Conference Program

In the context of contemporary society's social, cultural and professional transformations, learning is increasingly recognised as an intentional, lifelong process that fosters autonomy, responsibility, critical thinking and active participation. This approach acknowledges the uniqueness of each individual and the complexity of their relationship with their surroundings (Di Rienzo, 2024; Nussbaum, 2014). From this perspective, universities play a pivotal role in supporting young adults as they navigate identity, intentionality, and responsibility. Education must evolve from merely transmitting disciplinary knowledge to developing life skills and fostering reflective, ethically responsible citizens and professionals who are committed to lifelong learning (Rumiati, 2023; Heckman & Kautz, 2012).

In this framework, reflective capacity emerges as a key competence for the exercise of democratic agency, which is understood as individuals acting in a conscious, critical and responsible manner (Biasin, 2021). This need is particularly relevant in the current neoliberal context, where education is often reduced to immediately marketable skills aligned with labour market demands. This risks eroding the ethical, political and relational dimensions of university education. Consequently, we must question the type of individual and citizen the university should educate, someone capable of navigating complexity, taking responsibility, and exercising critical judgement when making personal and professional choices, while actively participating in democratic life (Mayo, 2007; Bauman, 2011).

In this sense, life skills such as critical thinking, decision-making, responsibility-taking, and collaboration play a central role in personal development and exercising agency. Promoting these skills within higher education implies an approach to education that is oriented towards the holistic development of the individual (La Marca & Gulbay, 2018).

In light of this theoretical framework, this paper presents the results of a teaching workshop based on the photovoice methodology. This workshop was implemented within a workshop-based pathway running alongside the university placement, involving 123 students enrolled on a Professional Education degree programme. The workshop was designed as an innovative teaching practice to foster authentic democratic participation and support the development of life skills and democratic agency. Students were asked to select a photograph representing the predominant emotion they experienced during their placement. The subsequent plenary session was structured around questions designed to encourage emotional recognition, collective interpretation and experiential resonance. This process promoted dialogue, exchange and reflection.

Analysis of the experience shows that such a workshop can function as a pedagogical tool, transforming the university classroom into a space of democracy in action where participation is both a learning objective and a lived, observable experience. In conclusion, the paper reflects on the pedagogical and institutional conditions that enable such a practice, emphasising the university's role as a formative ecosystem that promotes life skills and supports young adults in developing a reflective and responsible adult identity.