science + engineering + policy + economics + community engagement. ● AI in healthcare needs computer science + medicine + ethics + psychology.
The professor shared some of the advantages of linking STEM with other fields: ● More comprehensive solutions ● Better understanding of human and societal impacts ● Innovation that is sustainable & responsible After, the teacher highlighted the advantages interdisciplinarity can directly give to students: ● Employers look for people who can work across disciplines, communicate with diverse teams, and see the bigger picture. ● It also makes learning more meaningful and connected to the world’s needs. After that the professor revealed his insight on about common barriers to implementing interdisciplinary degrees: ● Structural & administrative barriers ○ Rigid departmental structures ○ Curriculum accreditation constraints ○ Scheduling & timetabling issues ○ Funding & resource challenges ● Faculty-related challenges ○ Professor incentives & career progression ○ Differences in teaching cultures ● External perceptions and employability concerns
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ○ Employment uncertainty: some industries may still prioritize traditional disciplinary qualifications ○ Alumni or professional body skepticism ● Student concerns & expectations ○ Fear of diluted expertise ○ Navigating multiple academic cultures *Time constraints did not allow the professor to finish all of his presentation. However some very valuable data can be collected from there.
● Q&A with professors -
-
-
-
What is a real change that came out of the work of SEFI that you are the most proud of? Professor Paloma : i. Engineering is the area of putting intelligence at the service of society. ii. Our goal as engineers is to engage in inventing a better future. What advice would you give us for managing time so we can succeed in volunteering and studying simultaneously? From your experience being a professor. Professor Paloma : iii. With volunteering you are building a soft skill set, so when you go to companies, you will have value of this experience. iv. You have to analyze if the work you do is growth for you on a personal level. v. When the company looks at the CV it is not just your formal experience. Professor Ramon: vi. There is no magic formula vii. If you think that you are losing time, try to stop and see how you can be more efficient in what you are doing viii. This depends in everyone's capabilities, you have to know what to prioritize and focus ix. Quality vs quantity What advice would you give to women in stem? Professor Paloma: x. I hope times have changed! xi. Follow your heart and study what you love xii. [Professor shared a story with a group of girls from a development country] xiii. I’m a normal person, I work , I have a family and I have my hobbies. It’s possible! Anyone can do it What are in your opinion some decisions in engineering education and industry that have the most positive impact in sustainability and a greener future? Professor Paloma xiv. Integrating sustainability in the whole solution of problems, not just like an addition. xv. Make a full change by changing the curriculum, hand in hand xvi. Include sustainability in the curriculum
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● Group 1 discussion with Professor Paloma Part I: Reflection Question: What is interdisciplinary stem learning? Anthimos [Greece] Combine different disciplines, to understand how things work and to solve problems that need more discipline for solution Questions: Recalling the session before. What are some challenges from your country when it comes to interdisciplinary STEM learning ? Kristina Cokovska [Macedonia] ● Funding, not hearing the changes ● Implementing mandatory internships or hackathons from students from different disciplines Athanasios [Greece] ● Challenge bridging companies and universities
Statistics ● 9/11 participants stated - funding is lacking in university for implementing interdisciplinary STEM learning (macedonia, serbia, greece, turkey) ● Representatives from Belgium and Germany did not acknowledge funding problems in their countries
[Professor Paloma] ● Funding is not the problem. The main problem is the mindset of the teachers Question: What challenges are faced as a professor?
[Professor Paloma] ● The need for stronger connection with the industry Reflexion about personal perspective as a teacher implementing interdisciplinary STEM learning and trying to innovate in University education.
[Professor Paloma] ● Companies understand the need for interdisciplinary learning ● Importance of creating opportunities for interdisciplinary teams in university (for example in hackathons with students from various fields)
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● Importance of creating trust. Teachers need to trust the company that is going to be involved in their teaching. Her experience was positive ● Importance of student associations. Students learn more in out of school activities. ● Involving companies in hackathons can be very beneficial! They want to be involved! ● Skills developed outside the classroom: management, resilience, learning by doing, dealing with problems ● Concluding: Funds are important but changing the mindset is more.
Better connection with understanding of the value of adding people from different areas. ● We need to think about what kind of assets we need in teams, regarding the project. ● It’s not only about doing something that is technical, but we have to look for quality ● There should be more out of school activities because that is the real world, so more work with companies is needed for practical experience ● Manage time, resilience, flexibility ● Practical work must be well organized and developed Questions: Do you believe that there is a realistic possibility to change the mindset? ● People want to be in their comfort zone ● The way to change it is to start from inside ● You need to connect teachers with students and push them of how they can evolve, it can start from there ● You need to go to the management and suggest changes ● It really depends what kind of teachers you have, and how proactive they want to be in regards to change ● You have to create network of teachers who trust you and want to create a change Questions: Why do we have the mindset of following the traditional? Can we change that? ● They are afraid because its something new and out of the known methodologies ● You are guiding people to learn ● You have to involve and teach the teachers ● It’s about changing the mindset of the teachers
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Questions: Do you think that professors should have mandatory training? ● Yes I think it should be mandatory because they need to develop soft skills
Questions: How can you evaluate the level of readiness of teachers? ● In spain if u are a public universities, you are a public servant ● It is very important to understand that everything comes from the system and also from the individual, change comes both way
Questions: Where can we plant seeds for interdisciplinary STEM learning? ● Katerina [Macedonia] :We asked teachers for more work and conferences as a team of students as chemical engineers Kate MKD ● Called alumni that studied in the university and then worked in companies and showed us a positive example Atanasos GRC ● We have sponsored labs where the rooms are sponsored and we have guaranteed opportunities for internships because of mandatory in the curriculum. Kristina MKD ● International internships
● Group 2 discussion with Ramon Some comments : ○ Professor Ramon stated that political forces can shift academic change. Giving the example of pressure to create a AI related course in record time in the university. ○ Kristina Mikec [Croatia]. The participant stated that the university values the ability to explain a complex topic to different groups of people. “We have oral exams and they want us to explain answers as if you are a child.” ○ Giovanni [italy]. The participants discussed the importance of tangibility of problems to make solutions happen faster. The example of COVID vs climate change was addressed.
Statistics
The professor asked some questions and all involved were welcomed to share
their perspectives.
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● Final remarks Why was this session important and why was it important to do it with the professors? Staša[Serbia]: It was nice to see others perspectives and how our mindset change when we have a perspective from both sides Kristina Mikec [Croatia]: I think this session was really useful because we come from other countries and it is inspiring to hear stories that things can change Giovanni[Italy]: In my mind it is really hard to implement the ideas but it was beautiful to hear the perspective that we have to improve outside the stem fields. Eirini[Greece]: Be more active and take time to evaluate them.
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● Conclusion The session provided a detailed discussion, featuring questions from students to professors regarding: ● career advice, ● sustainability in engineering, ● challenges of integrating interdisciplinary approaches, such as: ○ lack of funding, ○ resistant mindsets among faculty, ○ the need for mandatory teacher training and practical work. The session emphasised the importance of combining STEM with non-STEM fields, such as ethics and art, and highlighted the difficulty of change within rigid academic systems.
Materials
Minutes
Challenges and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary STEM learning […
Flipcharts and photos
challenges and oportunities
Audio file
Challenges and opportunities.m4a
Original design of the session
Session outline 9th of july
Results of the pool
PollResults_Interdisciplinary_sSTEM.pdf
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Through the Wormhole: How Professors Can Open Pathways to Wonder Date: 09/07/2025 Facilitators: Rita Araújo and Nadica Koloska Minute taker: Ariel, Kristina and Malena _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● The session aims to address skills of university professors that create an environment that fosters interdisciplinary learning and that educates students for their future industry jobs ● The professors present in the previous session highlighted their personal passion for education of engineering students, and the struggles they face in their teaching career.
