The Kolping HEI Representatives’ Visit to Ireland

The teachers of the Kolping HEI, Dr Vida Lukamskienė, Vitalija Mikutaitienė and Evelina Darulienė, participated in the annual conference of the European Association for Teacher Education held at the Marino Institute of Education (Dublin, Ireland) on 26–29 August 2025. The event focused on strengthening the authenticity and professional identity of higher education academics in a contemporary academic environment characterised by the impact of globalisation, technology (in particular AI) and social networks.

The conference explored the interaction between lecturers and students, examining how teachers’ values and reflective practice influence the study process and how creative tasks enhance students’ motivation and problem-solving abilities. Discussions centred on the challenges of performance, such as the need to balance the academic rigour of the curriculum with the individual learning pace of students, and the risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence, which can weaken the relationship-oriented dimension of studies.

Participation in the conference strengthened the competences of the teachers to apply innovative, creative and student-oriented didactic practices in the study process, which are also crucial for the development of R&D activities.