From 8 to 10 October 2025 at Uppsala University: Our fifth Teaching & Learning Conference brought 301 educators, students and innovators from across our ten partner universities and beyond to explore how playful methods can open up learning without losing rigour. The three-day programme mixed idea generating sessions, oral presentations, interactive workshops, poster sessions and a few surprises.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Coco Norén set the tone: “Playfulness is not about being unserious – it’s about being open to curiosity, creativity, and the unexpected in academic environments.”
Project manager Jonathan Schalk added a nudge to experience the theme first-hand, from a mind-bending opening by magician Johan Ståhl to a Night at the Museum in Uppsala Castle and an evening of board games at CEMUS. The goal was simple: open minds, test methods, and leave with tools colleagues can adapt immediately after returing to work.
What made this edition special
- A sharp theme with depth. “Playfulness for the Future of Higher Education” framed sub-themes such as collaboration, discovery and experimentation, futuring, gameplay, and toys and tools — all aligned with ENLIGHT’s educational principles.
- A record-strong programme. 144 proposals were selected from 172 submissions, reflecting broad interest in playful pedagogy across disciplines.
- Formats that spark ideas. The programme debuted “idea-generating sessions,” where a question holder worked with peers to prototype approaches and exchange practice.
- Learning beyond the event. The plennary sessions and Awards were recorded and are available on our YouTube @enlighteu for replay.
Awards celebrated at the conference
ENLIGHT Sustainability and Inclusion Awards 2025
Sustainability Award
🏆 Winner: Adam Mullins, University of Galway – SPÉIR SU Pantry Students’ Union
🎖️ Runners-up: Merel Janquart, Ghent University – Future Proef; Yannick Alain Käser & Elmo Francis, University of Bern – Boat2Bag
Inclusion Award
🏆 Winner: Active Champions*, University of Galway
🎖️ Runners-up: Lívia Rosina, Comenius University Bratislava – WheelShare; Johannah Rybrant, Uppsala University – Equal opportunities – but with what resources?
ENLIGHT Teaching & Learning Award 2025
🥇 University of Bern – Dr Lara Maria Lundsgaard-Hansen
Be fair, contextually aware, and conflict-sensitive in inter-cultural and inter-contextual collaborations: key competences for sustainability transformations
🥈 Ghent University – Prof Veerle Van Eetvelde, Integrated International Projectwork
🥉 University of Groningen – Dr Jacoba Oedzes, HR Analytics
In the pictures to the right and below is Dr Lara Maria Lundsgaard-Hansen from University of Bern receiving the Teaching and Learning Award 2025.
By the numbers and across the halls
Across plenaries and parallel tracks, colleagues shared playful ways to boost engagement and deepen learning: classroom games and role-play, puzzle-based assessment, low-tech tools for collaboration, and performance-driven sessions that made complex topics feel accessible without being simplistic. The atmosphere was open, energetic, and full of exchange — a reminder that serious learning can also be joyful.
Looking ahead: Bern 2026
The 6th ENLIGHT Teaching & Learning Conference will take place from 22–24 October 2026 at the University of Bern, exploring the theme “Learning and Context.”
"But I'll never use that – why should I learn it?" will be the guiding question inviting participants to reflect on:
- Teaching & Learning Context
- Physical Context
- Subject-based Context
- Work and Social Context
Stay tuned for the call for participation in early 2026, and for another round of creativity, critical reflection, and community in teaching and learning across ENLIGHT.
Group photo of Teaching and Learning Conference 2025 at Uppsala University.
Photo credits: Mikael Wallerstedt (Uppsala University)
