The University as an Urban Cultural Institute

2nd UNICA ‘University, Culture and the City’ Conference

The event follows the 1st UNICA “University, Culture and the City” Conference held at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 16-17 May 2016. Find out more about the 1st Conference here.

The Conference in Sofia will focus on how cultural diversity can be implemented at universities and how scientific research and academic culture can open up to the city and become a significant factor in urban and cultural life.

The Conference is open to scholars, policy and decision makers and practitioners with experience and interest in the above-mentioned topic. The conference will consist of academic and policy oriented panels and will aim at addressing both theoretical and practical issues of the relationship between the universities and the city life.


PROGRAMME

29 MAY / MONDAY

Location: Aula Magna, Rectorate building

11:30 – 13:00 Registration and buffet lunch
13:00 – 13:30 Opening and welcome remarks:

  • Yordanka FANDAKOVA, Mayor of Sofia
  • Anastas GERDJIKOV, Rector of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
  • João SAAGUA, Vice-Rector Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
  • Francisco CARAMELO, Chair of the UNICA ‘University, Culture and the City’ Working Group

SECTION 1 / Core Values at the Heart of the University, Culture and the City Cooperation

Location: Aula Magna, Rectorate building

Chair: Alexander Kiossev, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski

 13:30 – 14:10 The Places of the University: Rethinking Values and Missions of Higher Education

by Pepka BOYADJIEVA , Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

14:10 – 14:50 The University, Culture and the City in the Era of Populism

by Murat BELGE, Istanbul Bilgi University

14:50 – 15:30 Panel discussion

15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break

Location: New Conference Hall, Rectorate Building

SECTION 2 / Examples from the Capital Cities of Europe

Location: New Conference Hall, Rectorate Building

Chair: Boyko Penchev, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski

16:00 – 16:30 How Does King’s College Engage with the Capital City Outside the University Walls?

by Lucy SHACKLETON, Director, London Engagement, King’s College London

16:30 – 17:00 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in the Domain of Culture: the case of Lisbon

by João SOEIRO DE CARVALHO, Department of Musicology, School of Social Sciences and Humanities of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

17:00 – 17:30 Cultural Heritage as a Tool for Development
by Todor CHOBANOV, Vice Mayor of Sofia

17:30 – 18.00 Panel discussion and wrap up of Day 1

18:00 – 19:45 Closed meeting of the UNICA “Culture, University and the City” Working group

20:00 Reception offered by the Mayor of Sofia and cultural programme
Location: Largo Reception Hall

30 MAY / TUESDAY

New Conference Hall, Rectorate Building 

 9:00 – 10:00 Morning keynote speech: The Civic University and the City
                    by John GODDARD, Professor Emeritus Newcastle University
                    Q&A

10:00 – 10:30 Coffee break

SECTION 3 / Interaction Between Cultural and Academic Policies

Location: New Conference Hall, Rectorate Building
Chair: Reneta Bozhankova, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski

10:30 – 11:00 The Cultural Centre of Sofia University as Chance for Opening the Academic Citadel Toward the City
                      by Alexander KIOSSEV, Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia University

11:00 – 11:30 University Libraries: New Functionalities and New Challenges
by José J. G. MOURA and Ana I. ROXO, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

11:30 – 12:00 Beyond Elitism, Beyond Indifference. The Academic Celebrations as an Invitation to the City
by Rayna GAVRILOVA, Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia University

12:00 – 12:30 Panel discussion
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
Location: Yaytseto (The Egg) Restaurant, Sofia University 

SECTION 4 / University and Cultural Actors

Location: Aula Magna
Chair: Jean-Michel de Waele, Université libre de Bruxelles

13:30 – 14:00 When University Theatre Invades the City  (2nd Presentation)
                       by Isabel Maria MARGARIDO TADEU, Universidade de Lisboa

14:00 – 14:30 Luchezar BOYADJIEV, visual artist, Institute for Contemporary Art Sofia

14:30 – 16:30 Guided city tour in Sofia
                       by Luchezar BOYADJIEV

16:30 – 20:00 Free time

20:00 Reception offered by the Rector of Sofia University and cultural programme

          Location: Yaytseto (The Egg) Restaurant, Sofia University


31 MAY / WEDNESDAY

SECTION 5 / Informed Cultural Policies: The Role of Cultural Research for the City and for the University

Location: New Conference Hall, Rectorate Building
Chair: Francisco Caramelo, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

9:00 – 9:30 Who is Afraid of Urban Studies? Reflections of the Teaching Experience with MA Program Urban Studies
by Maya GREKOVA, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia                                 University

9:30 – 10:00 Cross Points between Academic Research and Informed Cultural Policies
by Nelly STOEVA, Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia University

10:00 – 10:30 City Life, Urban Studies and City Center-Turistified Cultures: Lisbon Experience
by Luís BAPTISTA, Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences and                                Humanities, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break

11:00 – 11:30 The Role of Universities in Animating Socio-Economic Development of Cities and Regions
by Grzegorz GORZELAK and Agnieszka OLECHNICKA, EUROREG (Centre for European, Regional and Local Studies), University of Warsaw

11:30 – 12:00 Hybrid Models in Architectural Culture
by Georgy STANISHEV, Rossina SHATAROVA, Nikolay DAVIDKOV (
Department of Theory of Architecture, University of Architecture, Geodesy and Construction, Sofia)

12:00 – 12:30 Economic Contribution of the Cultural and Creative Industries in Sofia: The Educational, Political and Cultural Spillover Effect
by Bilyana TOMOVA, Diana ANDREEVA, Observatory for Economics of Culture

12:30 – 13:00 Panel discussion

13:00 – 13:30 Concluding statement of the Working Group and wrap-up of the meeting

13:30 Lunch & farewell