EPE 2025

BACKGROUND

The Education, Peace, and Equity International Conference is dedicated to exploring the pivotal role of education in conflict-affected areas. This conference aims to bring together researchers and practitioners to examine how education has historically influenced peace and continues to shape it in the present and future.

Education stands as the cornerstone of societal transformation. This transformation begins with reaffirming education as a public good and ensuring the right to quality education for all. It encompasses safeguarding learning environments and preparing learners not only for the workforce but also for fostering solidarity, expanding shared human experiences, and promoting peaceful and sustainable societies.

In regions devastated by war and ideological conflicts, protecting educational institutions is paramount. To develop socially just education systems, it is crucial to understand the provision for children and young people in conflict and crisis contexts within broader social, economic, and political frameworks. Addressing these broader forces is essential to shaping education systems that promote equity and peace.

The conference will provide a platform for discussing these issues, aiming to create a deeper understanding of how education can be leveraged to build a more equitable and peaceful world.

Conference Objectives

Track 1: Methodological Approaches to Education Research in Contexts of Crisis and Conflict

For the subtheme “Methodological Approaches to Education Research in Contexts of Conflict and Crisis,” we invite researchers to submit papers that delve into the unique challenges and innovative solutions associated with conducting educational research in conflict-affected environments. Submissions can address the complexities of research ethics in conflict contexts, highlighting the importance of safeguarding participants’ rights and well-being, or focus on the diverse methodological approaches that adapt to the fluid and unpredictable nature of conflict zones. Contributions should reflect on how these methods can be effectively employed to gather robust and reliable data despite the inherent challenges. Furthermore, we encourage submissions that critically examine existing methodologies and propose innovative techniques to enhance the validity and reliability of educational research in such contexts. We place a strong emphasis on equitable partnerships and localization; submissions from researchers external to the research context should acknowledge how they balance power dynamics and integrate local knowledge and perspectives. By addressing these issues, the conference aims to advance the discourse on ethical and methodological rigor in education research amidst conflict and crisis, fostering a deeper understanding of the ways in which education can be leveraged to promote peace and equity.

Themes:

• Unique challenges and innovative solutions in educational research in conflict-affected environments
• Research ethics in conflict contexts
• Safeguarding participants’ rights and well-being
• Diverse methodological approaches for conflict and crisis contexts
• Employing methods to gather robust and reliable data in challenging environments
• Critical examination of existing methodologies
• Innovative techniques to enhance validity and reliability
• Equitable partnerships and localization in research
• Balancing power dynamics in research partnerships
• Integrating local knowledge and perspectives
• Promoting peace and equity through educational research

Track 2: Forced Displacement and Education Equity

The theme addresses the profound and multifaceted challenges faced by forcibly displaced refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in accessing and retaining equal, adequate, and quality education. As of April 2024, UNHCR estimated that over 120 million individuals, or approximately one in 69 people globally, are forcibly displaced due to conflict, persecution, violence, human rights violations, political and economic instability, and natural disasters. 

Disrupting the educational trajectories of millions around the world, forced displacement creates significant barriers that impede educational access and exacerbate existing educational, socioeconomic and political inequalities. The theme seeks to comprehensively explore the intersection between forced displacement and education, to understand the challenges and opportunities encountered by displaced individuals.

Authors are encouraged to submit papers that critically examine the following key areas: 

• Access to formal, informal, and non-formal educational opportunities
• Access to primary, youth and higher education
• Understanding the premise and impact of justice, equal participation, and inclusion/exclusion in education in the context of forced displacement
• Implications of forced displacement for educational institutions, policies, and practices in the global North and South
• The design, reform, role, and implementation of curricula and practice in the context of forced displacement
• Approaches to pedagogy and learning environments
• Innovative approaches to quality and equitable education
• Teachers’ and learners’ voice and needs
• Gendered experiences of accessing and retaining education in the context of forced displacement

Track 3: The Role of Higher Education in Conflict and Crisis

For the subtheme “The Role of Higher Education in Conflict and Crisis” we invite researchers to submit papers that explore the multifaceted role of higher education institutions in areas experiencing conflict. Submissions may address the challenges these institutions face, including academic isolation, political and economic abandonment, and threats to their survival and functionality. We seek contributions that highlight how universities can act as spaces of resilience and resistance, fostering critical engagement and supporting students and academics during and after conflicts. Researchers are encouraged to present case studies, empirical research, and theoretical papers that illuminate the innovative strategies universities employ to maintain operations, support their communities, and contribute to post-conflict recovery. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of understanding how higher education can contribute to rebuilding public spheres and promoting social cohesion in the aftermath of conflict. Submissions should critically analyse the role of universities in fostering dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation in divided societies. By addressing these themes, the conference aims to deepen our understanding of how higher education can navigate and contribute to overcoming the challenges posed by conflict, ultimately promoting peace, stability, and equitable development.