Objectives ● Share and discuss previous experiences with educators. ● Blueprint Creation: Groups will collaboratively design and present their vision of an ideal educator based on their personal experiences and expectations of university education
Session Format ● The session is designed to be interactive, with a mix of hands-on activities and discussions. ● This format encourages active participation and collaboration among attendees.
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Methodology Key Activities 1. Identifying good experience with educator : Participants identify and share about a specific remarkable experience they with a professor 2. Shared analysis: Using methods like “Expectations vs Reality” (used widely online to identify advantages and disadvantages of a certain topic), participants discuss characteristics teachers should have in higher education and the characteristics actually found in their educators. The participants will discuss several topics, level of domain of the topic the educators are teaching, passion for the topic , level of pedagogical skills and scope of experience. 3. Call to action: Participants work together to define strategies to create a better educators for tomorrow
Expected Outcomes: ● Recalling past experiences with education, enhance understanding among participants about the importance of the professor in the education experience ● Discuss the state of the educational system. What skills and characteristics are found in today’s university professors ● A set of actionable strategies that can create the educators of tomorrow
Outcomes 1. Introduction ● Facilitator Rita gave the introduction, welcoming all participants and outlining the session's objectives and agenda. ● The name of the session was explained “How Professors Can Open Pathways to Wonder”. Participants were introduced to the importance of teachers in the educational experience
2. First Activity: Participants identify and share about a specific remarkable experience they with a professor Students shared stories about their experiences in education. ● 11 out of 22 talked about high-school professors ● 6 out of 22 talked about university professors ● 2 out of 22 talked about private tutors ● 2 out of 22 talked about middle school teachers ● 1 student talked about primary school teachers
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Thematic Clusters of Positive Traits Specific traits mentioned include: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
organizing social activities like dinners or playing sports (volleyball/football), telling good stories, being interactive and checking on students, taking students on school trips, being creative and supportive, friendly approach, sharing life experiences, being approachable, being passionate, having the ability to understand and communicate effectively, being humble and kind, having a positive aura, organizing games and competitions, having a good balance between being strict and fun
3. Second activity: participants discuss characteristics teachers should have in higher education and the characteristics they actually found in their educators a. Team 1 (Eirini - Athens, Metaxia - Chania, Toni - Rome, Kristina - Macedonia, Iva Croatia): Expectations
Reality
Passionate about teaching
unhappy professors forced into teaching
Initiative to learn and improve
no initiative, not able to help
Good communication skills
not effective communication
Openness to feedback
traditional ways of teaching
Humble
arrogant
Ability to properly transfer knowledge
knowledge with no teaching skills
Unbiased grading
biased grading
Special attention to struggling students
Aggressiveness
toward
struggling
students
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sexism
Skills: calm and kindness Treat students with equality and respect
b. Team 2 (Vicky - Athens, Anthimos - Patras, Eren - Istanbul, Alice - Lyon, Stasha Serbia): Expectations
Reality
Use autonomy to prepare a more creative class
Abusing their power and position to force their opinion upon students
Treated students equally
No equal treatment towards all the students
Mutual respect and being considered at the same level as the teachers
Superiority complex, arrogant
Teach with passion
They are in this job just for the money, not because of the goal it accomplishes
Go outside the syllabus and teach beyond
Promote self-research
Adaptability, understanding and empathy
Very impersonal
Explain with clarity and provide sufficient material
Giving out material not always 100% adapted to their students needs (difficulty to explain, or not related to the subject)
Being able to reply to all questions
c. Team 3 (Deniz - Istanbul, Athanasios - Chania, Shammail - Erlangen, Kobe Belgium, Berkay - Isparta) Expectations
Reality
Build a strong relationship and have a personal connection
Teacher not present, no meeting the students
Friendly relationship and interactions outside of class
Older professors
Punctual
Don't look at the clock
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Most of them don't actually teach just read out of a powerpoint
Being more strict
Some of them are very friendly
Adapt to students needs
High ego, condescending towards students
Active during the year
Teacher assistant do most of the work (grading etc)
More authority and control over the class
Classes get out of control and are loud
Explain subject in a clear way Expect to be just teachers
They do much more than teaching (researching, meetings etc) More passionate than expected (This was a positive reality point)
d. Team 4 (Dilek - Izmir, Katerina - Macedonia, Kristina - Croatia, Giovanni - Naples, Tamara - Montenegro): Expectations
Reality
Raise students curiosity (passion for the
Not enthusiastic
topic) Preparing students for their future jobs in
Don't adequately prepare students
the industry Empathetic
(can
put
themselves
in
cold
students shoes) Mandatory pedagogical training
Pedagogical training is only mandatory for middle
and
high
schools.
University
teachers seem to not posses it Experts in their subject
Teach subjects which aren’t from their field of study
Experience from working in the industry
Subjective
Fair treatment to all students
Only
have
knowledge
about
theory/practical skills on research
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Mix private life with career which affects their behaviour
Humble
Egotistic
Eloquent
Not able to express themselves
Hability to Simplify the subject
Overcomplicate things
Main themes of Discrepancy:
● ● ● ● ●
Passion and Engagement Pedagogical Skill and Knowledge Transfer Conduct and Character Industry Relevance and Experience Pedagogical Training
4. Final group discussion: Call to action - Participants work together to define strategies to create a better educators for tomorrow The final discussion aims to call students into action. If all these things are expected from professors, how could they achieve it? Can students help the professors? Listen to the conversation in the audio file starting from minute 20 Question-Nadica (Macedonia) : How can the system support teachers in their development? Kristina[Croatia] ● Increase Salaries ● Create an option for psychological help for teachers Eren [Turkey] ● Having smaller groups for classes Metaxia [Chania, Greece] : ● Government encouraged lifelong learning ● Seminars for teachers Katerina [Macedonia] ● Appreciation of the teachers ● promoting the positive thinking ● encouraging teachers Question-Nadica (Macedonia) Imagine a hypothetical scenario in which you are a
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 teacher. Knowing the system, what do you think is missing? Athanasios (Chania, Greece) ● An Evaluation body that can track the progress of teachers ● A feedback system ● A system that regarding the evaluation is able to change things
Kristina M [Croatia] ● In my country, teachers seem to not be able to change things because they need to follow their superior’s rules. We could change that by creating a pipeline for advocacy for teachers, so that changes
Vicky (Athens) ● Material support in the classroom (specially regarding practical classes) ● Making smaller groups in the practical classes so that everyone can participate in the activities
Question-Nadica
(Macedonia)
How
can
we
as students contribute to their
development? How can I support my teacher? Metaxia[Greece] ● Provide feedback and evaluations for educators Live survey - Surveys for giving feedback about the teachers ● 20/20 have evaluation forms of teachers in their home universities
Filling the surveys about teacher evaluation ● Never 2/20 ● Rarely 11/20 ● Often 3/20 ● Always 4/20 ● Always (but it’s not mandatory) 0/20 [*clarification: in some countries, students are obliged to fill in the evaluation survey in order to continue their studies/pass the class/receive their grade on the platform. Countries where is it mandatory to fill evaluation forms: ● Italy, ● Macedonia, ● Serbia ]
Summary:
Students must provide feedback and evaluations for educators. While evaluation forms are widely available (20/20 participants have them), the reality is that many rarely fill them in (11/20), and many feel their feedback has little impact unless it is an extreme case. Students should consistently provide this feedback and share positive remarks about effective classes with other students
Discussion - Who reads the feedback forms?
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Students discuss the importance of the destination of the forms. Some stated that the feedback they provided is only read by the professor itself and not by any upper university evaluation system. [Katerina, Macedonia] ●
Only the main professor and the dean can read the student’s feedback
●
Believes that if the feedback was more public professors could improve
Discussion time - Does the student feedback have an impact? Is your opinion heard by the university?
