The Ulysseus Summer School on Innovative Pedagogy Empowers Innovative and Student-Centred Teaching in Higher Education

Last week, the University of Genoa hosted the Ulysseus Summer School on Innovative Pedagogy, a BIP aimed at Ulysseus academic staff which fosters innovative, student-centred, and future-oriented teaching practices in higher education. The 24 participants experienced a highly intense yet lively five days, guided by a dedicated international faculty: Fabrizio Bracco (University of Genoa), Irma Kunnari (Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences), Arianna Marci (University of Genoa), Federica Picasso (University of Genoa), Juan Ramon Lacalle (University of Seville), and Dorothea Kienhues (University of Munster), who facilitated the classroom activities throughout the course.

Through interactive, workshop-style sessions, participants were divided into groups that were heterogeneous in terms of origin but shared similar academic interests. Their goal was to design a COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) course, following the pedagogical guidelines defined by the Ulysseus Steering Group of Pedagogical Development, coordinated by Irma Kunnari.

The programme also featured valuable firsthand insights. Jovana Janinovic (University of Montenegro) shared her experience in organizing a COIL, while Clio Flego (University of Genoa) represented the Robotics Innovation Hub as a key stakeholder. In addition, highly practical and operational sessions on AI and teaching were delivered by Davide Parmigiani, Elisabetta Nicchia, and Flavio Manganello (University of Genoa). Participants also had the opportunity to exchange ideas with two UniGe colleagues who had attended the Winter School at Haaga-Helia in February – the first edition of this Blended Intensive Programme (BIP).

The Summer School extended also beyond the classroom. Outdoor activities took participants into the historic city center of Genoa -a UNESCO World Heritage site- including working-group outings to the docks of the Porto Antico (Old Port) to discuss how to connect learning to the real world and local regional needs. To reinforce the collaborative spirit, a treasure hunt was organized to discover the beauties of the city, from its narrow alleys (caruggi) to local culinary products and artistic heritage. Each group shared their photos in a vibrant competition celebrating creativity and a spirit of exploration.

On the final day, each group presented its COIL project during a peer-feedback session, showcasing work of great creativity and innovative value.

The final feedback was overwhelmingly positive, truly reflecting the atmosphere of collaboration and the passion for learning that drives the Ulysseus alliance.

About Ulysseus

Ulysseus is one of the 73 European Universities alliances selected by the European Commission under its flagship initiative of the European strategy for universities. These alliances, co-funded by the European Commission, bring together almost 650 higher education institutions of all types from across Europe.

Led by the University of Seville, the Ulysseus European University Alliance encompasses seven other partner universities: the Université Côte d’Azur (France), University of Genoa (Italy), the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® (Austria), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), the University of Münster (Germany), and the University of Montenegro (Montenegro).