ICICTE 2026 Conference Programme
Day 1 - Tuesday, 14 July 2026
09:30 – 10:00 | Registration
Lobby Muses
10:00 – 11:30 | Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address
Hall Muses
Welcome Address
Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
Founder and Director, ICICTE and PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
Keynote Address
Reimagining Democracy Through Education: Empowering Young Citizens for the Challenges of the 21st Century
George Papandreou
General Rapporteur on Democracy, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Former Prime Minister of Greece (2009–2011), Greece
coACTION: Strengthening Democratic Culture Through Whole-School Transformation
Building Democratic Schools Across Europe Through Participation, Empowerment and Innovation
Brigitta Rupp
Project Coordinator, coACTION
Private Bildungseinrichtungen Österreich (PBOe), Austria
11:30 – 12:00 | Coffee Break
Lobby Muses
12:00 – 13:30 | Session 1
FROM PARTICIPATION TO DEMOCRATIC CULTURE: EUROPEAN APPROACHES TO SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION
coACTION Multiplier Event
Hall Muses
Moderator: Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
The Guide to Democratic Empowerment: A Roadmap for Building Democratic School Communities
Supporting Schools in Building Democratic Cultures and Practices
Klaus Linde-Leimer and Susanne Linde
Blickpunkt Identität, Austria
The Democratic Empowerment Platform (DEMP): Turning Democratic Values into Everyday School Practice
Digital Tools for Democratic School Development
Mariano Sanz Prieto
Jaitek Tecnología y Formación S.L., Spain
The “Year of Democracy” Pilot Programme
Piloting Democratic Participation in Schools Across Europe
Almerindo Oliveira
Agrupamento de Escolas Terras do Ave, Portugal
From Participation to Democratic Culture: Implementing the “Year of Democracy” Pilot Programme in a Greek Primary School
Stavroula Vrakopoulou and Penelope Mastoridou
2nd Primary School of Pefka, Greece
Participant Feedback and Open Discussion
Facilitated by Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
13:30 – 15:00 | Buffet Lunch
Restaurant Thalassa
15:00 – 16:30 | Session 2
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EDUCATION: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND EMERGING PRACTICES
Hall Muses
Moderator: Dr Marcia Håkansson Lindqvist
Mid Sweden University, Sweden
LLMs and Their Benefit in Education
Willem Oliver
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, University of South Africa (UNISA), South Africa
Teachers’ Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence Readiness in European Schools: Findings from the SmartStart Expert Panel
Mariano Sanz Prieto, Gema de Pablo González and Thiago Freire
Fundación Siglo22, Spain; Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
Developing Digital Leadership in Education: Evidence from the IDEAL Future Project
Mariano Sanz Prieto, Gema de Pablo González and Emma O'Brien
Fundación Siglo22, Spain; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain; Mary Immaculate College, Ireland
Student Teachers’ Views on AI-Generated Science Lesson Plans: Balancing Perceived Opportunities and Critical Judgement
Konstantinos Karampelas
Pedagogic Department of Elementary Education, University of the Aegean, Greece
Mother Tongue Teachers Meet Artificial Intelligence for Supporting Their Own and Students’ Learning: A Practice-Based Professional Development Project
Marcia Håkansson Lindqvist and Peter Mozelius
Department of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Sweden
Trends in Student Perceptions of ChatGPT: Evidence from a Three-Year Global Study
Dejan Ravšelj and Aleksander Aristovnik
Dejan Ravšelj and Aleksander Aristovnik
21:00 – 22:30 | Welcome Reception
Poolside Terrace, Mediterranean Hotel
Welcome Drink and Finger Food Reception for Networking and Informal Exchange
Day 2 - Wednesday, 15 July 2026
10:00 – 11:30 | Sesion 3
SOCIAL MENTORING WITHOUT BORDERS: EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH GUIDANCE, INCLUSION AND WELL-BEING
KHEIRON Multiplier Event
Hall Muses
Moderator: Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
Building Capacity for Social Mentoring: Training Mentors for Inclusive and Supportive Communities
Lessons Learned from the KHEIRON Training Programme
Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
The KHEIRON Toolkit for Social Mentoring
Resources, Good Practices and Digital Tools for Sustainable Mentoring Initiatives
Mariano Sanz Prieto
Fundación Siglo22, Spain
Participant Feedback and Open Discussion
Facilitated by Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
11:30 – 12:00 | Coffee Break
Lobby Muses
12:00 – 13:30 | Session 4