12 out of 20 students - Don’t feel that their feedback is heard by the university
Students remarks A student from Greece mentioned that gathering of opinions actually had an effect on academic life. She recalled a professor whose exams were very hard, and because of this some people were staying 1 extra year in university. After student gathering changes were made Recall: Question-Nadica (Macedonia) How can we as students contribute to their development? How can I support my teacher? Athanasios [Greece] ● Be respectful and kind ● Be aware of your behaviour inside of the classroom Iva [Croatia] ● Share positive remarks about a certain class to other students Deniz [istanbul] ● Be attentive in their class not just be present ● Put yourself in the teachers shes Stasha [Serbia] ● Do your work at home. Prepare classes ● Don't expect all the knowledge to be (just) given in the class
5. Conclusion A critical finding emerged from the shared analysis: there is a considerable disparity between students’ expectations of higher education educators and the current reality. Key Takeaways:
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ○ Characteristics of High-Impact Educators: When sharing stories of influential teachers, participants frequently cited professors who were approachable and friendly, creative and supportive, excellent at effective communication, and able to explain subjects clearly and simplify them when needed. These role models often showed they cared by organizing activities, being present outside of class, or encouraging engagement through interactive discussions ○ The Gap Between Expectation and Reality: While students highly value professors who are passionate about teaching, humble, and demonstrate good communication skills, the reality often involves professors who are described as unhappy or forced into teaching, possessing a superiority complex or high ego, and relying on traditional ways of teaching with knowledge but lacking pedagogical skills. The consensus highlighted that passion is the most important factor missing from the current reality Actionable Strategies:
Systemic Recommendations for Teacher Development: For the system to better support professors, several changes were recommended: ○ Financial and Welfare Support ○ Professional Development: Encourage lifelong learning through ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○
government support and seminars Structural Improvements: ■ Implement smaller class groups to make classes more manageable ■ Provide necessary material support in the classroom. Accountability and Feedback: Establish an independent Evaluation body to track teacher progress and support them. Advocacy: Create a pipeline for advocacy for teachers to enable them to make necessary changes against bureaucratic superior rules. Student Contributions to Educator Development Active Participation Effective Feedback
● Moving Forward:
The findings underscore that fostering pathways to wonder requires intentional effort from all stakeholders: the university system, the professors themselves, and the students. By implementing the actionable strategies defined ● focusing on increasing teacher passion, ● implementing robust and impactful evaluation systems, ● demanding reciprocal respect and active learning from students
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 higher education institutions can move closer to developing the ideal educator capable of inspiring, adapting, and engaging students across evolving educational landscapes
Materials Minutes
Through the Wormhole: How Professors Can Open Pathways to W…
Audio version
Perfect professor.m4a
Flipcharts and photos
Perfect professor
Original design of the session
Through the Wormhole: How Professors Can Open Pathways to W…
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Project Endurance: How students can get motivated to choose interdisciplinary approaches Date: 09/07/2025 Facilitators: Nadica Minute taker: Rita and Maj _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● The session aims to address how students can sustain motivation and engagement when choosing interdisciplinary paths, especially when faced with uncertainty, competing demands, or institutional barriers. It will explore the personal, social, and academic factors that influence students’ decisions to embrace interdisciplinarity and what kinds of support mechanisms universities and educators can put in place to encourage this choice. ● Previous sessions have highlighted the importance of understanding structural and pedagogical challenges in interdisciplinary STEM education (SEFI session), as well as the inspirational role professors play in sparking curiosity and opening pathways to wonder. Building on these insights, this session shifts the focus to the student perspective: what drives them, what holds them
back,
and
how
to
foster
resilience
(“endurance”)
in
pursuing
interdisciplinary learning.
Objectives ● Identify and reflect on the main motivators that drive students to choose interdisciplinary STEM learning. ● Explore common barriers and challenges students face when engaging with interdisciplinary approaches. ● Co-create practical strategies and actions that universities and educators can adopt to make interdisciplinarity more appealing and accessible. ● Foster student self-awareness about their own interdisciplinary potential and readiness.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● Provide actionable insights for future research, educational design, and policy recommendations.
Session Format ● Mix of short presentations, group activities, and discussions ● Structured steps: reflection, brainstorming, motivation & barrier mapping, prioritization ● Icebreakers and energizers to keep energy high ● Active participation and peer-to-peer learning emphasized ● Focus on co-creating concrete, student-driven outputs
Methodology Key Activities 1. Identifying Motivators: Participants reflect on what would make them say yes to interdisciplinary learning and map key drivers of motivation.
2. Recap of Previous Insights: Building on earlier sessions, participants connect challenges and opportunities in interdisciplinarity with their personal experiences.
3. Brainstorming and Problem-Solving: In breakout groups, participants identify barriers to interdisciplinarity and co-create strategies to overcome them, using tools like post-it clustering and role-based perspectives (student, university, policy).
4. Impact & Effort Prioritization: Participants vote on the most motivating and realistic actions, developing a shared matrix of high-impact strategies universities could adopt.
5. Creative Reflection: Through open discussion, participants design their “ideal interdisciplinary experience” to close the session with forward-looking insights.
Expected Outcomes: ● A set of actionable strategies co-created by students to help universities motivate and support interdisciplinary learning.
● Enhanced understanding among participants of the key motivators and barriers influencing student choices in interdisciplinary STEM.
● A collaborative framework that prioritizes high-impact, realistic actions through the Motivation and Impact/Effort matrices.
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Outcomes 1. Introduction: Findings: What Makes Students Motivated to Study? A total of 20+ individual responses were collected. Each participant was given the right to put more than one opinion if wanted. These were grouped into five main categories. Source of data.
Table 1. Categories of Student Motivation for Studying Motivation Category
Example Quotes
Mention s
Academic Achievement & Progress
“Pass my exam,” “To get a degree”
6
Career and Future Opportunities
“Improve CV,” “Better job,” “Scholarships”
7
Personal Growth & Knowledge
“Curiosity,” “Understand the world better”
5
External Expectations & Pressure
“Fear of failure,” “Parents’ disappointment”
4
Social & Environmental Factors
“Ambitious peers inspire me,” “Networking”
3
Key Insight ● Career-related factors (7/25, 28%) were the most cited motivators. ● Intrinsic drivers (curiosity, personal satisfaction) were also strong (5/25, 20%). ● Fear and pressure still play a significant role (4/25, 16%). ● Students value a balance of external rewards (grades, jobs, recognition) and internal meaning (curiosity, growth, inspiration).
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2. Second Activity: What would make you say YES to interdisciplinary STEM learning? Participants were separated into groups and were asked to brainstorm what would make you say YES to interdisciplinary STEM learning? Below is the data, which summarizes their ideas organized into categories, highlighting both the overlapping themes across groups and the unique perspectives each group contributed. Source of data
Table 2. Categories of Student Motivation for joining Interdisciplinary STEM Learning
Category
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Personal &
• Personal growth /
• Improve soft skills
• Improving knowledge
Professional
soft skills
Development
• Passion – finding new things • Hearing previous
• Thinking outside the box • Be more competent and appreciated
experience Career & CV
• Useful for the job
Benefits
market (highlighted by companies)
• Competence for jobs •Put knowledge into practice
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• Awards (scholarships) • Final project to show •Internship opportunities
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•Collaboration with
•CV certificate
partner companies •Real-life projects/problems Networking &
• If my friends are
• Broaden horizons /
• Meeting new people •
Social
going
other perspectives
Networking
Motivation
• Meet new people
• Seeing friends take part
/ sharing ideas & perspective • Networking Learning
• Interesting courses +
Experience
practical learning
• Flexibility of course choice •Explanation about course topics •Involvement of teachers •Experience from different fields
Extrinsic / Fun
• Good social media
Factors
marketing
Shared by all groups ● Skills/personal growth, career/CV benefits, and networking/social factors. Group 1 uniqueness ● Peer influence (“if friends are going”), passion/motivation. Group 2 uniqueness ● Future competence, company collaboration, pioneering fields. Group 3 uniqueness ● Tangible motivators (certificates, awards, location, marketing).
