June 2026

Welcome to the latest edition of the WTUN newsletter: featuring a roundup of news, updates and events happening across the network.

Greetings from another month of record breaking-ly high temperatures here in the UK. Members are reminded that registration for the World Technology Universities Network Congress 2026 is open (deadline Thursday 20 August). Invitations were sent via the designated General and Operational Board members. On behalf of our hosts, we look forward to welcoming you to Austria in November! (www.wtu-n.net/congress).

New! Introducing the WTUN Research Blog: We are pleased to announce the first in what we hope will become a permanent feature of this newsletter with an article from Dr Colins Imoh, Assistant Professor, Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford. Read on for more about his collaboration with members Atlantic Technological University.

REMINDER: If you would like to share news, updates, events or milestones via this newsletter, then please contact wtun@bradford.ac.uk.

WTUC2026 – Registration Open

‘Responsible Science: The Role of Higher Education for Shaping the Future’

This year’s theme brings together scholars, practitioners, and innovators to explore how universities can lead the transition toward a more sustainable and equitable world. Addressing the transformative power of renewable energies, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, the conference highlights higher education’s responsibility in driving research, fostering ethical innovation, and preparing future generations to navigate complex global challenges. Participants will engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, share forward-thinking practices, and co-create pathways for responsible scientific leadership that shapes a resilient future for all.

Congress sub-themes:

Renewable Energy
Artificial Intelligence
Sustainability

View the programme here – www.wtu-n.net/2026-congress/programme

Meet us at EAIE 2026

The WTUN is going to Glasgow!

We’re excited to invite all WTUN member colleagues to join us at EAIE 2026, where global minds in higher education come together to shape the future. This is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our network, share innovative practices, and explore new avenues for collaboration.

Together, WTUN Chair, Professor Michael Affenzeller and WTUN Manager, Denise Whitehead will attend EAIE 2026.

Find us at the World Technology Universities Network Stand G58 in the exhibition hall.

Will your university be in Glasgow? Contact wtun@bradford.ac.uk to connect with Michael, Denise and fellow WTUN members!

Echoes of the Past, Voices of the Future: How Young People Perceive Peace in Ireland

Introducing Dr Colins Imoh, Assistant Professor in Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford, UK

Department / Research Area: Peace Studies and International Development (PSID)

Email Contact: c.imoh@bradford.ac.uk

In 2024, a research visit brought me to Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Donegal, Ireland, funded by the World Technology Universities Network (WTUN). It was there, alongside my colleagues Dr Sharon McLaughlin and Dr Cormac Conaghan, that a vital question sparked our curiosity: how does a generation born entirely into peace view a history they never personally witnessed?

My wider research focuses on the deeply intertwined relationships between justice, peacebuilding, democracy, diversity, and inclusion. At its core, I am driven by a desire to understand how societies heal and move forward. When we look at Ireland and Northern Ireland, we look at a region shaped by a monumental milestone. Signed over 26 years ago on April 10, 1998, the landmark Good Friday Agreement (GFA) brought an end to three decades of violent conflict known as the Troubles. It was a masterclass in political compromise and power-sharing.

But fast forward to today, and the landscape looks entirely different. The vast majority of current university students were born post-1998. They have no direct memories of the conflict. This realised truth inspired our collaborative project: investigating the current awareness, understanding, and perceptions of the GFA among university students across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In practice, our research explores the subtle, social undercurrents of a post-conflict society. Peace is more than just the absence of active violence or a formal structure signed on paper; it must be internalised to be sustainable. Through a 15-minute online survey and targeted focus group discussions, we are asking young people how they form their opinions, where they gather historical information, and how the lingering legacy of the Troubles might still influence their modern interpersonal relationships.

This is fundamentally a study of intergenerational peacebuilding. By examining how these post-agreement cohorts navigate their realities, we gain invaluable data to design better educational and civic programmes. The GFA was an agreement to manage political and societal diversity peacefully. By looking at the sociological and educational mechanisms that either sustain or undermine this harmony over time, we help policymakers move beyond static treaties and look toward deep, cultural healing.

This project is a proud testament to the power of global network collaboration. What began as a dialogue between the University of Bradford and ATU has evolved into a cross-border exploration of institutional resilience and societal inclusion. However, to truly capture the full picture, we need to expand our reach.

We are currently looking to connect with academics, student unions, and civil society contacts across both Ireland and Northern Ireland who can help us recruit young participants for our surveys and focus groups. Your local expertise and networks would be invaluable to the success of this study. Looking even further ahead, the questions we are asking here are not unique to Ireland. From the Balkans to parts of the African continent, understanding how the next generation inherits peace is a universal, global challenge.

