Abstract Guidelines
We invite submissions for individual papers, emerging ideas, symposia and posters 鈥 and we especially welcome proposals for creative sessions that might not fit formal expectations of academic conference submissions.
In addition to your abstract, you will be asked to select / provide up to four key words that will help the committee to create connections between submissions and group them across the programme.
Please submit your abstract or proposal by 23:59 BST Thursday 02 April.
To maximise participation in the conference and to avoid timetable clashes, we request that each individual is only a named presenter on either an individual paper or a symposia submission. You may be a named presenter in a creative session, in addition to a paper or symposia. You may present in one of the above and a creative session, but you will need to let us know if both of these are accepted so we can schedule accordingly.
All members of our community, and anyone with an interest in international and comparative education, are welcome to participate in the conference whether they submit an abstract or not. Registration will open soon.
Submissions can take the following forms (click to expand):
Individual Papers
Please submit an abstract of up to 300 words. Individual papers will be grouped into sessions lasting 60-90 minutes, with 3-4 presentations in each session. Priority will be given to abstracts that centre an idea, rather than a project. When we present projects we draw and assert boundaries around them, as well as our place within them. Rather, at 糖心传媒 2026 we encourage you to consider what are the critical issues at the heart of your work? What theories or approaches have stretched your thinking around these issues? Do normative definitions or framings enrich or limit possibilities in this area of work?
We anticipate that ideas will likely draw on projects as inspiration, but we discourage presentations that summarise project process (e.g., a chronological walk through research questions, approach, analysis, findings, discussion). Instead, we encourage presentations that showcase a particular aspect of a project with the intention of starting conversations and creating connections: if someone wants to find out more about the finer details of your project, you can tell them about it over lunch!
For individual paper submissions, we will strive to group presentations with common interests but which may take different perspectives or approaches.
Emerging ideas
Emerging ideas submissions will provide a space for presenters to share early-stage concepts, work in development, or new directions they are beginning to explore. These presentations are designed for those who would value concise feedback at a formative stage. Presentations in this format will be 6 minute long, using a maximum of two slides. Please submit an abstract of up to 200 words. We recognise that Emerging Ideas may overlap with the Individual Papers category; contributors are welcome to choose whichever format best suits their objectives. As a guide, Emerging Ideas will offer a supportive space to test out initial insights, methodological directions, or early project plans, without the expectation of presenting results of your study. Emerging Ideas presentations will be grouped into 60-90 minute sessions with up to 8 presentations per session.
Symposia
Please submit an abstract of up to 800 words. Symposia will last between 60-90 minutes. There is no limit to the number of presenters. All proposals will be considered, but to ensure the conference is financially viable, priority may be given to sessions that include three (or more!) registered conference participants. We especially welcome submissions that include colleagues from a range of institutions and contexts, and include early career researchers. We are open about the format of the session, but we ask that the presentation element is limited to half of the allocated time, with the rest of the session focussed on discussion. We particularly encourage symposia that bring presenters into genuine dialogue with each other, where their papers speak to, challenge, and critically engage with one another (even if through productive disagreements) so that the session collectively advances debate rather than presenting discrete papers. In your abstract, please briefly indicate how you intend to structure the session. Please make it clear in your abstract how your work links to the main conference theme and why a symposium space has been chosen over an individual paper submission.
Posters
Please submit an abstract of up to 300 words. We welcome traditional academic posters, as well as other visual representations of work that can be displayed in our exhibition space. Please make it clear in your abstract how your work links to the main conference theme.
Creative Sessions
Please submit an abstract of up to 800 words. We welcome any format or structure as long as there is a strong focus on people coming together to communicate, reflect and learn. Please note, if the proposed format for a creative session is deemed too similar to a symposia, it will be assessed as such and the presenters will not be able to present in this, and in an individual paper. Creative sessions will last 60-90 minutes 鈥 please indicate which you would prefer. There is no limit to the number of presenters. All proposals will be considered, but to ensure the conference is financially viable, priority may be given to sessions that include three (or more!) registered conference participants.
TIPS
Your abstract must fit within the specified word count.
Avoid including references in the abstract unless essential (but these must be included in the word count if used).
Avoid an overly long title.
Indicate, if appropriate, whether the abstract is based on ongoing or completed research.
ABSTRACT REVIEW PROCESS
Each abstract will be reviewed by at least two members of the Conference Committee and assessed against each of the following criteria:
- Relevance (does the submission directly interrogate the conference theme?)
- Originality (does the submission include new thoughts, arguments, findings, methodologies or ways of addressing a key issue?)
- Commitment to thinking across boundaries (to what extent does the submission indicate an existing transgression of boundaries, or an openness to doing so to advance knowledge?)
- Significance for educational policy and/or practice.
Submission tags:
Key Dates