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3. Group Outcomes: Effort–Impact Matrix of different stakeholders Students - University - Policy Makers
Effort /
Students
Universities
Policy Makers
• Sharing on social media
• Creating an alumni
•Incentives for universities
Impact High Impact, Low Effort
• Sharing experience with
group
peers
High
• Creating & promoting
• Scholarships and
Impact,
student organizations
financial support
High
• Promotion of ideas
• Workshops,
Effort
conferences & symposiums + certificates •Extra credit (interdisciplinary subjects have more credits)
Low
• Company visits /
Impact,
field trips
Low
•Symposiums •Internships for students
Effort Low Impact, High Effort
• Leading by example
• Internships for companies
• Making it fun through parties and opportunities to socialize
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Source of data and some example visualizations.
Quick wins (low effort, high impact): ● Students → peer-to-peer sharing, social media visibility. ● Universities → extra credits, alumni groups. ● Policy makers → media promotion.
Medium leverage (medium effort, medium impact): ● Engagement activities like workshops, company visits, symposiums. Big bets (high effort, high impact): ● Systemic support: scholarships, internships, incentives, student organizations.
4. Final group discussion: What can BEST (a student organization) do to motivate students Interdisciplinary STEM Learning? / What will you do when you come back to your community? Source of data. BEST can motivate stakeholders through a three-pronged strategy: ● Interactive events (hackathons, job fairs, local sessions) → energize students. ● Evidence & dissemination (reports, surveys, impact sharing) → persuade universities & policymakers. ● Multi-stakeholder collaboration (professors, companies, students, policy makers in the same space) → build long-term bridges.
Name Kristina Cokovska
Country
Field of Study
Statement
Macedonia
Computer Science /
Sessions with professors on a local level.
Automatic Control /
Help students and universities. Local
Informatics
event on education
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Greece
Mechanical Engineering
Katerina
Macedonia
Include and
in
the
same
environment
representatives from the 3 stakeholder
Aeronautics
groups
Chemical
Leuven course with professors from
Engineering
economics,
engineers,
chemistry.
Hackathons with multifactorial topics. Talk to the LBG Eirini
Kristina
Greece
Croatia
Chemical
Share a report with the university. Make
Engineering
uni see impact directly
Food Engineering
Presentation
Mikec Kristina
about
the
survey.
Disseminate results Macedonia
Cokovska
Computer Science /
Job fair to connect to the companies.
Automatic Control /
Use local events
Informatics Iva
Croatia
Mechanical
Job fairs to collect information. Ask them
Engineering
questions.
Take
them
out
of
the
monotony
From the statements, we can cluster them into themes: ● Events & Engagement ○ Sessions with professors Kristina Cokovska [Macedonia] ○ Local event on education Kristina Cokovska [Macedonia] ○ Hackathons (Katerina) ○ Job fairs (Kristina Cokovska [Macedonia], Iva) ● Collaboration & Multi-stakeholder Inclusion ○ Environment with students, universities, policymakers (Anthimos) ○ Leuven interdisciplinary course with professors (Katerina) ○ Talk to the LBG (Katerina) ● Evidence & Impact Sharing ○ Share reports with university (Eirini)
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ○ Make uni see impact directly (Eirini) ○ Presentation about survey results (Kristina Mikec) ○ Disseminate results (Kristina Mikec) Events & Engagement → 4 mentions Collaboration & Multi-stakeholder Inclusion → 3 mentions Evidence & Impact Sharing → 4 mentions
What will you do when you go back to your community to share the importance of Interdisciplinary STEM Learning?
Thematic Categories 5. Dissemination & Sharing a. Share with LBG, friends, family (Berkay, Kristina, Deniz, Eirini, Eren, Dilek, Tamara, Iva, Maj) b. Presentations / reports / surveys (Kristina, Kiki (2), Kobe) c. Symposium participation (Schamail) 6. Academic/University Influence a. Sessions/workshops with professors (Giovanni, Toni, Nadica, Katerina) b. Extra classes / electives (Deniz, Iva) c. Feedback forms / proposals to university (Eirini, Kobe) d. Erasmus for interdisciplinary topics (Kristina) 7. Events & Local Engagement a. Discussion groups (Kiki) b. Local gatherings with students/companies (Metaxia) c. Workshops (Katerina) d. Job fairs / spreading info (Tamara) 8. Promotion & Communication a. Social media promotion (Katerina, Kobe) b. Fun facts / light dissemination (Maj) c. Convincing peers (Tamara) d. Involving external reps (Rita) 9. Personal Development a. Master’s in interdisciplinary bioengineering (Viki) b. Exploring jobs in architecture (Athanasios - student from a different field) c. Attending symposium (Schamail)
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Dissemination & Sharing → most frequent category (11 people) Academic/University Influence → 7 people Events & Local Engagement → 5 people Promotion & Communication → 4 people Personal Development → 6 people
10.Conclusion The session on “How students can get motivated to choose interdisciplinary approaches” was a significant step towards understanding the drivers, barriers, and
practical
strategies
that
can
enhance
student
engagement
in
interdisciplinary STEM learning. By combining personal reflections, group brainstorming, and structured prioritization tools, the session created a rich picture of what motivates students and how different stakeholders (students, universities, and policymakers) can act to support them. Key Takeaways: ○ Career and CV benefits are the strongest motivators, but students also value personal growth, curiosity, and social connections. ○ Networking and peer influence play a critical role: students are more likely to say “yes” when friends, mentors, and alumni are involved. ○ The Effort–Impact matrix revealed quick wins such as peer-to-peer sharing, social media promotion, and alumni networks, as well as big bets like scholarships, internships, and institutional incentives. ○ BEST can play a pivotal role through a three-pronged strategy: ■ Interactive events (hackathons, job fairs, local sessions) to energize students. ■ Evidence & dissemination (reports, surveys, impact sharing) to persuade universities and policymakers. ■ Multi-stakeholder collaboration (professors, companies, policymakers, students together) to build systemic support.
● Moving Forward: The insights and strategies developed during this workshop provide a strong foundation for designing student-driven, high-impact initiatives that make interdisciplinarity both attractive and accessible. By sustaining momentum through local BEST groups, disseminating findings to universities, and fostering collaboration across sectors, the outcomes of this session can evolve into
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actions
that
motivate
and empower the next generation of
interdisciplinary learners.
Materials Minutes
Project Endurance: How Students Can Get Motivated to Choose Int…
Flipcharts and photos
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1tO8tB01NthELWXugwC4wXX9 KemwxntPO
Original design of the session
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SmLH6b626vkT-wkmIB7TNOUChu UW_IlORPIhUQbOCeE/edit?tab=t.0 **there were changes to this design so the session was as the report is written
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Day 4 Solving real-world challenges with interdisciplinary tools Date: 10/07/2025 Facilitators: Nadica & Ariel Minute taker: Shubham & Malena _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● The session aims to introduce participants to interdisciplinary STEM tools for tackling complex real-world challenges and understand their importance. ● Previous sessions have emphasized the value of collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity in problem-solving; this session builds on that by showing how combining perspectives across disciplines enhances impact and innovation.
Objectives ● Understand how interdisciplinary thinking enhances problem-solving capacity ● Foster peer-to-peer learning and encourage open exchange of perspectives
Session Format ● The session is designed to be interactive, with a mix of hands-on activities and discussions. ● Participants will move through a progression of activities: starting with a scaling survey to reflect on their approaches to problem-solving, followed by brainstorming exercises, small-group case study analysis, and plenary presentations. ● This format encourages active engagement, peer-to-peer learning, and collective exploration of interdisciplinary approaches to solving real-world problems.
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Methodology Key Activities 1. Intro: Brief overview and framing of the session 2. Scaling Survey: Participants reflect on problem-solving beliefs and share perspectives 3. Flipchart Brainstorming: Sticky-note exercise on the risks of one-dimensional problem solving 4. Breakout Groups: Teams analyze case studies of real-world interdisciplinary solutions 5. Presentations & Discussion: Groups present findings, followed by collective reflection
Expected Outcomes: ● Participants recognize the value of interdisciplinary STEM approaches in addressing complex challenges ● Participants share opinions on their ability to work in diverse teams and of the importance of working in diverse teams.