Themes:

• The challenges faced by higher education institutions in conflict-affected areas
• Universities as spaces of resilience and resistance
• The politics of international aid to higher education in conflict zones
• Transnational solidarities and inter-university partnerships
• The role of higher education in post-conflict recovery and rebuilding publics
• Case studies and empirical research on innovative strategies by universities
• The contribution of higher education to social cohesion and reconciliation

Track 4: The Role of Inclusion in Education within Conflict-Affected Spaces

For the subtheme “The Role of Inclusion in Education within Conflict-Affected Spaces,” we invite researchers to submit papers that explore how inclusive education can be designed and implemented in areas experiencing conflict. This includes focusing on language, religion, diversity, and socioeconomic factors to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have access to quality education. We particularly welcome papers addressing the barriers to inclusion in conflict zones, such as discrimination, lack of resources, and systemic biases that prevent equitable access to education. Submissions should highlight innovative practices and policies that have successfully promoted inclusion in such challenging contexts. We encourage researchers to discuss how inclusive education can foster social cohesion and peacebuilding by bringing together diverse groups and promoting mutual understanding and respect. Papers may include case studies, empirical research, and theoretical analyses that illustrate the role of inclusive education in mitigating conflict and supporting the rebuilding of societies. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of community engagement and local partnerships in promoting inclusive education. Submissions should explore how collaboration with local communities and stakeholders can enhance the relevance and effectiveness of educational interventions in conflict-affected areas. By addressing these themes, the conference aims to advance the discourse on inclusive education in conflict-affected spaces, highlighting its potential to promote peace, stability, and equitable development.

Themes:

• Barriers to inclusive education in conflict-affected areas
• Innovative practices and policies for promoting inclusion
• Inclusive education as a tool for social cohesion and peacebuilding
• Case studies on successful inclusive education interventions
• The role of community engagement and local partnerships
• Strategies for overcoming discrimination and systemic biases
• The impact of inclusive education on rebuilding societies

Track 5: Women and Girls’ Education through a Social Justice Lens

Conflict and Displacement have detrimental implications for females’ education. They disproportionately affect women and girls by amplifying existing power dynamics, exacerbating vulnerabilities and inequalities in the familial, social, cultural, relational, economic and political circles.

Due to the absence of infrastructure, the failure of social, political, and economic systems, and the impacts of violence, displacement, and lack of access to resources, females’ education is often deprioritised or entirely neglected. This further marginalises women and hinders their socio-economic and political participation.

The theme invites presentations that comprehensively shed light on the educational experiences of girls and women, explore the multifaceted barriers and opportunities to girls and women’s education, and examine the policies and practices that serve to promote or hinder females’ access to and retention of formal, informal and non-formal educational opportunities, particularly within conflict-affected contexts. The theme seeks to offer an understanding of and promote dialogue around the trajectories and role of females’ education through a social justice lens, emphasising the intersections of gender with the social, cultural, historical, economic and political environments in conflict-ridden settings. 

Scholars, researchers, and practitioners are encouraged to submit papers that critically examine the following key areas: 

• Barriers and opportunities to girls and women’s education in conflict and post-conflict environments
• Females’ education as a catalyst for sustainable peace
• Women and girls’ voices, stories and experiences of education in conflict-affected settings 
• Understanding social justice and equality in relation to females’ education 
• Ethical conduct in researching females’ education 
• Understanding intersectionality in women’s and girls’ educational experiences 
• Examining the current policies and practices in relation to females’ education and/or proposing alternatives
• Access to and significance of formal, non-formal and informal education for females in conflict-affected contexts
• The role of women in championing and leading women’s education – initiatives, opportunities, interventions and challenges. 
• The positive and negative role of local, governmental and international educational interventions in relation to females’ education  
• Agency, power and empowerment in relation to females’ education 
• Future directions in researching and promoting females’ education in conflict-affected settings. 
• The role of curricula, textbooks and pedagogies in promoting/ hindering women’s education: historical, contemporary and future implications.  

Track 6: Debating the Role of Education Privatisation in Post-Conflict Contexts

In the aftermath of conflict, education systems often face the daunting challenge of rebuilding amidst social fragmentation, economic hardship, and weakened state institutions. Privatisation has been proposed as a solution to quickly restore educational access, improve quality, and introduce efficiency into often devastated systems. However, the implications of such an approach are highly debated.
This theme seeks to explore the role of privatisation in shaping the educational landscapes of post-conflict societies. In so doing, it aims to bring together scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and educators to critically examine these debates.
We invite submissions that engage with the following themes through empirical research, theoretical analyses, and case studies. Papers that offer comparative perspectives, innovative methodologies, or interdisciplinary approaches are particularly encouraged.

• The impact of privatisation on equality and access to education in post-conflict contexts.
• The effects of privatisation on the quality of education.
• The role of education privatisation in promoting/hindering peacebuilding and social cohesion.
• The role of private schools in promoting or hindering social justice in post-conflict educational systems
• The impact of education privatisation on state capacity, public educational institutions and public accountability
• The impact of education privatisation on the sustainability of education systems.
• The economic drivers of privatisation and their impact on educational outcomes and social justice in post-conflict societies.
• Case Studies and Comparative Perspectives: Providing insights from specific country experiences with education privatisation in post-conflict contexts, comparing different models and outcomes.

Track 7: Equitable pedagogies and contextually relevant praxis

Submissions for this theme focus on inclusive, engaging, pluralistic, indigenous, socially just and equitable approaches in teaching and learning. Equitable approaches take into consideration the diverse needs of all students despite barriers. This theme is open to studies in early years, primary and secondary schools, higher education or teacher and leader training and preparation. Submissions that focus on specific contexts and explore pedagogies and practices related to these contexts will be considered under this theme. Research focusing on pedagogical (teaching) knowledge, philosophies, principles, approaches and practice is considered relevant and applicable to this theme.

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