At the EUPRIO Conference, three outstanding communication projects were once again honored. The top prize was awarded to Vrije Universiteit Brussel for their innovative approach to public speaking. The second and third prizes went to AI-assisted projects at Aalto University and ETH Zurich.
The EUPRIO Awards were presented and voted on at the annual EUPRIO conference in Turin.
In the picture on the right the three winners: Laura Aalto from Aalto University, Florian Meyer from ETH Zurich and Koen Santermans from Uhasselt on behalf of Peter Van Rompaey from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. ©Margherita Borsano
The first prize was awarded to Vrije Universiteit Brussel's project, 'Students' Speaker Corner', that involved revamping an old academic tradition by providing innovative public speaking training that addresses the challenges of fake news, hate speech, and discrimination in public discourse. Since 2018, students have been encouraged to express their opinions and share their stories at the Students' Speaker Corner, as part of the larger event Difference Day, which takes place on World Press Freedom Day on 3rd of May.
This initiative not only gives students the opportunity to speak in front of an audience but also helps them improve their public speaking and presentation skills. The Student's Speaker Corner provides valuable insights into the topics that students are currently concerned about.
Participants receive training on how to deliver their message effectively, including a master class by a professor of rhetoric and an intensive coaching session by a public speech expert. They also record a short version of their speech in a professional studio with an autocue, and the video speech is then disseminated on social media. Subsequently, the recordings undergo post-production and are subtitled in English. After this coaching, participants deliver a five-minute speech at Bozar - Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels in front of an audience of fellow students, Difference Day visitors, and passers-by.
AI helps in website chat and automatic translations
While the first prize was awarded for a rather traditional form of communication brought into the modern era, the other prize winners focused on AI-assisted projects.
The second prize was given to Aalto University, Finland, for the project 'Aalto x AI'. Aalto University has integrated AI into practical use with simple, open-source, and useful improvements for Drupal website chat and automatic article translations. A secure version of chat GPT is embedded into the intranet at Aalto, allowing users to ask questions and receive answers based on intranet content, even if it is spread across multiple pages. Additionally, a module has been developed that enables content producers to automate translations using the powerful AI translation tool DeepL, making content management much easier. These modules are available on drupal.org for all Euprians to try out on Drupal websites.
AI put into entertaining gameplay
The third prize was awarded to ETH Zurich, Switzerland, for its game "Morph Tales – Exploring Artificial Intelligence". 'Morph Tales' explores AI and augmented reality, combining gameplay, learning, and science communication in an elegant manner. The game is played with tablets at game stations, providing an experience in the virtual world (AR) combined with a real campus experience. The portrayal of AI as small, likeable creature Morph helps to build trust and is intended to draw the attention of young people.
The tasks in the game are inspired by real research projects, demonstrating AI's potential and its real-world applications. The game also aims to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM fields and contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the ethical use of AI. Read more about the project.
Award competition 2025
In 2024, the EUPRIO Awards competition drew in 15 participants from across Europe. The jury preselected 10 entries to be showcased at the conference, where each of them had a 3-minute pitch and a poster session. The projects were evaluated by hundreds of peers all around Europe and the jury. The winners were chosen through a combination of audience votes and jury decisions, with each carrying equal weight.
Next year's competition entries must be submitted by the specified deadline according to the guidelines on the EUPRIO website. Those with innovative and impactful communication projects are encouraged to participate. The winner will have the opportunity to present their project at the next conference, with EUPRIO covering the costs.