Outcomes 1. First Activity: Scaling Survey Results Statement
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagre e
Strongly Disagree
I often think of problems as having a clear “right” solution.
6
–
6
–
8
Split views: some still prefer clarity, others embrace complexity.
I feel confident using tools from outside my own field or discipline.
–
–
10
2
–
Many between neutral and disagree; confidence generally low.
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Notes / Comments
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Working with people from different backgrounds usually leads to better solutions.
16
–
4
–
0
Strong consensus in favor of interdisciplinarity.
I enjoy tackling problems where no one knows the answer yet.
17
–
3
–
0
Most enjoy uncertainty, though some feel pressure/anxiety.
I prefer to work alone to solve a project than in a team.
–
–
–
–
–
Mixed reflections: efficiency alone vs. richer outcomes in teams.
I believe that teams can be optimized if all of the team was trained in soft skills.
–
–
–
–
–
Qualitative comments emphasize communication & training as critical.
Agreeing teamwork is more effective with the right skills (Ariel’s statement).
–
~16
4
–
–
The majority leaned between agree and neutral.
Interpretation: a. Participants are highly motivated by complexity and interdisciplinarity but need structured support to build confidence in unfamiliar tools. b. Collaboration is valued, though communication challenges remain a barrier. Building stronger soft skills could transform hesitation into team efficiency. c. The group demonstrates readiness for interdisciplinary STEM learning, with the main developmental needs being confidence in tool application and optimization of teamwork processes.
2. Flipchart Brainstorming – Interpretation Source of data The brainstorming exercise asked: “What happens when people from only one background try to solve a complex challenge alone?” BOARD OF EUROPEAN STUDENTS OF TECHNOLOGY AISBL
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 The participants’ sticky notes highlight recurring themes: Category Blind
Spots
&
Key Points from Participants Limited
Perspective
- “See the tree but lose the forest” - Only one specific perspective - Important points may be forgotten
Loss of Creativity & Innovation
- Lack of outside-the-box thinking - Less creative solutions - New problems can emerge when issues are overlooked
Practical Risks
- Overlooking aspects of the problem - Wasting time or not finishing well - Slower progress, fragile solutions
Conditional Exceptions
-
Sometimes
one
field works if the problem is
simple/aligned - Depends on the challenge - Expertise useful but not sufficient
● Blind Spots & Limited Perspective – narrow view, missing the “forest for the trees” ● Loss of Creativity & Innovation – lack of outside-the-box thinking, less originality ● Practical Risks – wasted time, overlooked aspects, fragile solutions ● Conditional Exceptions – sometimes one field suffices, but only if problem is simple/fit
3. Group work - Case study Source As part of the case study exercise, participants were asked to analyze a real-world problem that had been successfully addressed using interdisciplinary tools. Their task
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 was to carefully read the case study and then reflect on three key aspects: first, to identify the challenge and define the core problem that needed to be solved; second, to examine which disciplines were involved and what specific tools or methods from these fields were applied in the process; and finally, to assess the overall impact of using an interdisciplinary approach, highlighting how the combination of diverse perspectives contributed to solving the problem more effectively.
Every group showed that complex real-world problems require more than technical expertise alone - they demand collaboration across disciplines, attention to human and cultural factors, and creative integration of knowledge to achieve meaningful, lasting impact. The participants were able to identify the cons of having single field teams. Case Study
Challenge
Disciplines &
Impact
Common
Tools
Threads
Epidemic
Stopping the
Epidemiology,
Improved
Control
spread
medicine,
health
of
disease
data
science
public response,
Shows value of combining
data-driven
medical
decision-making
expertise
with
analytical tools Rebuilding
Rebuilding
Engineering,
Created a physically
Blending
Christchurch
the city after
architecture,
and
psychologically
technical
(NZ
disaster
psychology,
safe
environment,
rebuilding
with
Earthquake)
while
community
integrated
cultural
cultural
and
addressing
consultation,
identity,
stronger
psychological
trauma
Māori
sense of belonging
healing
cultural
traditions Apollo Crisis
13
Bringing
Engineering,
Repaired CO₂ filter,
Human
astronauts
space
boosted
+
safely
psychology,
successful
after
astronauts’
return
spacecraft
expertise
back
science,
morale, safe
factors technical
improvisation = survival
failure
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Malaria
in
Increasing
Design,
Redesigned nets that
Innovation
Kenya
bednet
anthropology,
were easier to use
came
from
(Bednets)
for
economics, public
and
culturally
focusing
on
health
acceptable,
higher
usability
and
use
malaria
prevention
adoption rates
cultural context
Shared Lessons Across Cases a. Complex challenges need multi-dimensional solutions: none of these problems could be solved by one discipline alone. b. Human and cultural factors matter as much as technical fixes. c. Interdisciplinary collaboration fosters creativity and adaptability, especially in crises. d. Outcomes are more sustainable and accepted when solutions integrate diverse perspectives.
4. What are some solutions that would be better if they had a diverse team
collaborating,
that
you
can
share
from
your
local
surroundings? Source Examples from participants’ local contexts where interdisciplinarity would improve
solutions:
a. Transportation planning (Greece): Creating a new line requires not only engineering but also archaeology (preserving ancient remains), chemistry (material preservation), and urban planning (deciding where the line best serves people).
b. Urban infrastructure: i.
Croatia: Rebuilding faculty buildings without considering human factors (e.g., bathroom doors too low for average Croatian height).
ii.
Italy: A famous bridge designed for aesthetics closes in winter due to safety hazards (slippery surface).
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India (via Shmail, Germany): A park built with marble paving and no trees — beautiful but impractical, leading to excessive heat in summer.
c. Environmental & social impact (Italy): New railways or buildings affect energy use, pollution, and quality of life in surrounding communities. Participants recognized that diverse teams bring balance - combining technical knowledge with social, cultural, and human-centered expertise leads to.
5. Conclusion The session on Solving Real-World Challenges with Interdisciplinary STEM Tools highlighted how participants perceive and engage with complex problems. Through surveys, brainstorming, and case study analysis, it became clear that while technical expertise is essential, lasting solutions emerge when diverse disciplines and human factors are integrated. The reflections showed both enthusiasm for interdisciplinarity and recognition of the challenges it brings, particularly in communication and confidence when working outside one’s field. ● Key Takeaways: ○ Participants are motivated by complexity and uncertainty but need support to confidently use tools from unfamiliar disciplines. ○ There is a strong belief that collaboration across diverse backgrounds leads to richer and more sustainable solutions. ○ Communication and soft skills remain the biggest barriers to effective teamwork, often making individuals prefer working alone. ○ Real-world examples from participants’ local contexts reinforced that single-discipline approaches often miss critical social, cultural, or environmental dimensions. ○ Interdisciplinary
collaboration
consistently
leads
to
more
innovative, resilient, and accepted outcomes. ● Moving Forward: The insights and strategies developed during this session provide a strong foundation for building participants’ interdisciplinary capacity. Future activities should focus on confidence-building with new tools, structured teamwork practices, and soft skills training to optimize collaboration. By continuing to connect technical knowledge with cultural, social, and human perspectives, participants will be better equipped to design solutions that are not only technically sound but also meaningful and sustainable in real-world contexts.
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Materials Minutes Flipcharts and photos Original design of the session
Solving real world challenges with Interdisciplinary STEM tools https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1d7ao6TTsKeiTAG3FPqwFST6 PcIeFHUKD Solving real world challenges with Interdisciplinary STEM tools
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STEM: Next Top Model Date: 10/07/2025 Facilitators: Shubham, Rita Minute taker: Kristina _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Background Purpose and Motivation ● The session aims to introduce participants to different kinds of learning models like Problem Based Learning, Project Based Learning etc and have them analyse in groups, the pros, cons and improvements that can be made to these learning models. ● Furthermore, they work in groups to combine all the discussed and analysed learning model into one and present their findings. ● Previous sessions introduced various topics related to STEM education but this session enabled participants to think how actually should the STEM education be imparted.
