Introduction

Welcome to Digital and Technological Transformation: Social Challenges Across Domains (ECTS 3) - an undergraduate-level online course, part of an unfolding CIVIS undergraduate micro-programme focused on the Digital and Technological Transformations in Health and Wellbeing.

"Digital and Technological Transformation: Social Challenges Across Domains" course serves as a key component of the Digital and Technological Transformations in Health and Wellbeing micro-programme within the CIVIS HUB5 network, focusing on the integration of digital solutions and artificial intelligence to revolutionize cancer diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring.

"Digital and Technological Transformation: Social Challenges Across Domains” provides students with a critical perspective, examining how digital technologies are reshaping civic life, scientific research, organizational practices. The course addresses the opportunities presented by digital and technological transformations, while also analysing the new forms of inequality and ethical challenges they generate.

This online course aims to introduce bachelor-level students to the impact of digital transformation. Designed as an introductory course, it focuses on building a critical mindset with a comprehensive understanding of how digital and technological innovations are reshaping society, work, education, economies, and various other domains.

Students should not only be aware of the potential benefits and challenges of digital transformation but also be equipped with the skills and insights necessary to navigate these changes thoughtfully and ethically. The course intends to balance theoretical understanding with practical applications, case studies, and discussions about current and future challenges in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

The teachers of this pilot course are from four universities within CIVIS Alliance, Sapienza Università di Roma, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of Bucharest and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. They invite Bachelor’s level students to join them on a journey to discover how digital transformation impacts our lives. Students who participate in this course and enroll in the microprogram in the next academic year will not need to retake the course, as it will be automatically credited/recognized.

Main Topics Addressed

• The curriculum covers foundational modules, including:
• • Understanding the Impact of Digital and Technological Transformation.
  • Analyzing Social Challenges and Ethical Considerations.
  • Assessing the Interdisciplinary Nature of Digital Transformation.
  • Evaluating Technological Solutions for Social Good.
  • Building Critical Thinking and Adaptability Skills.
  • Exploring Global Perspectives on Digital and Technological Transformation.
  • Fostering Collaboration and Innovation.
  • Preparing for Future Trends and Emerging Technologies.
  • Promoting Digital Literacy and Responsible Use of Technology.
• Each module includes lectures and workshops. Through these activities, students will apply theoretical insights to real-world scenarios in digital transformation.

Learning outcomes 

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Critically analyse the impact of digital technologies on society, including their influence on civic life, education, research, labour, and healthcare.
2. Identify and evaluate key ethical and social challenges related to digital transformation, such as inequality, privacy, and surveillance.
3. Understand the interdisciplinary nature of digitalization and its connections to social justice, sustainability, and public policy.
4. Explore and assess real-world technological solutions to pressing social issues through case studies and applied analysis.
5. Develop critical thinking and adaptability skills to navigate emerging technologies in both academic and professional contexts.
6. Apply principles of digital literacy and responsible technology use, including cybersecurity, digital citizenship, and ethical behaviour online.

Calendar 

The course is structured into 32 contact hours, combining lectures and workshops, distributed across the second semester. The online sessions will take place Wednesdays from 13:30 to 15:00 CET on the following dates:

• 4, 11, 18 and 25 February 2026
• 4, 11, 18, and 25 March 2026
• 8, 15, 22 and 29 April 2026
• 6 and 13 May 2026

Application process

The applications for the micro - programme’s module "Digital and Technological Transformation: Social Challenges Across Domains" are open until 5th December 2025.

Please ensure that you upload your certificate of enrolment directly with your application. We cannot admit you to the micro-programme without this document. You will be informed at the latest after the end of the application period whether you have been admitted to the micro-programme.

Once accepted, the students will receive the learning materials, and the links for the virtual sessions on Moodle.

For any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact the coordinators:

• Cristina Sanz: cristina.sanz@uam.es
• David Poveda: david.poveda@uam.es

Professors

Short bio of the course lead

• Dr. Cristina Sanz is an Associate Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and a Scientific Researcher in the Department of Applied Physical Chemistry at the same institution. She specializes in Quantum and Theoretical Chemistry and has extensive experience in the field of molecular astrophysics, with a research career spanning over 25 years.

Teaching team

• Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
• • Cristina Sanz, Assoc. Prof., PhD
  • David Patrick Poveda Bicknell, Assoc. Prof., PhD
  • Elias Blando, Assoc. Prof., PhD
  • Raul Fernández, Assoc. Prof., PhD
  • Javier González Patiño, Assoc. Prof. PhD
• Sapienza Università di Roma
• • Alberto Marchetti 
  • Chiara Grosso    
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• • Dimitris Katsianis      
  • Stathes Hadjiefthymiades     
• University of Bucharest
• • Bianca Gălățeanu
  • Lucian Ciolan