EUTOPIA-SIF Monthly Fellow Seminar - June 2025

Within the framework of the EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellowship Programme, monthly fellows seminars will take place, in which the 40 researchers will in turn present their research projects.

We are therefore delighted to invite you to the upcoming EUTOPIA-SIF Monthly Fellow Seminar, on Thursday 12 June 2025, 13:00-14:30 CET.

The seminar will be held on Zoom.

For more information and testimonials from a few researchers from the fourth Cohort of SIF Fellows, click here.
 

Event schedule: 

• 13:00-13:05: Introduction

• 13:05-13:15: Fellow Presentation: Derya Kaya Ozdemir (University of Warwick) 
  • Project Title: Green Roads: Paving the way to Sustainability with Recycled Materials
  • Abstract:
    The production of asphalt roads significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions primarily due to involving petroleum-based material, bitumen, with a limited service life of 20 years. Extending this lifetime involves different additives such as Polypropylene or a rejuvenation process that replaces evaporated particles. This project aims for fully sustainable road construction, utilizing recycled materials such as bio-oils from food waste to rejuvenate and reuse asphalt. Waste facemasks, composed of polypropylene, will be employed, aligning with EU targets for municipal waste recycling while reducing environmental impact. This approach saves billions of euros and significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
• 13:15-13:25: Q&A
• 13:25-13:35: Fellow Presentation: Carla Guerra Tomazini (University of Warwick)
  • Project Title: Welfare States, Neoconservative Trajectories, and Transnational Advocacy Coalitions: The Example of Education Policies on Gender Equality in Latin America
  • Abstract:
    As backlash politics in the gender field has developed into a widespread political initiative, anti-gender activists from diverse countries have been actively collaborating and taking cross-border action. This research project aims to investigate the political dimensions of anti-gender mobilisations and their effects on public education in Latin American countries. It will focus on the collective actions of transnational actors and how conservative anti-gender ideas influence policies. Furthermore, this project proposes a comparative study of how reforms are hindered, or gender education policies suppressed in three Latin American countries: Brazil, Costa Rica, and Peru. It aims to answer the following research question: How do conservative mobilisations around gender education challenge the Welfare State? The study design for this research on gender education policies employs a mixed-method approach (ethnography, content analysis, and configurational analysis), the project seeks to investigate transnational arenas where ideas, resources, and policy models concerning anti-gender equality in education are shared and to delve into the transnational dimension of the anti-gender agenda in education.
• 13:35-13:45: Q&A

• 13:45-14:05: Fellow Presentation: Sajedeh Salehi (University of Ljubljana)
  • Project Title: Artificial Intelligence in Civil Justice: Ethical Online Dispute Resolution in the Digital Age
  • Abstract:
    This study explores the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in online dispute resolution (ODR) systems, with a focus on accessibility, accountability, and fairness. As AI-driven ODR becomes increasingly important in resolving consumer disputes, concerns have emerged regarding its ethical implications and potential impact on access to civil justice. The study examines ODR systems in the EU, US, and Canada to develop ethical guidelines for policymakers and ODR operators. It aims to ensure that AI-based systems are inclusive, transparent, and unbiased, setting ethical standards for digital dispute resolution and promoting fair treatment in the evolving landscape of civil justice.

• 14:05-14:15: Q&A