IT:U Summer School 2024 – Transforming Ideas into Impact

41 students from 26 nations showed how interdisciplinary collaboration leads to tomorrow’s solutions.

This year’s IT:U Summer School once again demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and underlined its crucial role in shaping the technologies of tomorrow.

Neurodiversity, ambient living, value-oriented giving and the representation of seismic processes were the main topics of this year’s Summer School.

For two weeks, the IT:U Summer School 2024 provided a unique platform for participating students from a wide range of disciplines such as computer science, social sciences, education and international business to solve complex challenges using state-of-the-art digital technologies.

More than 200 applicants from 66 countries submitted their applications, 41 candidates from 26 nations, in Master or PhD studies, were selected to participate in this Summer School.

Four project topics were submitted for consideration:

the unconventional representation of seismic processes
communication and neurodiversity in extended reality (XR)
SuperSmartHome: AI-driven assistant for real-time optimization
gifted: a unique gift idea that embodies values

The concept

Six state-of-the-art teaching labs offered the opportunity to engage intensively with areas such as extended mixed reality and the development of prototypes in the Maker’s Lab. Lectures and workshops provided new perspectives and were designed to inspire participants to think about the practical applications of their ideas. Each project team was also guided by experienced mentors. A varied leisure program strengthened social interaction and community spirit.

“This year’s Summer School once again offered a wonderful opportunity to invite creative and visionary minds from a wide range of disciplines to Austria. With our project-based teaching approach, which stands for very active, individual learning, IT:U wants to revolutionize university teaching today and in the future. The Summer School shows what this can look like in practice”.
Stefanie Lindstaedt, Founding President of IT:U

“Over the past two weeks, students, lecturers and experts from a wide range of disciplines have worked and researched together on innovative projects. The interdisciplinary exchange has not only opened up new professional perspectives, but also promoted personal development and collaboration. We hope that the students will successfully apply the skills they have gained not only at their home universities, but also in their professional environment and continue to maintain the positive exchange with IT:U”.
Alexander Steinmaurer, coordinator of the Summer School and researcher at IT:U

Over two weeks, the students developed nine solutions for four challenging tasks

Under the title “Unconventional Representation of Seismic Processes”, students were invited to explore creative ways to visualize and communicate seismic data beyond traditional methods and also incorporate their own cultural experiences around earth tremors.

Seismic events such as earthquakes are typically represented through maps and time-series graphs, which often make it difficult for the public to fully grasp the complex temporal evolution of these events. The project encouraged participants to think outside the box and utilize unconventional representations. By creating these innovative representations, IT:U aims to promote a deeper understanding of seismic processes and stimulate new ways of thinking about how we interact with nature.

The second project, “Communication and Neurodiversity in XR”, explored how extended reality (XR) can help improve social interaction between neurodivergent and neurotypical people and their lives. The focus is on overcoming communication challenges and understanding audio overload. With the help of biosensors and the data obtained from them, an attempt is made to analyze these processes.

The students used XR technologies to design inclusive and customizable experiences that meet the different needs of neurodiverse individuals.

The project “SuperSmartHome: AI-driven assistant for real-time optimization and monitoring of buildings” project aims to revolutionize living through the use of artificial intelligence and sensor technology. Using data from environmental and energy sensors, a prototype is being developed that improves living conditions and optimizes energy consumption. This information will be made accessible via user-friendly interfaces such as chatbots or interactive applications so that people without prior technical knowledge can control their homes more efficiently, but also optimize energy consumption in public buildings such as hospitals.

The project team has developed an assistive agent that evaluates sensor information such as temperature or oxygen levels and gives users helpful tips on how to optimize their living environment. For example, the system could suggest opening a window when the oxygen level drops or recommend using solar energy at certain times.

The “Gifted” project is dedicated to the development of a unique gift that embodies the values and ideas of IT:U in an innovative way. In the networking of high-ranking representatives of various organizations, gift gestures that represent the identity of the gift-giving institution are common. However, IT:U strives for a gift that goes beyond the usual and unites the university’s mission, vision and values in a techno-design-oriented artifact that will not only be taken home, but used and appreciated on a daily basis.

“Gifted” promotes the development of skills in design thinking, prototyping and digital production. The project shows how interdisciplinary collaboration can lead to a creative and iconic gift that communicates IT:U’s values on a global scale, but also how technology can be used to build an interdisciplinary community.

“The IT:U Summer School was an incredible educational journey for me, where the diversity of backgrounds, cultures and ages stimulated the development of solutions while emphasizing diversity as a basis for a common goal. I return home with clear ideas for my future PhD and with a valuable network for my research”.
Ana Sacavém from Universidade Aberta (Lisbon, Portugal)