ANUNȚ
DESCHIDEREA ANULUI UNIVERSITAR 2026-2027
International Conference: The Future of UNESCO Chapters: Cultural Memory, Remembrance and Intercultural Resilience. The 4th Edition – 6 November 2026
The Future of UNESCO Chapters: Cultural Memory, Remembrance and Intercultural Resilience
The 4th Edition
6 November 2026
Organized under the aegis of the UNESCO Chair in Interculturality, Good Governance and Sustainable Development, at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, the annual international conference The Future of UNESCO Chapters: Cultural Memory, Remembrance and Intercultural Resilience engages multidisciplinary academic communities and practitioners to reflect on how philosophical insights inform and develop leadership, governance, and sustainable development in increasingly diverse organizational contexts.
The UNESCO Chair, active since 1999 and running internationally-oriented MA programmes in Intercultural Management, Communication and Business Administration, fosters a nexus between interculturality, philosophical grounding, and governance. Responding to UNESCO’s UNITWIN and SDG agendas, this event invites contributions that explore identity not merely as a personal or cultural signifier, but as a strategic and ethical dimension within leadership and organizational change.
This year’s edition is inspired by the broader context of the 70th anniversary of Romania’s accession to UNESCO (27 July 1956). Throughout 2026, the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO is running an extensive anniversary programme under the motto “Celebrating the Past, Building the Future Together.” It is our belief that this celebration must be embraced also by our UNESCO Chair, which has devoted the fourth edition of this annual conference to a special topic, Cultural Memory, Remembrance and Intercultural Resilience. The present conference joins this anniversary agenda, reflecting on how cultural memory, remembrance, and intercultural resilience connect seven decades of Romanian engagement with UNESCO to the collaborative governance of the future.
We welcome theoretical, empirical, and practice-based papers, including those offering rigorous philosophical analysis. Participants who submit papers for evaluation are kindly asked to consider one of the following panels:
Panel 1 · Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Cultural Memory: Challenges and Ethical Limits
- Digital reconstructions of cultural heritage and collective memory
- Virtual museums, digital archives, and “digital witnesses” of memory
- Algorithmic bias and distortions of AI-generated historical narratives
- Intellectual property, authenticity, and misinformation in digital representations of the past
- Ethical governance of emerging technologies in memory preservation
Panel 2 · Intercultural Resilience in Geopolitical and Biopolitical Contexts
- Migration, forced displacement, and the (re)construction of cultural identity
- Conflict, post-conflict settings, and memorial reconciliation
- Security, sovereignty, and the governance of cultural diversity
- Biopolitical narratives of resilience among transnational minorities
Panel 3 · Educational Challenges in Memory Studies
- Pedagogy of memory in academic intercultural environments
- Human rights education and the memory of collective trauma
- Training educators for diversity and interculturality
- Digitalization of memorial education and accessibility
- The role of universities and UNESCO Chairs in transmitting cultural memory
Panel 4 · Intercultural Resilience in Business Environments
- Intercultural leadership and the management of organizational diversity
- Resilience challenges within corporate governance frameworks
- Intercultural communication and negotiation in global business
- Corporate social responsibility and organizational memory
- Organizational resilience in the face of intercultural crises
Panel 5 · Seventy Years of Romania in UNESCO: Legacies, Commemoration, and Future Trajectories
- Romania’s accession to UNESCO and its evolving role within the organization
- Institutional memory: archives, commemorative practices, and the politics of anniversary-making
- UNESCO Chairs and national commissions as custodians and producers of cultural memory
- From commemoration to strategy: lessons from seven decades for future governance and intercultural cooperation
- Romanian contributions to UNESCO’s global agendas (heritage, education, sciences, culture) and their intercultural significance
Submission Guidelines
Interested participants are invited to submit, in a single document, the following:
- Paper title and full affiliation
- An abstract of the proposal
- A short professional narrative CV
Please indicate the panel for which you are submitting.
