Academic Events

AI & Antiquity, with the support of the Center for the Innovation of Ancient Worlds (CIAW) and in collaboration with institutions such as the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), coordinates three major annual academic programmes. These initiatives foster methodological renewal, promote inclusive teaching, and strengthen the public presence of Ancient History in the digital age—reimagining how the ancient world is studied, taught, and communicated in the twenty-first century.

1. International Conference on Innovation and Technology in Ancient History Education

This annual conference explores the intersections between Ancient History education and emerging technologies. It provides a platform for scholars, instructors, technologists, and educational designers to exchange perspectives on how innovative tools—particularly generative AI, immersive environments, assistive technologies, and digital-humanities methodologies—are transforming teaching and learning across the ancient-world disciplines.

The first edition, held in May 2025, laid the foundations for this international meeting and offered an overview of current trends in digital pedagogy, inclusive design, and technological innovation in Ancient History instruction.

The proceedings of the inaugural conference were published in AI & Antiquity Volume 1, Issue 1 (2025), establishing the long-term publication framework for the series.

The second conference, entirely in Catalan and held in person on May 6 2026 at the Faculty of Arts of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, continues this initiative with a more practice-oriented focus on teaching innovation and artificial intelligence in higher education:

Provisional Programme:

11:00–11:10 · Benvinguda

11:10–12:00 · Carlos Heredia (UAB-UOC)
Taller amb el suport de la Facultat sobre l'ús de la IA en la docència universitària adreçat al PDI

12:00–12:40 · Mònica Bouso (UDL-UOC)
Com fer docència en línia en temps de ChatGPT i no desesperar en l'intent

12:40–13:20 · Agnès Garcia Ventura (UAB)
L'aprenentatge basat en projectes (ABP) com a eina per posar de relleu la diversitat sexual i de gènere en el passat

13:20–14:00 · Cristina Vidal, Mireia López, Mª Luisa Vázquez de Ágredos, Patricia Horcajada, Núria Feliu, Vanesa García López, Esther Parpal, Sergio Sanchis, Dario Pérez (UV-UCM)
Pràctiques d'innovació amb la IA del Grup d'Innovació Docent Arsmaya

2. Ancient World Today — Annual Seminar Series

The Ancient World Today seminars, held once a year, examine how Ancient History is interpreted, disseminated, and engaged with in contemporary society. Each edition brings together historians, educators, communicators, and digital-humanities practitioners to reflect on how narratives about the ancient world are constructed and how they can be responsibly shared with diverse publics.

Topics include digital storytelling, ethical communication, multimodal outreach, and the evolving role of historians in online spaces. The inaugural seminar was held on 27 November 2025 at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), focusing on digital communication, media platforms, and strategies for accessible dissemination. Contributions from this first edition will be published as a supplementary section in AI & Antiquity, Volume 2, Issue 1 (early 2026).

3. Neurodivergence in Ancient History — Annual Online Symposium

AI & Antiquity organises an annual symposium dedicated to neurodiversity and inclusive teaching practices in Ancient Studies. The programme explores how ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other cognitive profiles can reshape university pedagogy, assessment models, and student engagement—particularly in disciplines traditionally structured around neurotypical learning standards.

Each edition addresses accessible course design, sensory and creative approaches to learning, assistive technologies, emotional and cognitive engagement with material culture, and the responsible implementation of AI tools to support neurodivergent learners. The most recent symposium took place on 5 March, and the interventions will be published in AI & Antiquity, Volume 2, Issue 2.