Objectives ● To prepare the participants to be able to use this knowledge to work on their final projects for the BSE. Use this knowledge to brainstorm a STEM curriculum.\
Session Format ● This session encouraged active participation and collaboration among the participants. ● The participants worked in groups to analyse various learning models and also devise their own at the end.
Methodology Key Activities 1. Participants are introduced to the various learning models 2. They are divided into 4 groups where each group is given one of the learning models to analyse. They come up with the pros, the cons and the improvements to the model. 3. Now they present these models in a creative way that highlights their findings in front of the “judge” (Rita). The judge also asks further questions about their findings to have some more qualitative data out of the session.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 4. After the presentation, the groups are redivided in a way that each group has at least one person from each learning model group. They now work on a fusion model which is inspired from the before discussed models. The groups’ objective is to write down 2 core features and 1 big challenge for implementation. 5. This wraps up the session. Expected Outcomes: ● Understand various interdisciplinary STEM curriculum models and their features. ● Analyze how these models align with 21st-century industry needs. ● Evaluate strengths and challenges of each model from an implementation standpoint. ● Collaboratively redesign or suggest modifications to make models more industry-relevant. ● Practice communicating curriculum designs using a "pitch" format. Outcomes 1. Introduction ● Facilitator Shubham gave the introduction, welcoming all participants and outlining the session's objectives and agenda. Gave a short intro to 4 learning models: Problem based Learning, Project Based Learning, Inquiry Based Learning and Blended Learning. ● Expectations were discussed 2. First Activity: Model Analysis a. Group Discussion: Participants were divided into 4 groups with each group assigned 1 learning model. They were asked to discuss the pros, cons and the improvements that can be made to that learning model. They were given a clear instruction to find a creative way to present their findings to a “judge”. 3. Group Presentations Group presented their findings one by one: ● First Group: Problem-based learning ○ Pros: ■ Develops critical thinking & problem-solving skills ■ We are not constricted to a specific discipline, we can look at a problem and come up with a solution based on different disciplines. ■ More interactive and commercial for students, they feel more active in the process and you learn better. ■ Learning by solving an actual problem (problem solving) allows you to remember the subject better.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ■ PBL Learning & solving a problem & using the importance of their efforts allows students to have more motivation and develop a strong sense of purpose. ○ Cons: ■ It takes a longer time & more effort to learn than simple theoretical learning. ■ Since you skip the theoretical learning part, you may learn what comes up in the industry process and might end up not learning the entire topic. ■ Focusing more on the outcome / solution and not the actual learning part may result in a superficial level of learning. ■ Problems might occur in the group dynamics which might affect the learning process. ■ Not being able to clearly identify the project Appropriate ○ Improvements: ■ Focusing on applying this learning method not on theoretical (most) but on problems with real problems with real world applications. ■ Introducing an interdisciplinary approach to this method by bringing together people from different fields with different talents. ■ Implementing time limits, allowing it to skip the topic in supervisory levels and it also can be moved faster in the industry. ■ Cooperation with companies during the studies teaches the students how to solve real/experience problems in the industry. firsthand. ■ More competent/qualified team leader so the whole team is more efficient. ● Second Group: Project-based learning ○ Pros: ■ Interdisciplinary Learning ■ Develops soft skills (teamwork, communication, critical thinking, etc) ■ Encourages curiosity ■ Skill based task discussion ■ More flexible support, because they have multiple learning styles. ○ Cons: ■ It is expensive in terms of resources. ■ Professors need time to prepare their presentation and this can create an overload. ■ It is dependent on team members. Soft skills are required for
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 more effective work. ■ Basic communication skills needed. ■ The implementation can be expensive Questions were asked by the “Judge” (Rita): How would you distinguish your method [Project based learning] from a problem based one? The answer was that there is a team, it requires a long time planning and requires planning and resources. ● Third Group: Inquiry based learning ○ Pros ■ Encourages curiosity ■ interactive ■ engaging ■ Open mindedness ■ fun ■ teacher closer to the students ■ Relaxing atmosphere ■ stress free ○ Cons ■ Needs more time ■ Teachers needs to be persuasive + competent to teach ■ Some students need special attention (direct attention) ■ lack focus ○
Improvements
“Judge” (Rita) asked questions: ○ What are the limits of the inquiry-based model? : useful for theoretical approaches, particularly in scientific fields. ○ How do you verify that the people are learning the right way? Who is in charge to guide them? : Because there is a constant interaction with students and teachers, it is noticeable. As both are engaged, things can be monitored. ○ How would you convince a teacher to use this methodology? :
Showing this model to teachers can change their mentality.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● Fourth Group: Blended learning ○ Pros: ■ The best of both worlds ■ Access to more tools and materials ■
More effective learning because neuroplasticity
■ It also improves the interdisciplinarity ○ Cons: ■
It is very easy to lose interest on the topic
■
It requires the students or the teachers, similarly to other methods like flipped teaching to do more extra work.
■ Lots of benefits but hard to implement ○ Improvements: ■ Can attend different activities ■ Guide that will help the students, navigate through the program ■
To make it optional for students, we can use different methods to explain the topic
■ Hybrid material location
“Judge” (Rita): From your covid online experience how were you engaged with
work in an online environment and how would you get people to focus?: Did not like it online because focus is difficult. To create engagement for students, small quizzes or similar things can be introduced.
4. Fusion Model : The facilitator again redistributes the groups in such a way that every group in 4 groups has at least one person who worked on one of the learning models. They are asked to come up with a fusion model which combines all the before mentioned models and come up with two core features and 1 big challenge for their implementation.
People presented various models: ● The first approach was Inquiry Based Learning + PBL (Anthimos, Vicky, Shamail, Berkay, Giovanni): The core features it has were communication, Cooperation with stakeholders e.g. companies to tackle real life problems. The challenges were that there could be ack of knowledge (of the professors and the result of the method). There could be difficulty of raising interest of teachers and for the students to follow a new system. Also, a lot of resources can be needed for the infrastructure. ● Another approach was Project Based Learning + Inquiry Based Learning + Problem Based Learning + Blended Learning: First you get a Project Assignment, then you identify the problems/research proposal, then you identify the problem
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 solving skills and then at the end you use the hybrid material to solve the problem. A challenge for this approach would be the coordination. The major focus was to improve communication, cooperation with stakeholders to tackle real life problems. But there could be a lack of knowledge of the professors and the results of the method. It can also be difficult to raise the interest of the teachers and students to follow a new systems.
5. Conclusion The session provided a groundwork for people to understand how learning can work and what are the features of some of the learning models. The exercise let them analyse the models and rethink something out of the box by blending the various models. This exercise is a good insight to what curricula can be and what would make students more interested in their Interdisciplinary STEM curriculum.
Materials Minutes
Minutes
Flipcharts and photos
Flipcharts
Original design of the session
Design
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Final Work: Building an Interdisciplinary Curriculum Date: 11/07/2025 Facilitators: Kristian Zaprova Minute taker: Rita Araujo
Background Purpose and Motivation ● The final session aims to summarise all of the outcomes uncovered from all previous sessions by crafting an engineering curriculum that’s centered around an interdisciplinary approach to learning and future industry relevance. By engaging students to build aspects of their own curriculum we gain insight into their perspectives on how they view interdisciplinary in higher education and we gather input on what are the most practical, sustainable and favourable approaches to implementing it in STEM higher education.
Objectives ● Gathering intel on students’ opinions on which teaching methods, extra curricular activities and whose involvement and expertise are necessary for fostering an interdisciplinary approach in STEM education. ● Create actionable strategies for implementing proposed changes to the engineering curriculum.
