Review of the CMTB Conference 2025: Societal Transformation in Focus
On 24 January 2025, the twelfth CMTB Conference (Change Media – Transform Business) took place at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences – organised by the continuing education programmes Cross Media and Digital Business Management. Under the motto “Societal Transformation”, this year’s conference focused on the interplay of technology, ethics, and business in the context of a sustainable and inclusive future.
The event opened with a keynote by Prof. Vladimir Trajkovikj (UKIM Skopje, North Macedonia), who impressively demonstrated how data can be used in the fight against air pollution. This was followed by a diverse programme of presentations, workshops, demos and discussions in which international students and experts from academia and practice offered a wide range of perspectives on current societal challenges.
The following topics were among the main focal points:
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AI-based solutions in healthcare and education
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The attractiveness of digital job offers for university graduates
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The role of social media and digital tools in transformation processes
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The entrepreneurial potential in an increasingly globalised environment
A particular highlight was the interactive “Air to Breathe” hackathon, in which participants collaboratively developed sensor kits for measuring air quality – a practice-oriented contribution to shaping liveable cities.
The university’s AI Coding Club also presented its innovative projects, including a chatbot for emotion analysis, a sign language recognition module, and a motion data analysis module for cheerleading. These creative results impressively demonstrated how students are developing technological solutions for real-world challenges.
In the panel “Acting global, going local”, representatives from academia, industry, and politics discussed the importance of international talent for regional innovation and transformation processes. The conference concluded with an award ceremony for the best presentations, posters, and projects, as well as a book presentation on the ethics of the digital.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all participants, contributors, and supporters for an inspiring and insightful conference!
A special thank you goes to our students who, with their contributions and commitment, form the heart of the CMTB.