Ultimately, we hope our findings will shape future youth policies and ensure that the peace achieved a quarter-century ago remains resilient, participatory, and deeply rooted in the generations to come.

How to work with Dr Imoh:

I am eager to connect with researchers, student leaders, and institutional partners across the WTUN who can assist in sharing our participant survey or who are working on intergenerational peace studies. c.imoh@bradford.ac.uk

About:

Dr Colins Imoh is an Assistant Professor in Peace Studies and International Development at the University of Bradford, UK. His research examines the vital intersections of justice, peacebuilding, diversity, and democratic literacy. Driven by the conviction that sustainable peace demands more than the mere absence of violence, his work addresses how to build robust democracies within deeply unequal societies. As an active global collaborator, Dr Imoh regularly contributes to international peace education frameworks, developing practical, inclusive strategies for community integration and societal conflict resolution worldwide.

If you are interested in contributing to future editions of this blog, please contact Denise Whitehead wtun@bradford.ac.uk and a submission template will be shared with you.

Atlantic Technological University

ATU students win national and international awards for renewable energy project

Photo caption: (L-R) Robert Craig, Lecturer in Engineering, ATU; Dr Xavier Velay, Head of Department of Electronic, Software and Adv. Manufacturing Engineering, ATU; Bryan McAleenan, Prize Winner; Ben Clarke, Prize Winner; Dr Orla Flynn, President ATU; Dr Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin, ATU’s WTUN Board Member.

President Dr Orla Flynn, together with colleagues from WTUN Members Atlantic Technological University gathered to recognise their students Ben Clarke and Bryan McAleenan’s first prize win in this year’s WTUN Student Competition with their ‘Nepal Hydroelectric Turbine‘ project.

Of their win, Dr Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin, ATU’s WTUN Board Member said:

As ATU’s representative on the WTUN Operational Board, I am delighted that Ben and Bryan chose to enter this global competition, and to come away with the win. The WTUN membership spans the globe, and the student competition is one of our flagship annual activities, in which ATU has an excellent track record. The team should be proud that their project was judged favourably against entrants from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Read the full story here- www.atu.ie/news/atu-students-win-national-and-international-awards-for-renewable-energy-project

View the 3 winning entries here

University of Applied Sciences

Upper Austria

Expanded Summer School in September 2026 and Tailored AI Solutions for Upper Austrian Industry

Expanded Summer School in September 2026

The Expanded Summer School offers a unique, intensive learning experience from September 8 to 13, 2026 at our School of Informatics, Communications and Media in Hagenberg and Linz. The program takes place in conjunction with the renowned Expanded Conference (https://expanded-conf.org/) as part of the internationally recognized Ars Electronica Festival in Austria and offers a special platform for emerging female scientists and practitioners. The summer school begins with a workshop in Hagenberg before moving to Linz for the activities of the Expanded Conference and the Ars Electronica Festival. This structure is intended to enable both targeted skills development and a broad insight into the latest developments in digital and interactive art.

The central theme of the Expanded Summer School 2026 is ‘Play to Research.’

Application is open until July 10, 2026. More information at https://fh-ooe.at/en/campus-hagenberg/events/summer-school-2026

Tailored AI Solutions for Upper Austrian Industry

Upper Austria is on its way to becoming a hub for artificial intelligence (AI). Time and again, research achievements and companies from the region attract attention far beyond its borders, placing the local AI scene in the international spotlight. FH-Prof. PD DI Dr. Michael Affenzeller, Academic Director and one of the leading figures in AI research at FH Upper Austria, emphasizes the importance of tailored approaches: “Our competitive advantage for businesses lies in solutions that are precisely tailored to their needs—not in off-the-shelf AI.”

Around 200 representatives from business and academia came together at FH Upper Austria’s major AI event at the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce in Linz to initiate concrete collaborations. Currently, more than 120 research projects at FH Upper Austria have a focus on AI. The university concentrates its AI research on areas that provide particular momentum for Upper Austria as a business location—namely industry, production and logistics, life sciences, and process optimization in the economy.

More information at https://fh-ooe.at/en/news/fh-oberoesterreich-setzt-auf-individuelle-loesungen-fuer-oberoesterreichs-wirtschaft.

Do you know someone in your university who would be interested in this newsletter? Forward the email to colleagues or share the link with your networks.

All members are invited to contribute to this newsletter through their Operational Board Member (found here). Please contact your Operational Board member with stories or events which will be of relevance to the shared vision and commitments of the WTUN and its members, inspiring opportunity for engagement on commonalities, sharing knowledge, or collaboration.

All calls for content can be shared with the WTUN Secretariat at wtun@bradford.ac.uk.

To discuss joining the World Technology Universities Network, please contact the WTUN Development Manager:
Denise Whitehead
Email: wtun@bradford.ac.uk