A team from Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution’s Faculty of Arts and Education recently participated in the international conference Exploring Green Futures in Education and Design held in Brussels on 15–16 October. The event brought together professionals from the fields of art, design, creative industries, and education from across Europe.
The conference marked the conclusion of the Futures Designed project, which investigates the potential of integrating art and design micro-credentials into higher education programmes. The discussions focused heavily on the connections between sustainability, creativity, and education, as well as the innovative forms of collaboration that can help build a greener, more conscious future.
Kauno kolegija was represented by Milda Rutkauskaitė, Head of the Academy of Arts, Kęstutis Vaikšnoras, a design lecturer and architect, and Sebastijonas Petkus, a photography lecturer and photographer. Gediminas Banaitis-Skrandis, Head of Project Development at the Faculty of Arts and Education, gave a presentation on the role of cultural production, sustainability, and creative design in shaping communities and public spaces.
In his talk, Banaitis-Skrandis shared valuable insights from Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022, which sparked a number of successful sustainable design projects, including the internationally recognised cultural dredger ship Nemuno7. He emphasised how creative practices can be a powerful tool for change, driving new approaches to sustainable urban development.
‘Sustainability is not just a trend – it’s a mindset that can transform our cities and communities,’ G. Banaitis-Skrandis remarked.
One of the key speakers at the conference was Becky Riches, Head of Cultural Projects, who discussed how the micro-credential system could serve as an effective tool for the creative and cultural industries. She highlighted how innovative, micro-credential-based educational approaches are better suited to assessing the competencies of creative professionals and offering new opportunities for career development – a vision that aligns perfectly with the core values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, inclusion, and beauty.
Other notable speakers included Sara Simeone, Christina Dymioti, and Mustafa Afsaroglu, who shared insights from various European city projects focused on urban regeneration, youth inclusion, and sustainable design education.
The conference proved to be a valuable platform for international collaboration, offering the Kauno kolegija team new professional connections, fresh insights, and inspiration for further embedding sustainability principles into creative and educational practices.
Photos: Sebastijonas Petkus
