This conference examines the future of education globally from across varied disciplinary fields. It does in an era of unprecedent change: A worldwide pandemic that distanced the educator from the learner. The emergence of AI. The continued diversification of the student body. The decolonization of the curriculum. The incorporation of sustainability and resilience into our teaching – to name just a few of the issues at play.

Starting from this premise, this conference is interested in exploring critical perspectives on the future of education in specific disciplines and across disciplinary boundaries. It does so however, with an equal concern for maintaining what is strong and functions well in the way we teach today.

For example, in spatial design disciplines like architecture and urban planning the ‘crit’ is being questioned. In the broader art and design fields, the pandemic has led to a rethink of ‘the studio’. In the social sciences there is an increasing emphasis on engaging both learners and communities. Across media studies and the humanities the large lecture format is being remodeled. In the health and wellbeing fields big data is increasingly seen as important. Simultaneously, like in most other fields, in engineering and the sciences the impacts of AI are already being felt.

All this sits alongside currents of change that have been flowing through academia in recent years: the integration of teaching and research, the emergence of new pedagogical theories, the widening of participation, the creeping financialization of teaching and learning, and more. The range of issues moulding what we do as educators in our individual classes, studios and labs then, is and always was, vast. How we navigate this moment while conserving what has worked well in the past is critical.

Reflecting on this scenario from the historic city of Madrid, this conference draws on an educational history that is deep-rooted: the city is home to the Royal Spanish Academy, the internationally renowned Instituto Cervantes and some of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. It is an ideal setting for examining the future of education in our respective disciplines, but also understanding their individual pasts. With this in mind, the conference seeks examples of best practice teaching and research across disciplinary fields and issues including, but not limited to:

Teaching & Learning | Art & Design | Humanities & Social Sciences | Engineering & Built Environments | Science & Technology | Health & Wellbeing

Responding to the impact of AI | Emerging pedagogies – from the flipped classroom to un-grading | Internationalization & decolonizing the curriculum | Student focused learning & support | Community & industry partnerships | Cross-disciplinary teaching & research | Educational technologies and more.