On October 3, 2026, the Digital and Distance Education Department (DeL) at Politehnica University Timișoara (UPT) welcomed hundreds of visitors of all ages during the latest edition of Open Campus Night. Spanning across three dedicated locations, activities organized by the DeL Team during the event offered an engaging blend of cutting-edge immersive technologies, interactive digital applications, glimpses into the future of higher education, while presenting career and academic opportunities for students, supported by the E³UDRES² European University Alliance.
The activities drew hundreds of participants across three locations within the UPT Campus:
UPT 360° Immersive Space (UPT Library)
Over 300 visitors experienced Romania's first 360° immersive projection space in a university setting. Attendees explored high-fidelity interactive Unity scenarios of Timișoara's landmarks, developed via 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry by UPT students and faculty. Drone-based 360° video tours with interactive info-points added a unique aerial perspective of the city.
UPT Technical Museum (ExperimentariumTM)
Dozens of participants discovered a vibrant mix of history and innovation. Highlights included the premiere DEMO version of DeL UPT's new VR edutainment application, showcasing the academic experience of students of the four distance and part-time learning specializations through methods promoted by the E³UDRES² Alliance. Visitors also explored Spotlight Heritage Timișoara AR/VR experiences covering the city's historic districts, the Nokia VR Bell Labs museum app created by multimedia master's student Cătălin Săvoiu, scientific art installations (Physic AI Garden and Patterns of Poetry), and attended guided tours of Romania's first university computer, MECIPT-1.
Room C401, at DeL
Dozens of students joined an interactive session dedicated to digital transformation in higher education. Assoc. Prof. Andrei Ternauciuc, founder of the UPT Virtual Campus, presented the evolution of digital learning tools within the UPT and the UPT Virtual Campus, accompanied by practical training and ethical AI integration discussions.
Furthermore, the session highlighted international collaboration, online courses, and professional development pathways offered through the E³UDRES² Alliance and the E³UDRES² Arena & Learning Hub, such as online courses, I Living Labs, Bootcamps, Hackathons, Your Online Side Hustle International (YOSHI), FEMALE Friday Talks, Future Appetizers, Shared Lectures, and the Talent Funnel & Talent App, designed to build future-ready competencies and foster cross-border engagement.