Submissions should be sent to: oana.serban@filosofie.unibuc.ro
Key Dates
|
Submission deadline |
1 October — title, abstract, and short professional narrative CV |
|
Announcement of results |
6 October |
|
Conference date |
6 November |
|
Submission email |
oana.serban@filosofie.unibuc.ro |
We look forward to your proposals and warmly invite you to contribute to this multidisciplinary reflection on cultural memory, remembrance, and intercultural resilience.
Organizing Institutions
Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Romania
The UNESCO Chair in Interculturality, Good Governance and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
CCIIF — The Research Center for the History and Circulation of Philosophical Ideas, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Organizing Committee
Prof. PhD. Viorel Vizureanu, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Romania
PhD. Lecturer Oana Șerban, member YAE – Young Academy of Europe, Director of the Research Center for the History and Circulation of Philosophical Ideas, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Romania
PhD. Lilian Ciachir, Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Romania
PhD. Candidate Victoria Tarnovschi, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Romania
Financial Information
Coffee breaks and lunch will be provided by the organizers. Participants are encouraged to apply to their institutions for mobility grants, including costs of accommodation. On request, we can provide a limited number of rooms at the Hotel Academica, the Guest House of the University of Bucharest, offered at a preferential fee for the participants of the conference.
__________________
This conference is an annual event organized under the framework of SMOC – Sustainable Management in Cultural Organizations (SMOC), Grant Agreement No. 10508/25.10.2024, funded through the Research and Development Project Fund “Grants for Enhancing Institutional Performance and Competences in Priority Areas” at the University of Bucharest, and is financed for Romanian participants exclusively by FSS GRANTS (University of Bucharest & Ministry of Education). Additionally, the two first panels are supported by the program BIOART – PN-IV-P2-2.1-TE-2023-0636, Biopolitical Art in the Post-Holocaust Age: Philosophical Perspectives on Aestheticized Testimonies, Politicized Aesthetics, and Bare Life, financed by UEFISCDI.
International Conference „Multiculturality, Morality, and Public Affairs in the Digital Age” – June 15-16, 2026
International Conference "Multiculturality, Morality, and Public Affairs in the Digital Age"
June 15-16, 2026
- PRESS RELEASE
- PROGRAM
- BOOK OF ABSTRACTS
- DESCRIPTION
- RSVP: A 2 days trip – Multiculturality in Romania – Past and Present
The Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Bucharest will host, on 15 and 16 June 2026, the International Conference „Multiculturality, Morality and Public Affairs in the Digital Age”. The event brings together researchers, philosophers, and specialists from across the world to explore the intersection of multiculturality, morality, and the public sphere in the digital era.
Organizers & Auspices
The conference is held under the auspices of the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (CRVP), based in Washington, D.C., and is organized at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Bucharest with the support of the UNESCO Chair in Interculturality, Good Governance and Sustainable Development, and under the program SMOC – Sustainable Management in Cultural Organizations.
The principal organizers of the conference are:
- Professor Emeritus Mihaela Pop – Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest
- Lecturer Dr. Oana Șerban – Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest
- Gabriela Nistor
- PhD Candidate Romanița Vrânceanu
Opening Ceremony
The official opening of the conference will take place in the presence of the distinguished guests Dr. Bill Barbieri, Dr. João Vila-Chã and Dr. Hu Yeping, on behalf of the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (CRVP), Washington, D.C., who will deliver the Welcome Address and officially inaugurate the proceedings, next to the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Prof. Dr. Viorel Vizureanu, and the organizers, Professor Emeritus Mihaela Pop and PhD Lecturer Oana Șerban.