Session Format ● The session began with a quick summary of the outcomes and conclusions reached in the previously held sessions. Participants were then introduced to the purpose of the challenge and the importance of the final work. They were divided into 4 groups in order to allow diversity in STEM fields, nationality and gender and were given a handout containing detailed requirements and instructions of the challenge. The teams were given the remainder of the day to develop their ideas, which they presented the next day.
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Methodology Key Activities 1. Introduction 2. Division into teams, clarification of challenge and group work 3. Idea presentation
Expected Outcomes: ● Obtaining a perspective on what students’ view on how to integrate interdisciplinary in their curriculum by giving them an opportunity to outline aspects of the curriculum where they take into account the potential drivers and barriers, current situations in European countries, motivators of students etc. and create events, strategies and systems to foster the interdisciplinary approach and the external relationship with the industry that will support it.
Outcomes Challenge: You’ve been given an opportunity to build aspects of an engineering curriculum which integrate an interdisciplinary approach to learning under the condition that it involves collaboration with industry. You need to present your pitch to all relevant stakeholders: students, companies and educators. Method: 1. Use of SMART Goals for brainstorming measurable and achievable goals 2. Recalling current state of an Interdisciplinary experience in universities from different European countries during UN Model session & circling back dialogue between students and educators on Challenges & Opportunities in implementing interdisciplinary stem learning
What to include in your curriculum: Part 1 : Inclusion of the industry in the classroom Objective: Identify 3 concrete and innovative ways that industry can be actively involved in university classes.These methods should go beyond just offering internships or hiring graduates. They should directly enhance student learning experiences during their academic courses. Task: Propose 3 specific, feasible strategies for involving industry within the classroom setting. For each method, briefly explain: ● How does it work?
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 ● What benefits does it provide to students and industry? ● How could it be implemented within an existing course structure? Part 2: Design a Project Integrating Companies and Student Organizations Your Task: Create a project or initiative that brings together companies and student organizations to actively support and enhance the interdisciplinary STEM curriculum you are designing. Your Proposal Should Include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Project name and concept Roles of the company and student organization Type of collaboration (e.g. co-hosted events, mentorship, innovation projects) Expected outcomes for students, companies, and the university How it fits into the overall learning experience Inspiration: Think of hackathons, innovation labs, community outreach programs, or mentorship pipelines that connect academic learning with real-world practice and student energy.Make sure the project is realistic, impactful, and can grow over time.
Part 3: Enhance Teaching & Faculty Development for Your Chosen STEM Teaching Model You have already worked on a teaching model or methodology for your interdisciplinary, industry-relevant STEM curriculum in one of the sessions. Task 1: Innovate with Pedagogical Strategies ● Propose 3 complementary teaching techniques or activities that enhance your chosen model and deepen student engagement. ● Explain how each technique supports real-world, interdisciplinary learning connected to industry needs. Task 2: Support for Educators ● Design 3 effective ways to train and support university teachers to adopt and excel at your teaching model and techniques. ● Explain how these approaches help faculty transition smoothly from traditional teaching to your innovative model.
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Team 1 “Students of ToBorrow”
Atanasious
Greece
Technical University of Crete
Shamail
Germany
Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen
Alice
France
INSA Lyon
Eirini
Greece
National Technical University of Athens
Toni
Italy
Sapienza University of Rome
1. Inclusion of Industry in the Classroom Three main ideas for including industry in students’ education: Idea
Description
Benefits for Students
Benefits for Companies
Benefits for Universities
Company Workshops
Replace lectures with interactive workshops led by industry professionals.
Gain hands-on knowledge and exposure to real-world expertise.
Engage with potential young professionals and promote brand.
Generate profit from event organization and build corporate partnerships.
Company-Based Projects
Students work on real projects proposed by companies, earning ECTS credits.
Gain practical experience and academic credit simultaneously.
Obtain innovative solutions and evaluate potential hires.
Create networking opportunities and a small revenue stream.
Job Shadowing
Students “shadow” employees during daily tasks. Companies rotate each semester.
Understand workplace culture and career expectations.
Recruit students who already know company processes.
Offer a paid program and build corporate ties.
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2. Project Design – “Students of toBorrow” Concept: A 7–10 week program where companies temporarily “borrow” students to fill entry-level roles, allowing students to gain experience as part of their studies. Process: 1. Student organization partners with a company. 2. The university promotes participation and awards ECTS credits. 3. Students complete their placement and present their experience to peers. Mutual Benefits: ● Students: Gain workplace skills, professional contacts, and academic credit. ● Universities: Expand teaching methods, strengthen alumni/corporate networks, enhance reputation. ● Companies: Test potential hires and benefit from fresh perspectives.
3. Enhancing Teaching & Faculty Development Task 1: Teaching methods to support industry integration: ● Problem-Based Learning (PBL): Helps students connect theory to real-world problems and grow personally by solving them. ● Flipped Classroom: Allows classroom time to focus on applying knowledge through discussions and workshops. ● E-Learning: Makes content more flexible and accessible for students outside of class.
Task 2: Methods to support educators: ● Informative seminars for teaching methodologies ● Survey for feedback
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Team 2 “Future Fusion”
Macedonia
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM)
Eren
Türkiye
Istanbul Technical University
Stacia
Serbia
University of Belgrade
Giovani
Italy
University of Naples
Kristina
Croatia
University of Zagreb
Katerina
1. Inclusion of Industry in the Classroom Three main ideas for including industry in students’ education:
Idea 1.Classes/workshops from companies
Description - Online labs and interactive programs with simulations - KT to students (online and in person), integrated into lessons to give real-life examples
2. Company visits /company days/ practical work
- Specific for one sector, short internship
3. Networking events
- Once a semester, one-day
-Once a year
-Sessions/presentations for the companies - Networking organised by the university -CV website, maintained by students (students get extra credit/elective course)
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2. Project Design- ”Future Fusion” (FF)
Section
Details
Project Name
FutureFusion (FF)
Concept:
Day 1: Workshops for soft skills & CV/LinkedIn:
(3-Day Structure)
- Students upload CVs on the career center website - Companies select candidates based on their CVs Day 2: Case study/hackathon: -Idea-based, prototype, theory - Short case study lasting one day -Presentations & pitching ideas Day 3: Interviews & networking: -The winners have interviews with companies; -Best ideas rewarded - Students get certificates for participation
Roles
Company: Selection process + create case study Student Organization: In charge of logistics & organization Type of Collaboration: - Innovation event + project case study -Co-hosted event
Stakeholder Students
Expected Outcomes • Develop soft skills • Networking opportunities • Opportunity for internships • Work in an interdisciplinary team • Simulation of their future job
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• Ideas for products • New ideas (e.g., process optimization) • New pool of future employees • Understand the mentality of students (HR statistics)
University
• Increase quality of education (students become more competent) • Sponsorship for projects (equipment, research, labs) • Renovate classrooms
3. Enhancing Teaching & Faculty Development
Task 1: Teaching methods to support industry integration Method
Details
1. Project-based
• Introduce interdisciplinary projects as an elective course/ project
learning
based course (last two years at the end of every semester) • Final thesis project with a company can be a project-based course
2. Blended learning
• Record lectures so students can revisit the material and on site lectures • Online labs and simulations (by the companies and professors)
3. Flipped classroom
• Sessions every two weeks
Task 2: Methods to support educators Action
Details
1. Communication
• PhD students, before becoming professors, should take mandatory
skills training
classes for pedagogy, sociology, psychology, etc.
2. Evaluation process
• Anonymous and mandatory evaluation forms at the end of every semester and mid-term (short format + space for specific questions)
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 3. Make exams more objective
• Two professors should grade the same exam • Standardise the exams
Team 3 “Energenious” Metaxia
Greece
Technical University of Crete
Berkay
Türkiye
Suleyman Demirel University
Kobe
Belgium
KU Leuven
Iva
Croatia
University of Zagreb
Vicky
Greece
National Technical University of Athens
1.Inclusion of Industry in the Classroom Three main ideas for including industry in students’ education: Initiative
Activity Description
Students' Benefits
Industry's Benefits
Company Visit
•A visit for students to a company's facilities, including a physical or virtual tour and a presentation by a company representative. •This could be a scheduled day free of classes.