INCLUSION, EQUITY AND HUMAN-CENTRED INNOVATION IN EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Hall Muses
Moderator: Professor Emerita Marcie Boucouvalas
Virginia Tech, United States of America
Deconstructing the Barriers to Women Entering Computer Science Through the Lens of Social Cognitive Theory
Joe Appleton and Joey Lam
University of Surrey, United Kingdom
Proctored Assessments to Mitigate Plagiarism: A Design-Based Research Study in Programming Education
Jacqui Chetty
University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
Toolkit for Student Success
Erna Oliver
University of South Africa, South Africa
Fostering Inclusive and Accessible Workplaces for People with Disabilities: The Case of the InclusiVR@Work Project
Kalliopi-Evangelia Stavroulia, Maria Moreira, Emma Crook, Maria Christofi, Anna-Carina Mohrholz, Nicolas Martin Dominguez, Daniel Uroz, Andreas Koth and Andreas Lanitis
Cyprus University of Technology and CYENS Centre of Excellence, Cyprus (and project partners from Portugal, Ireland, Germany and Spain)
Augmented Intelligence and the Purple Educator: Human-Centered Learning in the Age of Accelerated Transformation
Kevin Jones
Indiana University Columbus, United States of America
13:30 – 15:00 | Buffet Lunch
Restaurant Thalassa
15:00 – 16:30 | Workshop Session
IMMERSIVE LEARNING, ACCESSIBILITY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EDUCATION
Hall Muses
Facilitator: Kalliopi-Evangelia Stavroulia
CYENS Centre of Excellence and Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Join us for an interactive workshop experience exploring the transformative potential of Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. Participants will engage with immersive technologies, experience real-world accessibility challenges through VR simulations, and collaboratively design innovative educational scenarios supported by AI tools. No prior experience with VR or AI is required.
Workshop 1: InclusiVR@Work Detectives: How INCLUSIVE Is Your Workplace?
Participants will engage in immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experiences that simulate barriers commonly faced by people with disabilities in workplace environments. Through experiential learning, guided reflection and hands-on activities, the workshop promotes awareness of accessibility challenges and supports the development of more inclusive practices.
Workshop 2: Imagine, Design, Build: Co-Creating Educational VR Experiences Powered by AI
Building on the immersive experience of Workshop 1, participants will explore how educators can design Virtual Reality learning experiences using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. Through collaborative ideation, storyboarding and rapid prototyping, participants will develop educational VR concepts aligned with pedagogical goals and learner needs.
Timeline
15:00 – 15:40 | Workshop 1
15:40 – 15:45 | Transition Break
15:45 – 16:25 | Workshop 2
16:25 – 16:30 | Discussion and Closing Remarks
Day 3 - Thursday, 16 July 2026
10:30 – 11:30 | Poster Session
POSTER SESSION: EUROPEAN PROJECTS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION
Innovation, Leadership, Democracy and Social Mentoring in Practice
Hall Muses
Innovative and Sustainable Learning Environments (ISLE): Empowering Teachers to Transform Primary Education
Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
coACTION: Advancing Democratic School Culture through Participatory Action and Whole-School Engagement
Brigitta Rupp
Private Bildungseinrichtungen Österreich (PBOe), Austria
Klaus Linde-Leimer and Susanne Linde
Blickpunkt Identität, Austria
Mariano Sanz Prieto and Rubén Vega Gutiérrez
JAITEK Tecnología y Formación S.L., Spain
Despoina Sarrigeorgiou
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
Almerindo Oliveira
Agrupamento de Escolas Terras do Ave (AETA), Portugal
KHEIRON: Social Mentoring without Borders
George Sarrigeorgiou
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
Rubén Vega Gutiérrez
Fundación Siglo22, Spain
LEAD+: Leaders Evolving with Accountability, Diversity, and Positivity
Mariano Sanz Prieto
Fundación Siglo22, Spain
Anastasia (Nancy) Pyrini
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
ViReal4STEM: Envisioning a Future in STEM Through Virtual Reality
Empowering Girls to Explore, Create and Innovate
Mariano Sanz Prieto and Rubén Vega Gutiérrez
Fundación Siglo22, Spain
Interactive Virtual Reality Demonstration
Conference participants will have the opportunity to experience the ViReal4STEM Virtual Reality application firsthand during the poster session and explore how immersive technologies can support girls' engagement, confidence, and participation in STEM education and future STEM careers.