Programme & Themes
Spanning two days, the conference features four plenary sessions alongside dedicated panels for junior researchers and doctoral students, addressing the following themes:
- Moral Pluralism and Interculturality in the Digital Age – Democracy 2.0 and Its Axiological Discontents
- Religion and Multiculturalism – Spirituality, Recognition, and Faith
- The Challenges of AI in a Multicultural World – Uprootedness, Disconnectedness, and the Public Sphere
- The Future of Philosophy in the Age of AI – Identity, Critical Thinking, and Sensitivity
- Cosmopolitanism and Globalization – Plural Identities, Social Atomization, and Cultural Approaches
- A Multicultural Social Contract – Soft Power, Resilience, and Creativity
The conference unites academic voices from the United States, Italy, Denmark, India, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Nigeria, Romania, and beyond, offering a platform for genuine intercultural dialogue.
Cultural Programme
Following the closing ceremony, participants are invited to a two-and-a-half-hour guided walking tour along Victory Avenue (Calea Victoriei), with visits to the Coral Temple, Stavropoleos Monastery, the Royal Palace of Bucharest, and the Romanian Athenaeum.
Contact & Information
Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest
Amphitheatre Mircea Florian, First Floor
Organizers: Prof. Emeritus Mihaela Pop mihaela.pop@filosofie.unibuc.ro | Lecturer Dr. Oana Șerban oana.serban@filosofie.unibuc.ro
Under the auspices of: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (CRVP), Washington, D.C.
International Conference
Multiculturality, Morality, and Public Affairs in the Digital Age
June 15-16, 2026 Bucharest, Romania
Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest
The UNESCO Chair in Interculturality, Good Governance and Sustainable Development
Thematic Description
Multiculturality can be understood as a phenomenon that positively values the presence of diverse cultures within a state or region, attributing significance to a type of pluralism that prevents the dominance of certain cultures over others. In this context, multiculturality serves as an alternative to the homogenization tendencies induced by globalization. As a concept, multiculturalism allows for the exploration of various social groups’ cultures (such as women, linguistic minorities, youth subcultures, religious confessions, etc.) as well as of the cultures of immigration and ethnic minorities, thereby facilitating a better expression of their identities based on the principle of mutual social acceptance.
Morality pertains to a framework of thoughts and actions that guide individual and group life. It can be a code of norms, or a list of values, or a particular vision of nature, or a justification for certain frameworks. Morality concerns about what is considered good or bad. In terms of religious understanding, for instance, biblical norms for Christians are moral. While ethical theories constitute concepts, propositions, principles of moral attitudes that have been developed throughout the human history.
Public affairs involve efforts to manage relationships among public institutions so as to influence public policy and shape public perception. This includes governmental relationships, media communications, and the building of bridges to foster mutual understanding in the broader public and political landscape. Its primary goal is to influence public policies, public opinions, legal and media organizations through proper communication in order to promote general interest and the common good.
Contemporary society has been shaped by diverse cultural traditions, religions, and various political and socio-economic systems, etc. These elements have significantly contributed to the transmission of ideas, enriching the multicultural aspect of contemporary life and fostering mutual understanding among diverse communities. Through history, multicultural dialogue enhanced by scientific and philosophical ideas has enabled significant progresses in fields of mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and technology across the world. In recent decades, digital advancements have not only increased the speed of communication but also revolutionized all aspects of human life.
This pluralistic and interdisciplinary forum aims at exploring questions regarding how philosophical ideas, shaped by local contexts, transcend cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries. It intends (1) to understand how philosophical concepts or schools of thought can influence societies in the process of social progress; (2) to highlight the new paths generated by scientific discoveries and technological innovation; (3) to comprehend the meaning of morality in culture and public life; (4) to tackle the challenges that are brought about by the digital age.
Our contemporary digital age requires new ideas and insights to better understand the dynamic and challenges of new socio-political, moral, cultural, and religious situations. The constructive contributions of multiculturalism, morality, and public life can strengthen the social fabric and create a more inclusive future society. People may ask: What challenges does the digital age bring to these areas of interest? How has scientific progress changed the way people think and act? What are the fundamental ideas that govern our life and society? Can the digital age change these ideas? What are the similarities and differences in terms of mentalities, attitudes, or values throughout various transformative periods in human history?
