Rethinking Innovation: Inclusive Practices and Interdisciplinary Perspectives

«We are very pleased to welcome you to the conference “Rethinking Innovation: Inclusive Practices and Interdisciplinary Perspectives”. This year’s gathering at the University of Macerata continues ERUA’s valued tradition of convening an annual social innovation (SOCIN) conference. Scholars, academics, practitioners, and innovators are encouraged to rethink the very idea of innovation for societal benefits, exploring inclusive, interdisciplinary, and critical approaches that move beyond conventional paradigms. Since the inception of this conference series, ERUA has promoted social innovation as a way of connecting research with societal transformation, enabling universities to act not only as institutions of higher learning but also as catalysts of change.
The 2025 edition of the SOCIN conference is organised in collaboration with the Safina-Vitality project, coordinated by the University of Macerata, a project that is nested within a broader initiative, funded by NextGenerationEU and launched in 2022 with the aim to create or strengthen regional innovation ecosystems. Social innovation is a defining concept of ERUA as well as Safina-Vitality; hence the decision to join forces and generate further synergies between the research conducted in the framework of both ERUA and Safina-Vitality. It is indeed crucial for the continuation of ERUA that its programmes and activities are fully embedded in the academic life of partner universities, leveraging internal strengths and expertise. One way of doing this is by creating opportunities for scholars and researchers, involved in different projects, to congregate, exchange ideas, disseminate their findings and hopefully cultivate future collaborations...»
Introduction, Silvana Colella, Giulia Bruna, Jessica Piccinini

Table of Contents
Introduction

Program at a glance

Keynote Speakers
Prof. Ineke Sluiter
Prof. Ana-Cristina Santos

Presentations
PS 1a: Epistemic Justice, Social Impact, and Innovation
PS 1c: Climate change, environmental migration and sustainable development
PS 1d: Language in Intercultural Communication: Tradition, Continuity and Emerging Innovations [PART 1]
PS 1e: Inclusion and Transformative Citizenship. Afro-descendant Identities as Social and Cultural innovators in Contemporary Racial “Contact Zones” [PART 1]
PS 2a: Justice and Memory: Toward a Shared European Identity
PS 2b: Learning, education and career
PS 2c: Overturning Discourses and Attitudes: Innovative Practices to Combat Anti-Migrant Perceptions
PS 2d: Language in Intercultural Communication: Tradition Continuity and Emerging Innovations [PART 2]
PS 2e: Inclusion and Transformative Citizenship. Afro-descendant Identities as Social and Cultural Innovators in Contemporary Racial “Contact Zones” [PART 2]
PS 3a: AI, Authorship and Creativity
PS 3b: Towards inclusivity and justice
PS 3c: Migration as a driver of change: on policies, politics, civic engagement and the economy
PS 3d: Social innovation [PART 1]
PS 3e: Intersectional Challenges, Innovative Responses: Gender, Parenthood, and Social Work in Transition
PS 4a: Plurilingualism, Self-Narration, and Identity Dynamics in Afro-Descendant and Diasporic Communities
PS 4b: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Challenges of Interdisciplinary Inclusion: pedagogical and creative learning environments
PS 4c: Beyond Buzzwords: Artistic Innovation and Inclusive Social Change
PS 4d: The role of co-creation and arts-based research for engaging communities in controversial heritage contexts
PS 4e: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Healthcare challenges 
PS 5a: Entrepreneurship and Digital Humanities 
PS 5b: Inclusive learning 
PS 5c: Every child - a full member of the community: Building an effective model for intersectoral cooperation
PS 5d: Social Innovation [PART 2] 
PS 5e: Migration and mobility 
PS 6a: Technological innovation in Academia 
PS 6b: Heritage making and unmaking in the global/local continuum: interdisciplinary trajectories and critical approaches to social innovation in heritage research
PS 6c: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Healthcare policy and management 
PS 6d: Social and Environmental Impact 
PS 6e: Imagining Social Sustainability through Creative and Local Practices 
PS 7a: Air and the Quality of Life: Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Practices 
PS 7b: Testing AI Chatbots 
PS 7c: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Care and social work 
PS 7e: Sustainability and social bias 
PS 8a: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Cultural Heritage and the Arts [PART 1] 
PS 8b: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Dimensions of Ageing [PART 1] 
PS 8c: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Smart Solutions: urban, rural and cultural 
PS 8e: Interdisciplinarity at the edge 
PS 9a: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Cultural Heritage and the Arts [PART 2] 
PS 9b: Digital self-exclusion and Human-AI collaboration 
PS 9c: Special Session SAFINA-VITALITY - Dimensions of Ageing [PART 2]
PS 9e: Upholding Victims’ Rights in the Fight Against Online Fraud 
PS 10a: Transforming Academia 
PS 10c: Caring for Children 
PS 10d: Security and AI-Driven Innovation