Event Overview

This conference investigates how transforming technological and non-technological innovations can forge resilient and adaptable futures amidst rapid change of human everyday life and geopolitical shifts. It fosters a ‘more-than-human’ perspective, exploring nascent ideas and designing senseable, inclusive ecosystems that promote harmonious coexistence and well-being across all entities—from humans to nature and emerging technologies.

This is a public science event designed to bring together diverse stakeholders for a collaborative discussion about the challenges within technological transformations, offering an invaluable opportunity to learn from leading global experts. Participants can expect to gain a deeper understanding of complex technologies through presentations thoughtfully designed for accessibility and broad participation, expand their professional network and connections, and meet leading scientists from Lithuania and MIT, as well as prominent representatives from the business sector.

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In a world increasingly shaped by rapid evolution, geopolitical flux and fragmentation a fundamental human desire for stability amidst uncertainty persists. While anxieties about the future compel us to seek firm guidelines, true progress lies in collectively forging resilient paths, rather than adhering to rigid answers. This gathering is not about delivering predetermined narratives, but about a shared inquiry into the present and a collaborative sculpting of the future. It aims to explore the "untimely" – those nascent forms and thoughts that describe our current era but remain as yet unarticulated or unacknowledged. Through this collective process, we seek to move beyond conventional discourse, embracing radical transformation and fostering a deeper understanding of our interwoven existence with technology and the natural world.

The framework for understanding delves into the multifaceted dimensions of human and more-than-human coexistence, seeking to challenge anthropocentric views and foster harmonious interactions across humanity, technology, and the natural environment. This is achieved through strategic clarity and accessibility, drawing inspiration from leading philosophies to ensure presentations are clear, vision-driven and avoid jargon for practical, impactful outcomes. This understanding necessitates a focus on designing responsive futures, moving beyond mere "smart" solutions to cultivate "senseable" ecosystems that acknowledge the inherent agency of matter itself. Such adaptive, interactive environments, from livable cities to factories of the future, demand human-centric technology, robust feedback loops, and profound interdisciplinary collaboration. Furthermore, it addresses the critical need to harness synthetic biology and genomics for biological responses to climate change and future health, while responsibly navigating the challenges of generative AI for innovation and growth, particularly in light of concerns about "useless classes" and "data dictatorships". The current context also highlights the urgency of radical educational innovations, transforming lifelong learning through new radical pedagogies and AI to enable individuals and societies to adapt and thrive in a constantly changing world. This landscape profoundly necessitates critical inquiry and participatory engagement, actively fostering civic discourse and collective problem-solving, including discussions on ensuring robust societal resilience and preparedness in an unpredictable world.

Finally, it re-imagines coexistence by embracing a "more-than-human" perspective that acknowledges the agency of all entities—humans, animals, plants, and AI—to foster justice, well-being, and caring relationships through multispecies interaction design. Ultimately, the conference seeks to inspire collective action and responsible innovation, transforming dialogue into a catalyst for shaping shared, adaptable, and inclusive futures.

Program

DAY 1 – October 9, 2025

DAY 2 – October 10, 2025

Vilnius University - Saulėtekio al., Vilnius
Vytautas Magnus University - V. Putvinskio g. 23, Kaunas
8:30Registration & Welcome Coffee
9:00Opening Ceremony
9:30Keynote Address
10.00Session 1. From Sensing to Resilience Building Livable Cities for Human and More-than-human Futures10.00Session 2. Factories of the Future: From Quantum Precision to Advanced Materials
11:40Panel Discussion11:40Panel Discussion
12:40Networking Lunch
14:00Session 3. Harnessing Synthetic Biology and Genomics for Biological Responses to Climate Change and Future Health14:00Session 4. The Future of DSR (Defence, Security, and Resilience)
15:10Panel Discussion15:10Panel Discussion
16:10Closing Remarks
9:00Registration & Welcome Coffee
9:30Keynote Address
10:00Session 1. Unlocking Minds: How AI and New Pedagogies are Transforming Lifelong Learning10:00Session 2. The Multifaceted Nature of Intelligens in the Age of Digitalization
11:40Panel Discussion11:40Panel Discussion
12:40Networking Lunch
13:40Group Sessions
18:00Networking Dinner

Speakers

Gene R. Keselman

Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, the Executive Director of MIT Mission Innovation Experimental (MIx) and Managing Director of MIT’s venture studio, Proto Ventures

Dr. Andreea Bobu

Assistant Professor at MIT in AeroAstro and CSAIL.

Andres Sevtsuk

Charles and Ann Spaulding Associate Professor of Urban Science and Planning Director of the City Form Lab, Head of the City Design and Development Group, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT

Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas

Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas are artists, educators, and researchers working at MIT since 2009, where they founded MIT Climate Visions, an interdisciplinary research studio.

Dr. Drew Story

Managing Director of MIT's Policy Lab

Dr. Una-May O'Reilly

Senior Research Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL)

Dr. Brian Anthony

Brian W. Anthony, PhD Associate Director, MIT.nano Director, Advanced Manufacturing and Design Program

Dr. Sergey Paltsev

Deputy Director of the MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy (CS3) and a Senior Research Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA.

Dr. Simona Ramanauskaitė

Professor in the Department of Information Technologies at VILNIUS TECH; Chief Research Fellow

Dr. Artiom Magomedov

Senior Researcher at Kaunas University of Technology

Dr. Aušrinė Pasvenskienė

Associate professor, vice dean at the Faculty of Law, Vytautas Magnus University

Dr. Gediminas Juzeliūnas

Professor of Vilnius University, a full member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

Dr. Gintaras Brazauskas

Director of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC)

Dr. Gintaras Stauskis

Doctor of Humanities in Architecture, Professor at the Department of Urban Design, VILNIUS TECH.

Dr. Jurga Bučaitė-Vilkė

Associate professor in the Department of Sociology, senior researcher, and the director of the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute at Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania.

Dr. Kęstutis Zaleckis

Professor at Vilnius Academy of Arts (VDA) and Kaunas University of Technology, as well as a Senior Researcher at the VDA New European Bauhaus Centre.

Dr. Mindaugas Zaremba

Research Professor, Vilnius University, Life Sciences Center, Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Protein - DNA Interactions

Paulius Vaitkevičius

Head of Innovations at Novian Pro

Dr. Šarūnas Grigaliūnas

Cybersecurity analyst, digital forensics expert, and Professor at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU)

Dr. Eran Vigoda-Gadot

Professor of Public Administration and Management at the Division of Public Administration and Policy, School of Political Science, The University of Haifa

Dr. Tomas Berkmanas

Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU)

Dr. Vidmantas Bendokas

Plant geneticist and horticultural scientist of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC)

Dr. Vidmantas Bendokas

Plant geneticist and horticultural scientist of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC)

Dr. Vidmantas Bendokas

Plant geneticist and horticultural scientist of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC)