ECONCULT researchers presented new contributions on the role of artificial intelligence, real-world data and sustainability in the transformation of higher education.
ECONCULT at ICIEBE 2026 and CISMES 2026: Víctor Fernández Pallarés and Antonio González-Rojas present new research on artificial intelligence and sustainability in higher education
ECONCULT researchers presented new contributions on the role of artificial intelligence, real-world data and sustainability in the transformation of higher education.
ECONCULT researchers Víctor Fernández Pallarés and Antonio González-Rojas participated in two international conferences held at the University of Valencia during July, where they presented new contributions on the role of artificial intelligence, real-world data and sustainability in the transformation of higher education.
On 8–9 July 2026, the University of Valencia hosted the 6th International Conference on Innovative Education in Business and Economics (ICIEBE 2026), an international forum devoted to teaching innovation and emerging challenges in higher education. At this conference, Víctor Fernández Pallarés, an ECONCULT researcher, presented the paper Artificial Intelligence, Real-World Data and Sustainability in Higher Education: A Conceptual Framework for Teaching, Research and Knowledge Transfer.
The paper argues that sustainability should not be addressed solely through new curricular content, but by rethinking how universities integrate teaching, research and knowledge transfer. To this end, it proposes a conceptual framework combining artificial intelligence, real-world data, innovative teaching methodologies and collaboration with external stakeholders to promote evidence-based learning aimed at addressing complex problems.
Two contributions on the transformation of higher education
ICIEBE 2026: presentation of a conceptual framework connecting artificial intelligence, real-world data, sustainability, teaching, research and knowledge transfer.
CISMES 2026: an approach to a data-driven and sustainability-oriented model of higher education, based on preliminary evidence from European projects.
On 14–15 July 2026, Víctor Fernández Pallarés and Antonio González-Rojas participated in the 4th International Congress on Sustainability in Higher Education (CISMES 2026) with the paper Towards a Data-Driven Model for Sustainability in Higher Education: AI and Preliminary Evidence from European Projects.
This work explores the integration of artificial intelligence, real-world data and knowledge transfer within a sustainability-oriented model of higher education. The authors argue that sustainability should not be regarded as an additional element of curricula, but as a cross-cutting principle guiding how universities generate knowledge, educate future professionals and engage with society.
The research builds on the initial developments of the European projects AI-SECRETT, coordinated by the University of Valencia, and AISHA. Although both projects are still at an early stage, the work identifies a set of emerging principles that may contribute to the development of more evidence-based, interdisciplinary and socially relevant higher education models.
The presentation at CISMES 2026 attracted considerable interest among participants and prompted a discussion on the role of universities in addressing the digital, green and social transitions, as well as on the potential of artificial intelligence to strengthen the connection between teaching, research and knowledge transfer.
Following the conference, the authors will continue developing this line of research through the preparation of a book chapter and the exploration of its extension into a scientific journal article.
Through its participation in ICIEBE 2026 and CISMES 2026, ECONCULT reinforces its commitment to research connecting artificial intelligence, educational innovation, sustainability and knowledge transfer in order to promote higher education models with greater scientific and societal impact.