This forum would like to invite scholars and thinkers who are interested in the following themes:
– Dialogue among cultures and religions in the transmission of philosophical ideas and ethical theories.
– Morality as a framework of values and norms that shape individuals and communities.
– New challenges generated by the 20th-century scientific progress and the 21st-century technological revolution.
– Socio-political issues arising from new scientific discoveries and information explosions.
– The impact of media and technology on the dissemination of philosophical ideas and education.
Abstract
Participants are kindly asked to submit their abstract of 300-500 words and a brief professional bio (in Microsoft Word or PDF) via the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gYe4pclqTZr48l9U0sVzmtBiP5LCcHWj0I9V9pLp3Gk/edit by April 30, 2026. Questions and clarifications can be addressed to Prof. Dr. Mihaela Pop (mihaela.pop@filosofie.unibuc.ro; pop.mihaela.a@gmail.com) and Dr. Oana Serban (oana.serban@filosofie.unibuc.ro), as well as (cua-rvp@cua.edu).
The results of the evaluation will be known by May 15, 2026. The conference will be held in English. Well-developed, qualitative papers will be published by the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy in its publication series “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Changes.”
Logistics
There will be no registration fee. Conference participants will cover their own costs of travels. For accommodation costs and additional information, please contact local organizers.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Mihaela Pop
Professor Emerita
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Bucharest
mihaela.pop@filosofie.unibuc.ro; pop.mihaela.a@gmail.com
and
Dr. Oana Serban
Lecturer
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Bucharest
oana.serban@filosofie.unibuc.ro
Oana Șerban Featured in International Dialogue on Cultural Heritage, Refugee Inclusion and Social Innovation within the CIVIS VERIS Project
Oana Șerban Featured in International Dialogue on Cultural Heritage, Refugee Inclusion and Social Innovation within the CIVIS VERIS Project
Lect. Dr. Oana Șerban, representing the Faculty of Philosophy and the UNESCO Chair in Interculturality, Good Governance and Sustainable Development at the University of Bucharest, is featured in a new international podcast dedicated to the outcomes and reflections of the European project VERIS – Voices of Palmyra: Engaging in Tangible Memorial Heritage in Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion, developed within the framework of CIVIS Open Lab.
Together with Patrick M. Michel (University of Lausanne) and Brittnee Leysen (University of Glasgow), Oana Șerban reflects on the interdisciplinary collaboration underpinning the VERIS project and explores how endangered cultural heritage can become a catalyst for social innovation, refugee inclusion, and cultural resilience.
The discussion addresses one of the project’s central questions:
How can digital reconstructions of destroyed or endangered heritage sites become pathways toward recovering intangible heritage — memories, identities, narratives, and lived cultural practices?
Drawing on experiences of co-creation with displaced communities, the conversation examines ethical and methodological challenges related to trauma-sensitive engagement, participatory research, and the role of digital technologies in preserving cultural memory.
The participation of Oana Șerban highlights the Faculty of Philosophy’s continued involvement in international research initiatives situated at the intersection of heritage studies, intercultural dialogue, refugee inclusion, sustainability, and civic engagement, reinforcing the contribution of the University of Bucharest within the CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance.
The VERIS collaboration brings together three partner institutions:
- University of Lausanne – represented by Patrick M. Michel
- University of Bucharest – represented by Oana Șerban
- University of Glasgow – represented by Brittnee Leysen
The full episode is available here: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/unesco/podcast/episodes/#d.en.1266873
Facultatea de Filosofie și Catedra UNESCO participă la dialogul internațional privind patrimoniul cultural, incluziunea refugiaților și reziliența socială în cadrul proiectului european VERIS – CIVIS Open Lab
Facultatea de Filosofie și Catedra UNESCO participă la workshopul internațional organizat de Universitatea din Lausanne
prezentând un raport privind rolul patrimoniului cultural imaterial în consolidarea coeziunii sociale și integrarea refugiaților din Orientul Mijlociu.