Digital Storytelling for Student Well-Being: A Co-Design Thinking Approach
George Lionis
The American College of Greece, Greece
STUDENT INNOVATION, ROBOTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN EDUCATION
Young Innovators Addressing Real-World Challenges through STEM and Technology
Smart Donation FoodBox: A Student-Developed Solution for Reducing Food Waste and Supporting Community Solidarity
Aris Chiotelis, Georgios Kaltekis, Ilias Ahmant, Dimitrios Karagiannis-Prieto, Maria-Aggeliki Kastanaki, Chrisovalanto Kiaourtzi and Filippos Maragkos E. & M. Stamatiou Non-profit Foundation, Rhodes, Greece
Educational Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Coral Reef Conservation: A STEM Environmental Project in Primary and Secondary Education
Kalliopi-Tsampika Kastamoula, Iliana Giannousi, Kleopatra Kontodima, Evaggelos Kourtesis, Georgios Pitsis, Nikolaos Pitsis, Aikaterini Tsoullou and Michail Tsoullos
2nd Primary School of Kalythies, Rhodes, Greece
Kalythies Junior High School, Rhodes, Greece
E. & M. Stamatiou Non-profit Foundation, Rhodes, Greece
Integrating Robotics, Environmental Science and STEM Education: Student-Designed Acoustic Monitoring System for Invasive Fish Species Detection
Iliana Giannousi, Kalliopi-Tsampika Kastamoula, Sevasti-Christina Pouli, Samuel Dallo, Michaella Hatzigeorgiou, Christos Manolas, Eleni Pimpili and Stylianos Piperidis
Lower Secondary School of Gennadi, Rhodes, Greece
E. & M. Stamatiou Non-profit Foundation, Rhodes, Greece
11:30 – 13:00 | Session 5
THE LUDVIG SPANTE GRADUATE STUDENT PAPER AWARD COMPETITION
Celebrating Emerging Research Excellence in Information and Communication Technologies in Education
Hall Muses
Moderator: Dr Konstantinos Karampelas
University of the Aegean, Greece
The Impacts of Using a Digital 3D Anatomy Tool in Learning Acupuncture
Wing Shui Ng, Kwo Sin Lam, Yuanyin Huang, Chun Ho Ngai and Yee Sin Tse
School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Digital Equity and Inclusion: A Community-Based Approach to Empowering Adults with Disabilities in Romania
Roxana Damachin-Țecu
Polyethnic University Timișoara, Romania
Anca Menina Danci and Ildiko Sperlea
Fundația de Abilitare Speranța, Timișoara, Romania
From Face-to-Face to Online Educational Robotics Competitions: A Longitudinal Study of Participation and Learning Outcomes
Despoina Sarrigeorgiou
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Dimitris Chatzis and Ergina Kavallieratou
Department of Information and Communication Systems Engineering, University of the Aegean, Samos, Greece
Eleni Dima
High School of Pythagoreio, Samos, Greece
Digital Storytelling for Student Well-Being: A Co-Design Thinking Approach
George Lionis and Kalliopi-Evangelia Stavroulia
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Dimitris Chatzis and Ergina Kavallieratou
The American College of Greece, Greece
Discussion and Questions
13:00 – 13:30 | Adjudication Meeting and Coffee
Lobby Muses
13:30 – 14:00 | Closing Ceremony
Hall Muses
Conference Reflections and Closing Remarks
Dr Marcia Håkansson Lindqvist
Chair of the Communications Committee
Department of Education, Mid Sweden University, Sweden
Presentation of the Ludvig Spante Graduate Student Paper Award
Dr Ġorġ Mallia
Chair of the Scientific Committee and Communications Coordinator
Head of the Media and Communications Department
Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, University of Malta, Malta
Presentation of the Friend of the Conference Award
Despoina Sarrigeorgiou
Conference Secretariat
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
Announcement of ICICTE 2027
George Sarrigeorgiou
Conference Manager
PARAGON-eduTech, Greece
20:30 – 22:30 | Greek Night Farewell Dinner
Romeo Restaurant
Menekleous 7, Rodos 851 00
Conference Dinner and Networking Event