The European Commission has been increasingly encouraging synergy between STEM and the humanities, as well as cooperation with the arts and creative sectors. In this context, we invite submissions that critically engage with the intersection of digital technologies and the humanities, exploring how tools like big data, algorithms, and AI shape our understanding of cultural heritage, social phenomena, and artistic practices. The conference aims to bring together researchers, experts, and practitioners from STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), humanities, arts, and the cultural and creative industries (CCI) to explore innovative approaches to interdisciplinary collaboration.

Argument

We are pleased to invite you to the interdisciplinary conference Rethinking Heritage across STEM, Humanities, and Arts, which will be held in Osijek, Croatia, from 22 to 24 October 2025.

The European Commission has been increasingly encouraging synergy between STEM and the humanities, as well as cooperation with the arts and creative sectors. Initiatives such as the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage and the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage promote models in which technology and culture create new opportunities for innovation, research, and societal development.

In this context, we invite submissions that critically engage with the intersection of digital technologies and the humanities, exploring how tools like big data, algorithms, and AI shape our understanding of cultural heritage, social phenomena, and artistic practices. Submissions should address the ethical, epistemological, and cultural implications of these technologies, particularly in terms of biases in data, representation, and the potential marginalization of certain communities within digital archives. We encourage critical reflections on how these technologies influence both the creation and interpretation of knowledge in the humanities, while considering the broader societal and cultural consequences of their application.

We invite participants to reflect on and discuss the following topics:

STEM + Humanities: New Interdisciplinary Solutions

• How can STEM and the humanities collaborate to address societal challenges?
•  Digital humanities and the role of data science in cultural research
• Applying ethics and philosophy in the development of new technologies
• Ethical and epistemological challenges arising from the application of digital technologies in interdisciplinary research.

Creative Synergies: Art and Technology

• Artistic practice as an innovation tool in STEM fields
• AI and creative processes: how artificial intelligence is shaping art and design
• Interactive media, augmented reality, and new storytelling models
• The use of digital technologies in artistic practices to create new cultural narratives.

Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age

• Cultural and epistemological implications of digitizing cultural heritage with technologies like 3D scanning
• Smart museology: AI and big data in the analysis of cultural artifacts
• Open data and accessibility of digital heritage; How can a critical approach to open data help address issues of exclusion and marginalization of certain communities in digital archives?
• The influence of digital tools like big data and algorithms on our understanding of cultural heritage.

Cultural and Creative Industries as a Bridge between Science and Art

• Entrepreneurship in CCI: How scientists and artists can develop projects together
• New funding models for interdisciplinary initiatives in the EU
• Collaboration between industry, academia, and independent creatives

Submission guidelines

We invite researchers, academics, innovators, artists, professionals from the cultural and creative sector, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to present their research, projects, and ideas.

We invite proposals for individual presentations and posters.

Only on-site presentations will be available. 

Abstracts for proposals should be no more than 500 words.

They must be submitted, along with a concise biographical note (maximum 200 words) and a photo,

by 15 June

via submission form: https://forms.gle/Eyt3N3iy5o9ikiXv6

We welcome submissions of completed, original, and unpublished research, and contributions presenting work in progress.

Authors of selected papers will be invited to prepare a submission for an edited, peer-reviewed volume.

Participation in the 5th Digital Humanities & Heritage Conference is free of charge.

Organising Committee

• Koraljka Kuzman Šlogar, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, DARIAH-HR, Zagreb, Croatia
• Anamarija Žugić Borić, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, DARIAH-HR, Zagreb, Croatia
• Ivana Štokov, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, DARIAH-HR, Zagreb, Croatia
• Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Tihomir Živić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Croatia
• Maja Haršanji, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Marin Kovačić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Croatia
• Ivana Majić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Croatia
• Jasminka Najcer Sabljak, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Slađana Pupovac, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Marta Radoš, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Nikola Raguž, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Croatia
• Toni Podmanicki, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Ana Sladetić Šabić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia

Scientific committee

• Cécile Chantraine Braillon, University La Rochelle, France
• Anne Gilliland, UCLA, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, Department of Information Studies, Los Angeles, USA
• Koraljka Golub, Linnaeus University, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Department of Cultural Sciences, Sweden
• Juan Gomis Coloma, Catholic University of Valencia, Spain
• Simona Grigaliūnienė, Klaipėda University, Klaipėda, Lithuania
• Ulrike Henny-Krahmer, University of Rostock, Germany
• Nataša Jermen, Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography, Croatia
• Stephan Kurz, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Habsburg and Balkan Studies, Austria
• Koraljka Kuzman Šlogar, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, DARIAH-HR, Croatia
• Vlatka Lemić, University of Zagreb, ICARUS Croatia, Croatia
• Josipa Maras Kraljević, Croatian Memorial-Documentation Centre of the Homeland War, Croatia
• Dušan Medin, University of Donja Gorica, Montenegro
• Hrvoje Mesić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Benedikt Perak, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Croatia
• Erich Renhart, University of Graz, VESTIGIA Manuscript Research Centre, Austria
• Helena Sablić Tomić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Miha Seručnik, ZRC SAZU, Slovenia
• Lana Skender, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Dalia Marija Stančienė, Klaipėda University, Klaipėda, Lithuania
• Marija Šain, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Ivana Štokov, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, DARIAH-HR, Croatia
• Anna Maria Tammaro, University of Parma, Department of Cultural Heritage, Section Librarianship, Italy
• Marijana Tomić, University of Zadar, Department of Information Sciences and Technologies, Centre for Research in Glagolitism, Croatia
• Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Academy of Arts and Culture, Osijek, Croatia
• Tomislav Vinković,  Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Croatia
• Georg Vogeler, Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Graz, Austria
• Mirna Willer, retired from University of Zadar, Department of Information Sciences, Croatia
• Ulrike Wuttke, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, PARTHENOS, Germany
• Krunoslav Zmaić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Croatia
• Tihomir Živić, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Croatia
• Anamarija Žugić Borić, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, DARIAH-HR, Croatia