NEWS & EVENTS

Humour Matters: Laughter and Democracy is an international, interdisciplinary workshop bringing together doctoral researchers in Tallinn, Estonia, on 23-24 April 2026. The workshop explores humour as both a democratic resource and a site of conflict.

Humour can enable critique, solidarity, and resistance, however, it can also foster exclusion, polarisation, and harm. The workshop examines these tensions through humour theory, legal perspectives, political satire, platform governance, and civic education. Its central aim is to identify key research questions at the intersection of humour and democracy and to equip doctoral researchers with conceptual tools and methodological approaches relevant for future research projects.

How can scientific knowledge better support ocean-smart decision-making and policy? Within the framework of the ENLIGHT+ OceanIQ project, a two-day hybrid seminar series entitled “Raising your OceanIQ: Fostering Ocean Literacy for Ocean-Smart Decision and Policy Making” will take place on 12–13 February 2026 at the University of Groningen, with the option to join online.

In June 2026, the Gotland Game Conference (GGC) celebrates its 20th anniversary. For the first time, the conference will host an ENLIGHT Regional Academy as a dedicated track, co-organised by Uppsala University and Region Gotland.

Taking place 8–10 June 2026 in Visby, Gotland (Sweden), this Regional Academy brings together academics, public authorities, industry actors, and local communities to explore how game design, gamification, and cultural and creative industries can support education, innovation, and sustainable regional development — particularly in rural contexts.

In a time characterised by information overload, increased political polarisation, and complex global issues from poverty to climate change, developing strategies to navigate this complex landscape is of upmost importance.

As ENLIGHT marked its fifth anniversary at the General Meeting in Bratislava from 2-4 December 2025, the moment offered more than a chance to reflect on achievements — it opened space to look ahead. Hosted by Comenius University Bratislava, the gathering brought together the ENLIGHT community to discuss shared priorities, celebrate milestones, and consider how the alliance can continue to grow as a values-driven European University.

Few people are better placed to reflect on this moment than Associate Professor Jozef Tancer, whose long-standing engagement in international cooperation and academic leadership has closely intersected with ENLIGHT’s development. From strengthening cross-border collaboration to shaping how universities respond to societal challenges, his perspective bridges institutional experience with a clear vision for the future.

What started as an ambitious European project five years ago has now grown into a structural partnership between 10 universities with tangible impact on education, research, student participation, and societal engagement. On the occasion of this five-year milestone for ENLIGHT, we look back at five key achievements.

Five years have passed and the ENLIGHT community has successfully achieved two and a half projects including Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe calls. In this timelapse, forced by the need to secure funding, the teams have been partially engulfed by project-related tasks. Yet, personal affinities and academic complementarities have also arisen. These are at the base of the alliance that the ENLIGHT community strives to build as a long-term inter-institutional engagement and a life & work transformational enterprise.

The Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University, Professor Anders Hagfeldt, has been appointed President of the ENLIGHT European University alliance, effective 1 January 2026. The appointment is for one year, with the possibility of a one-year extension.

This upcoming summer, the University of Tartu is organising the 10th Annual Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies: “Global Flows and Frictions in Eastern Europe and Eurasia”.