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.
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