Venue: University of Aberdeen, MacRobert Buildings

Dates: 19th to 21st November 2025

Key organising strands for this year’s SERA conference will include:

• Globalisation and Education: What are the implications of an increasingly interconnected world on education? How does globalisation – from global citizenship, to increased levels of migration, to the impact of international league table rankings – impact contemporary education? How might different theoretical perspectives and paradigms create openings for new questions, new forms of research, and offer critical insights for our increasingly globalised education systems?
• Policy and Politics of Education: How might policy at global, national, and local levels shape education and lifelong learning? How might educational actors (regardless of sector) respond to, and inform policy directions? How might new partnerships enhance or inhibit educational initiatives and the mobilization of research? What challenges do policy and politics in education pose and how might we respond?
• Curriculum and Transformation: How might perspectives on curriculum help us engage with a constantly changing and increasingly diverse world? How can curriculum balance the needs of diverse learners with the demands of policy mandates and standardised testing? What does decolonisation of the curriculum look like, and who defines it? Where is the balance between decolonising historical narratives and creating new, inclusive educational paradigms?
• Education and Technology Integration: How might the infusion of new technologies impact learning experiences in/out of formal educational settings? How can technology integration promote creativity, collaboration and address disparities in access to quality education? How can virtual reality and augmented reality classrooms enhance and inhibit access to educational opportunities? What are the potential threats and ethical dilemmas associated with AI and machine learning in education?
• Education for Sustainability: What part can education play in supporting ecological flourishing through equity? How might we learn to live peacefully with one another within the limits of the Earth supporting us? How does education respond to the challenges of climate change, global health issues and social crises?
• Inclusive Education: How do we embrace diversity? What are the challenges associated with the proposition that education is for all? What policies and initiatives are being implemented to specifically support neurodiverse students and those from migrant and refugee backgrounds? How do we acknowledge and challenge specific examples of marginalisation in education, as evidenced by gender divides and hate crimes?
• Educational Equity and Access: How might education reach out to all? How might education respond to the challenge of competition, distribution, and access to educational services supporting our communities? What spaces, resources, initiatives and providers are needed to create more equitable and accessible educational futures?
• Professional, Community and Vocational Learning: What new challenges in workspaces and practices are impacting on professional, community and vocational learning? How is knowledge generated and shared in occupational and professional contexts and across professional boundaries? How does community education and learning foster wider inclusion, lifelong learning, and social cohesion of communities?