•Theory Vs Practice,
• Receive fresh perspectives from students •Promote the industry to future employees.
•Practice future work opportunities •Boost motivation for their career paths
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Lab Day
• Collaboration with labs at the university, focusing on projects aligned with coursework and problem-based learning. It could be linked to assignments like lab reports
• Receive personal guidance and career advice from experts and can be scouted for internships or jobs
•Spot high-potential students for internships or jobs
Case Study in Class
•A company presents a real-world case study or problem in a class.
• Develop critical thinking, analytical skills, and teamwork.
•Showcase their technical leadership and create opportunities for research and development with the university.
2. Project Design- ”EnerGenious”
Aspect
Description
Competition Concept
• A 2-day competition where student teams solve a case study problem using tools and knowledge provided by a collaborating company. The problem, created by the "big sponsor," raises concerns about a theoretical approach. The winning team receives a financial prize and a mentorship. •The pointing system is formed by the company. The teams have to elaborate a theoretical solution while taking consideration of mechanisms, economical criteria, sustainability, materials. They make a presentation of their final idea and present it to the company which evaluates it.
Role of Company
Content Creation: The company creates the problem and identifies its main disciplines. Logistics: The company is in charge of the point system and criteria. Prizes & Mentorship: They prepare the financial award and mentorship for 6 months to help the winning team develop their idea. Judging: The company sends representatives to act as judges.
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Logistics: Students gather the logistics and materials needed by participants to turn their ideas into a presentation. Promotion: They take care of public relations (PR) and event promotion, including social media. Communication: Students communicate with the collaborating company.
Benefits
Students: Benefit from networking, developing soft and hard engineering skills, teamwork, and building their CV. Company: Gains innovative ideas and fresh solutions, enhances their brand, and contributes to youth development and education. Universities: Increase student motivation and boost engagement in relevant course studies.
3. Enhancing Teaching & Faculty Development Task 1: Teaching methods to support industry integration Technique
Description and Benefits
Case Study Learning Flipped Classroom
This approach requires students to develop a deeper understanding of the subject. It also provides an opportunity for students to practice public speaking skills and receive feedback.
Benefits of Role-playing
Role-playing enforces students to look at a problem or concept from the perspective of the industry.
Problem-based Learning
This method encourages active learning and self-directed study by using problems that are relevant to the industry.
Task 2: Methods to support educators Method
Description
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Seminars for Professors
Seminars can be used to integrate case studies into a curriculum. Professors should be compensated for the hours they spend on this.
Collaboration with Industry
A team of university employees should be created to act as a point of contact between professors and companies. This team sets up agreements with the companies and manages the collaborations.
Guidance for Professors
A system should be in place where professors can get guidance from their peers, talk to company representatives for advice, and consult with lab assistants. Doing all the administrative and logistical work (emails, phone calls, etc.) for professors can make the approach more appealing to them, allowing them to focus on the student learning journey.
Team 4 “STEMathon”
Tamara
Montenegro
University of Montenegro
Kristina Cokovska
Macedonia
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM)
Anthimos Papaleonidas
Greece
University of Patras
Deniz
Türkiye
Bogazici University
Dilek Nur
Türkiye
Ege University
1. Inclusion of Industry in the Classroom Three main ideas for including industry in students’ education:
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Main Idea (Red
A: How it works
Box)
B: Benefits (to
C: How to
Students & Industry)
integrate into an existing course
Elective Courses
Students learn the
Students get hands-on
Assign a project or
Directly
theoretical part of
experience: They see
two that are
Connected to
the company’s
how their learning
co-created with an
the Company
work during
applies to real-world
industry partner.
Field
university classes
jobs. Companies get
before going to an
new talent: They can
internship there.
identify potential future employees. Curriculum stays current: The course content is always relevant.
Final Project at
Students solve a
Students get practical
Make it a capstone
the End of the
company's
experience: They solve
project or a major
Course
problem using
a real problem for a
part of the
real-world tools
real company.
course's final
and technologies.
Networking
assessment. The
Students in class
opportunities: They
project can be an
are divided into
can build relationships
"extra" opportunity
groups and
with professionals.
for students to
assigned a
New skill acquisition:
earn bonus points
designated
They learn to use
if they make an
company.
industry-standard
applicable solution
tools and
to the problem.
technologies.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Company
Company
Course stays relevant:
Representatives
representatives
It prevents the
in the Classroom
teach a class
curriculum from
connected to the
getting outdated.
course and
Students get a direct
company’s work at
look at the real world:
the end of the
They see what it's like
semester.
to work in the industry.
2. Project Design-”STEMathon”
Section
Details
Project Idea
Description: Design a project integrating companies and student organizations. Ideation: Hackathon where students create solutions for real-life problems provided and sponsored by companies and assisted by professors.
Overall Learning Experience
- Applying theory to real-life situations - Gaining interdisciplinary experience - Networking - Teamwork - Soft skills developmentProject-based learning - Thinking outside of the box
Expected Outcomes
For Companies: - Promoting employee potential - Promoting initiatives in diverse teams - Active recruitment - Potential percentage in profit from possible startups created from students For Students: Internships/employment - Making a difference - Networking - Awards Gaining experience For University: - Promotion - professor engagement with students - is ranked higher as a result - receives part of the funding
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Roles
For Companies: - Provide funding for the event - Experts for workshops - Judging the project submissions -Award the winners Guest speakers - Help with the development of the project For Student Organisations: - Promoting the event to students - Reaching out to companies - Selection of participants
Collaboration
- Mentorship from professors - Mentorship and Sponsor from companies - Potential Partnership - Networking between students Team work between students
3. Enhancing Teaching & Faculty Development Task 1: Teaching methods to support industry integration
Main Goal
Pedagogical Strategies
Enhance teaching and
1. Inquiry-Based Method: • Students generate their own questions and investigate problems (student-led inquiry).
improve student development through effective pedagogical strategies.
• Teachers act as facilitators, setting up the project and guiding the process. • Encourages deeper understanding of concepts rather than rote memorization. • Through generating and answering questions students gain broader, more important knowledge and learn how to approach real problems. 2. Feedback: Continuous, constructive feedback to guide progress.• Helps students understand strengths and areas for improvement.• Can be individual or group-based to reduce workload. 3. Gamification: Adds friendly competition and motivation.• Rewards
for
completing
tasks
or
participating.•
Increases
engagement and consistency.
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BEST Symposia on Education Madrid Carlos III 2025 Task 2: Methods to support educators
Category
Summary
Main Goal
Find effective ways to support teachers.
Idea 1: Reflective
- Teachers meet regularly to discuss teaching methods.- They reflect
Development
on what works and what doesn’t.- Encourages experimentation with new approaches.- Creates a supportive environment where teachers learn from each other.
Idea 2: Organizing
- Workshops or courses where teachers can develop new skills.-
Courses for
Learning modern teaching techniques and tools.- Helps teachers stay
Teachers
updated and confident in the classroom. They will improve their teaching based on what they learn.
Idea 3: Being
- After evaluations, teachers who show improvement or implement
Rewarded
new methods receive recognition. Rewards motivate teachers to stay engaged and continuously improve. Recognition can be given at the end of the school year.
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Feedback and impressions This section highlights personal impressions from participants and organisers, reflecting their experiences and thoughts about the event.
“I didn’t expect the workshops and trainings to be so interactive, it was a nice surprise and I liked it” “I liked the interactive sessions the most. They helped us learn in a more active and meaningful way, instead of just memorizing information” “I liked the trainings organized by the content team of the education department a lot. Also the panel discussion was something i gained a lot of insights from” “The sessions were really interactive and nice” “What I appreciated the most was the quality of the educational content and the professors who gave the lectures. Their knowledge and the way they communicated it made the sessions truly engaging and insightful”
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