The first summer school under the European ViWAS project – an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) titled Co-WAVE 2026 (Co-creating Learning Environments for Web 4.0 Augmented Virtual Education) – has successfully wrapped up its intensive face-to-face component in University of Split, Faculty of Science, Split, Croatia (September 21- 26. 2026).
Hosted in a dynamic and highly collaborative environment, the program brought together seven Master and PhD students from the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers in Paris, France, alongside a participant from AKMI International in Greece. Over five intensive working days, these academic minds applied their newly acquired theoretical insights into practice, developing innovative virtual world prototypes designed specifically for education. Throughout the week, the students brought these cutting-edge educational models to life under the close, collective mentorship of their teachers.
The curriculum offered a robust blend of theory and practice, led by prominent international lecturers who also served as hands-on project mentors:
- Cristina Obae (New Educational Horizons, Finland) and Sylvain Fleury (École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers, France) introduced participants to the future of education and the knowledge required to create virtual worlds as fluid, cross-reality learning environments. Together, they explored the technological affordances and limitations of these spaces.
- Jelena Nakić (University of Split, Faculty of Science, Croatia) guided the students through user-centered design, prototyping, and usability evaluation in virtual worlds development, empowering teams to successfully test and transform their ideas into functional prototypes.
- Anna Thorén (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) highlighted the evolving communication dynamics unique to virtual worlds and hybrid learning setups.
- Adrian Obae (NEdHo Aviation, Romania) delivered an essential lecture on security infrastructure, privacy protocols, and safety measures within immersive digital ecosystems for learning.
- Following the successful face-to-face component in Split, learning continues in the digital space. The participants are now heading into the virtual component of the program which will feature an exciting hackathon with a €1,000 prize pool, where teams will further refine their innovative educational solutions.
Beyond the intensive curriculum, the entire week was truly unforgettable, filled with rewarding shared moments in learning, networking, and great company. The energy and creativity shared during these days in Split are just the beginning of a fascinating journey into the next era of learning.
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