Proiectul european VERIS – CIVIS Open Lab
În perioada 18–19 mai 2026, Facultatea de Filosofie a Universității din București, prin Catedra UNESCO pentru Interculturalitate, Bună Guvernanță și Dezvoltare Durabilă, este reprezentată la workshopul internațional „Workshops on the Importance of Culture and Heritage for Refugees. Resilience and Higher Education”, organizat la Universitatea din Lausanne, în cadrul proiectului european VERIS – Voices of Palmyra, CIVIS Open Lab.
Evenimentul reunește cercetători, experți internaționali și instituții academice preocupate de relația dintre patrimoniul cultural, educație, incluziune și reziliență în contexte marcate de migrație forțată, vulnerabilitate socială și provocări privind coeziunea comunitară.
Raportul „UNESCO Report on Intangible Cultural Heritage as a Tool for Social Cohesion and Integration of Middle Eastern Refugees”, elaborat de lect. univ. dr. Oana Șerban și dr. Lilian Ciachir, va fi prezentat în cadrul workshopului și explorează modul în care patrimoniul cultural imaterial poate deveni un instrument pentru consolidarea coeziunii sociale, reconstruirea sentimentului de apartenență și susținerea incluziunii refugiaților.
Pornind de la rezultatele proiectului VERIS, raportul propune o schimbare de perspectivă: de la simpla recunoaștere simbolică a patrimoniului cultural al comunităților vulnerabile către modele participative de justiție culturală, în care refugiații devin actori ai proceselor de definire, transmitere și guvernanță a patrimoniului.
Analiza evidențiază faptul că deplasarea forțată afectează nu doar securitatea materială, ci și memoria colectivă, practicile culturale și continuitatea identitară a comunităților. În acest context, patrimoniul cultural imaterial — tradiții, ritualuri, narațiuni și forme de expresie — poate contribui la reconstruirea rezilienței, consolidarea apartenenței sociale și dezvoltarea unor mecanisme sustenabile de incluziune.
Participarea la workshopurile de la Lausanne se înscrie într-un demers mai amplu de cercetare și cooperare internațională dezvoltat în cadrul proiectului VERIS – Voices of Palmyra, orientat către explorarea relației dintre patrimoniul cultural, memorie, reziliență și incluziunea comunităților afectate de deplasare forțată.
În continuarea acestor activități, în cursul lunii iunie urmează să fie publicat volumul-album Imagining Homeland: Palmyra’s (In)Tangible Heritage and the Voices of Displacement, co-editat de lect. univ. dr. Oana Șerban și prof. univ. dr. Patrick M. Michel (Universitatea din Lausanne). Lucrarea documentează dimensiunea practică și participativă a cercetării desfășurate sub egida proiectului VERIS, reunind reflecții asupra patrimoniului cultural, memoriei, experiențelor de deplasare și mecanismelor de reziliență dezvoltate în comunități vulnerabile. Volumul evidențiază modul în care patrimoniul material și imaterial poate deveni spațiu de reconectare, apartenență și reconstrucție simbolică pentru persoanele afectate de migrație forțată. Cartea, semnată de Patrick M. Michel și Oana Șerban, apare la Editura Universității din București și documentează vocile deplasării și patrimoniul (in)tangibil al Palmirei.
Participarea Universității din București reflectă angajamentul instituțional pentru dialog intercultural, cooperare academică internațională și cercetare cu impact social, în acord cu valorile promovate de UNESCO și cu obiectivele alianței europene CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance.
Prin implicarea în inițiative internaționale dedicate patrimoniului cultural și incluziunii, precum și prin dezvoltarea unor rezultate academice și editoriale asociate proiectului VERIS, Facultatea de Filosofie și Catedra UNESCO își reafirmă preocuparea pentru promovarea dialogului intercultural, a rezilienței și a demnității umane în contexte globale complexe.