SERA Conference 2025 #seraconf25

Venue: University of Aberdeen, MacRobert Buildings

Dates: 19th to 21st November 2025

Education: Open to all?

We invite researchers and practitioners working in Scottish, UK and international contexts to share their insights under the theme of Education: Open to all? While education is widely regarded as a fundamental right, it remains inaccessible to many due to socio-economic disparities, cultural differences, geographical isolation, and systemic inequalities. Building on previous SERA conference themes of reconnection and the challenges of living in a fragile world – as well as the work across the SERA networks – this conference seeks to examine how inclusive modalities can shape learning environments that enable individuals to realise their full potential, regardless of background or personal circumstances.

Expanding access to education requires critical engagement with key issues, including education policy and politics, interdisciplinary research and practice, technology integration, transformative curriculum perspectives, inclusive teaching and assessment practices, critical pedagogies, and key insights about professional, community and vocational learning. SERA Conference 2025 aims not only to provide a platform for discussing the challenges but also to foster new dialogues and collaborative approaches that contribute to more equitable and accessible educational futures.

The following guiding questions from practical, conceptual, and empirical perspectives offer a starting point for all potential delegates:

• What are the key barriers – social, economic, political, or systemic – that prevent education from being open to all?
• How can education systems be reimagined to address issues of exclusion, marginalisation, and inequality?
• What historical and philosophical perspectives can inform contemporary efforts to make education more inclusive and accessible?
• How can themes and concepts such as citizenship, community-focused learning, lifelong learning, and sustainability contribute to creating equity?
• How can shared knowledges, partnerships, and diverse forms of learning – such as vocational and community-based education – support equitable access and challenge traditional hierarchies of knowledge?
• How can digital learning, technological advancements, and artificial intelligence support or hinder education and assessment within and beyond formal settings?
• How can research – including innovative methodologies and ethical approaches – contribute to reform and action towards inclusive and equitable educational opportunities?
• What pedagogical practices best support adaptability, access, resilience, and equitable learning opportunities for diverse learners?