ULusófona hosts 114th International Conference on Development

The Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário do Porto hosted the 114th International Conference on Economic and Social Development, which took place on the 12th and 13th of July 2024. The event brought together experts from different parts of the world to reflect on the economic and of the modern world.

The opening ceremony featured speeches by Domagoj Cingula, president of the organizing committee; Petar Kurecic, member of the scientific committee; and Maria do Rosário Anjos and Maria Elisabete Pinto da Costa, representatives of the Universidade Lusófona.

In the first plenary, Carlos Alberto Silva presented the topic "How Management Practices Influence Hospital Performance". The following presentations followed: Anouar Mohamed El Kasri and collaborators discussed "English Teachers' Perceptions of Assessment and Testing Practices in Higher Education in Morocco"; Filip Kokotovic and Petar Kurecic discussed "The Rise of Political Radicalization in the Face of Rising Inflation: Warning Signs from Germany"; Khalid Lahlou explored "Hybridization in Education: Opportunities and Limitations"; Cândida Duarte Manuel and Kalina Samardjieva analyzed "Air Quality and Biological Exposure of Administrative Personnel in a Waste Sorting Plant"; Mara Aparecida Barnaski Fagundes and collaborators presented "Territorial Innovation and Interinstitutional Relations: Knowledge Absorption Skills and Smart Cities"; and Joanna Stawska and colleagues discussed "Cooperative Game Between Government and Central Bank in the Context of Policy Mix."

After a coffee break, the second plenary session covered topics such as "Customer Experience and Social Media Marketing as Determinants of Purchasing Green Products - Evidence from Serbia", by Jovana Filipovic and Tijana Tubic-Curcic, and " Edictum Diocletiani de Pretiis: Price Control as an (In)effective Measure to Combat Inflation", by Ines Matic Mateskovic and Karolina Dujmesic. Other topics discussed included the impact of patents and R&D expenditure on brand sustainability in Finland and Norway, presented by Maria Kmety Bartekova and Brigita Boorova, and the impact of geographic location on SMEs, comparing Austria, Italy and Hungary, covered by Krisztina Gulyas.

The afternoon plenary session stood out with "Content Analysis of Master's Theses in Business: Increasing Social Responsibility", by Matia Torbarina, and "Application of the DEA Method in Determining the Effects of the Financialization of Banking Sectors", by Tomasz Florczack. Vesna Buterin and colleagues discussed "Demographic Structure in Croatia and its Influence on Economic Growth", while Maria do Rosário Anjos and her team addressed "Digital Public Administration and Good Governance". Other presentations included "Intellectual Capital in Contemporary Banking Strategies", by Karolina Anielak-Sobczak, and "The Strategic Role of Digital Technology in Geopolitics and the Implementation of Soft Power", by Abdelhamid Nechad and Abdelghani El Labbar.

The event ended with a closing ceremony and a celebration dinner. The following day, participants had the opportunity to explore the city of Porto through a guided tour, providing a cultural and historical immersion.

The 114th International Conference on Economic and Social Development constituted an important forum for debate and exchange of knowledge, contributing to the discussion of challenges and opportunities in the global economic and social scenario.

See the Event Photos on ULusófona's Facebook

Photography
Patrícia Lopes

Text
Mariana Rocha