The international symposium “Computer Science in Education: By Humans, for Humans” took place in Vienna on May 13 and 14, 2025. The Austrian Computer Society (OCG) organized this event in cooperation with the Council of European Professional (CEPIS). The topics ranged from ethical issues of artificial intelligence (AI) to teaching concepts and curricular developments in computer science in the school context in various countries.
The first day of the symposium focused on the topics of “Computer Science in Higher Education” and “Computing as a Foundation for Empowered Citizens”. Keynote speeches and panel discussions addressed issues of diversity, ethical responsibility, health, accessibility and women in STEM. A review of the first day of the symposium can be found on the OCG website:
- Symposium I: A morning full of impulses – computer science in higher education
- Symposium II: Computer science as a basis for empowered citizens
On the second day of the symposium, the focus was on “Computing – Empowerment in Action” and thus on the interplay between IT education and empowerment. In presentations, panels and discussions it became clear that qualified teachers, a reflective approach to technology, an examination of gender stereotypes and the different definitions of terms used – and interdisciplinary cooperation – are needed. The OCG website article offers a brief review of the content and images:
The symposium concluded with poster presentations by young researchers – including the dig!doc team with doctoral students Michael Jemetz, Martina Spitaler and Jasmin Wallner as well as coordinator Renate Motschnig. A total of 13 participants took the opportunity to present their research project. In a 60-second pitch, everyone had the opportunity to present their project briefly and be invited to present their poster. Afterwards there was an opportunity to talk to experts and educational researchers directly at the posters. It was a valuable day for our dissertation projects, during which we received further inspiration and were also able to explore possible collaborations.
