The 12th Conference It's About People 2024: In Service of Sustainability and Dignity - Book of Abstracts

In front of you is the Proceeding of the 12th Conference of  Europe‘s Sciences and Arts Leaders and Scholars, "It's About People 2024: In Service of Sustainability and Dignity", organized by University Alma Mater Europaea in co-organization with the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

»This year‘s conference‘s message was about society‘s current challenges in the interconnectedness of valuing humanity at a time when the world is faced with various forms of rebarbarization. The conference was dedicated to academic research and technological progress for the needs of society in valuing humanity, having a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and a new renaissance, conserving natural resources, and considering demographic changes. Key aspects include intergenerational equality, the sustainable use of resources, and meeting development needs.

Special thanks go to the Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica, who opened the event with a highly acclaimed honorary speech; the President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Professor Dr Klaus Mainzer, for co-organizing the conference and for chairing the program committee and keynote speech, and to the honorary President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Professor Dr Felix Unger.

I am grateful to the former President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, for his cooperation and inspiring address, as well as the Former Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union, Professor of European Law, Verica Trstenjak.

I want to thank the chairman of the organizing committee, Professor Dr Jurij Toplak, and expert staff for organizing the conference. Keynote speaker Professor Dr Klaus Mainzer, who was awarded an honorary doctorate for outstanding achievements in philosophy, science, and essential academic and organizational contributions to the development of Alma Mater Europaea – ECM at a special ceremony during the plenary session, delivered the framework with a topic ‚A New Renaissance for Europe‘ and opened new dimensions expressing the need for a dignified future. Distinguished scholars and intellectuals Dr Richard James Overy, Professor at the University of Exeter, Dr Andrew Sumner, Professor at King‘s College London, Luciana Duranti, Emeritus Professor at the University of British Columbia, Dr Ioannis Liritzis, Dean of Natural Sciences at the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and Professor at Henan University, Dr Dany Bahar, Professor at Brown University and Senior Research Fellow at Harvard University presented the scientific achievements of world-renowned universities following the fundamental principles of Alma Mater Europaea – transnationality, interdisciplinarity, and building bridges.

The conference program featured more than 60 sections. We managed to gather over 250 authors from more than 30 countries. Among them were academics from the most prominent universities, such as Harvard, Stanford, University College London, King‘s College London, the University of British Columbia, ETH Zurich, and others. They presented diverse academic perspectives, knowledge, and innovations. There were more than 2500 listeners on the conference‘s first day, which is annually growing, confirming the necessity of such important academic events and Alma Mater Europaea‘s core role in it.

The task of science is to provide answers to new challenges, thus preventing threatening contradictions and developing values and technologies in the education system to ensure peace and well-being in society.

Alma Mater Europaea, in March 2024, became a full university with all academic disciplines at the bachelor level and doctoral degree and in all disciplines according to the Frascati and Classics classification. Alma Mater Europaea – ECM has strengthened its position in Slovenia and has joined world-renowned academic institutions globally. It is also developing into a centre of excellence for Slovenia and the wider Central European area.

‚It‘s About People 2024: In Service of Sustainability and Dignity‘ drew attention to the challenges of our time, with an appeal to opinion makers and decision-makers to implement knowledge in the light of the European humanistic tradition and contribute to the consolidation of peace and well-being based on European values and human rights, as the conference declared in the resolution.

Finally, I sincerely thank everyone who contributed to this year‘s conference and cordially invite esteemed colleagues and the international academic public to initiate and participate in the 13th It‘s About People conference, which will be held in March 2025.«

Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak

Rector of Alma Mater Europaea