In November 20-21, 2025, researchers, associate professors Vitalija Gražienė and Stasė Ustilaitė from Vilnius Kolegija / Higher Education Institution participated in a meeting hosted by the University College of Northern Denmark (UCN) for participants of the Early Childhood Education thematic sub-pod of the European Universities Alliance “Heroes”.
The meetings included presentations, visits, and brainstorming sessions: founding calls; presentation of Danish disability research; educational research and reflective practice-based learning; inclusion and exclusion in pedagogy and education; overview of research; HEROES guidelines for challenge-based learning; computational play and STEAM in ECE; visit to Makerspace; visit to Life; visit to Innovation House.
In line with VIKO’s internationalization goals, the meeting emphasized the further development of a joint research vision within the alliance and identified opportunities for joint projects and their funding (e.g., Horizon Europe, Erasmus+). Best practices and pedagogical strategies were shared
across countries, thematic idea generation was facilitated, and cooperation among the participating higher education institutions was strengthened.
