Call for Proposals

The call for proposals is now open

Learning for a Complex and Hopeful Future: Pedagogies of Empowerment, Equity, and Global Readiness

Higher education has the power to cultivate hope, promote equity, and prepare graduates to thrive in an interconnected and uncertain world. Our conference theme invites us to explore teaching approaches that centre lived experience, challenge systemic barriers, and nurture students' capacity to imagine and enact meaningful change. It also calls for practices that build the critical, adaptive, and collaborative skills essential for navigating complexity—empowering learners not only to understand the world, but to shape it with purpose and compassion.

Join us in exploring through dialogue, innovation and shared inquiry how higher education can inspire hope, promote equity, and prepare students to thrive in a complex global future. Sessions might explore:

• Pedagogies of Empowerment.

• Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education.

• Global Readiness and Interconnected Futures.

• Navigating Complexity with Critical and Adaptive Skills.

• Hope, Compassion, and Purpose in Learning.

• Innovation and Technology for Empowerment.

Collaborative submissions from students and staff are particularly welcomed.

Submission formats

The session formats invited in this call for proposals reflect the aim of the conference to inspire connection, collaboration and collective exploration across the education community.

All submissions should prioritise interactive learning, ensuring attendees leave with practical insights they can adapt to their own contexts.

Collaborative submissions from students and staff are particularly welcomed.

• Idea Exchanges (20 mins). This format begins with a 10-minute presentation followed by 10-minutes for discussion with attendees. The 10-minute presentations to spark discussion with attendees may share, for example:

  - Outcomes from inquiry-based activities.

  - Practices to inspire others.

  - Emerging projects and ideas.

  - Provocations to stimulate debate.

• Engagement Workshops (60 mins). These sessions are focused on hands-on activity and are highly interactive. They may be based on sharing practices or approaches but place an emphasis on inspiring and supporting attendees to consider how activities shared might be applied in their own contexts..

• Collaborative Spaces (30 mins or 60 mins). This interactive format emphasises collaboration, dialogue and shared problem-solving. This format is particularly suitable for those who would like to explore aspects of the conference theme through co-creation, shared discussion and mutual learning, with the aim to generate new ideas together. Facilitators may use prompts or structured activities to guide discussion and ensure balanced participation.

• Interactive Panels (60 mins). Panel discussions offer the opportunity for topics to be explored from multiple perspectives. The goal of panel discussions is to exchange insights, engage in discussion, and learn from each other’s experiences. Audience members should be actively involved in the conversations, which might include activities such as guided questions, live polling, and open dialogue.

• Asynchronous Nano-Presentations (10-minutes). These are short, recorded presentations that aim to share practices and inspire others. They will be shared asynchronously with delegates before and after the conference event. Interactive elements are not essential in this format, though emphasis should still be placed on practical takeaways for viewers.

Submissions will consist of a session abstract (max 300 words).

Submission deadline

The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Monday 9th February 2026.

We expect to notify you of the outcome in the week commencing 16th March 2026.

Review criteria

Submissions will be peer reviewed against the following criteria:

• Alignment of proposal to the conference theme/sub-theme and session format.
• Indication of what attendees will gain from attending the proposed session.
• Scholarly basis of the proposal (i.e., evidence of being grounded in relevant scholarship; connection to knowledge and understandings about student learning, educational approaches, curriculum and assessment practices, etc.; clarity of focus.)

Reviewers will also consider how the conference pedagogy is being applied.

Conference pedagogy

Our conference embraces a conference pedagogy that is based on three principles. This pedagogy emphasises an approach to knowledge-sharing at the conference that is scholarly, engaged, inclusive and accessible.

We embrace a scholarly approach

In our conference sessions, we ground our work in relevant literature and connect it to significant issues in learning and teaching as well as sector-wide challenges and priorities that matter to our education community.

We share our work in ways that encourage engagement and interaction with our audiences

The conference offers a space for dialogue and opportunities as an educational community to connect, share and inspire each other. Whatever the session format, our presentation and facilitation styles encourage conversation, interaction, feedback and questioning.

We are committed to inclusivity and making our work accessible

The conference celebrates and embraces the diversity of our education community. We make effort to explain our approaches and our contexts, define our terms and avoid unnecessary jargon. Our presentations, activities, slides, and materials are accessible to audiences with varying needs and provide a variety of ways for people to engage.

Submissions should be made via our online form (click on the button below to submit your proposal or view the full submission form before submitting).