The world faces many challenges, some of which threaten its existence, including climate change, regional wars, inequalities between rich and poor, and cultural intolerance and extremism. In addressing these problems many policy makers are considering how to transform education, to ensure it provides children and youth with new competencies and behaviours. This has generated a growing focus on soft skills — non-cognitive competencies, attitudes, and values that enable young people to better manage their lives and their relations with others and with the planet. Of particular interest is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), which can contribute to personal and social development as well as to success in school, work, home, and the wider society. Today, successful schools not only seek to help students pass their exams but also effectively prepare them to face contemporary problems and future challenges.

Many researchers and institutions have worked on the concept of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), studying it from different perspectives and leading to the emergence and reinforcement of multiple subfields that share many interconnected concepts — for example, life skills, non-cognitive skills, civic education, citizenship education, twenty-first century skills, values education and religious education.

Although many detailed frameworks have been developed around SEL, the common denominator is their endeavour to nurture the values that individuals need in order to live in harmony and peace in the world, today and tomorrow. Included among these frameworks are: the OECD’s Study on Social and Emotional skills; the Battelle for Kids P21 Framework for 21st Century Skills; the framework on Social and Emotional Education created by the European Commission Network of Experts on Social Aspects of Education and Training (NESET); the International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile; the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework; and Harvard’s EASEL project which categorises SEL programmes along different dimensions. Important examples from Asia, Africa and Latin America are cited in the NISSEM Global Briefs Volume 3 “SEL in context.” (See also other volumes in the NISSEM Global Briefs series.)

The hybrid Conference will be organised jointly with NISSEM (Networking to Integrate SDG 4.7 and SEL into Education Materials), as part of its 5th Anniversary Webinar series.

This Call for Abstracts is now open for the 20th CIMQUSEF International Conference on Quality in Education to be held on 15th and 16th of November 2023 on the theme of “Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): a pillar in strategies for education transformation”. The conference seeks to address major issues facing educational systems, identify and contextualise theory and practice, and allow deep discussions between SEL researchers and practitioners – all aiming to improve the provision of quality education.

Both quantitative and qualitative research in the field of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) can be submitted to the conference. Abstracts on any subject related to the field are welcome, specifically the following topics:

Conceptions of SEL:
Conceptual frameworks of SEL;
Good practices in SEL research
SEL and Well-Being:
SEL and economic and social well-being;
Mental health of students and teachers;
SEL for adult education and lifelong learning
SEL and Social Inclusion:
SEL and inclusive education;
SEL, migration and refugees;
SEL and cultural specificities;
SEL in non-Western contexts
SEL and Teaching and Learning:
SEL and curriculum development;
SEL and textbooks and instructional materials;
SEL and emerging technologies, including AI;
Teacher preparation and SEL
SEL and Transformation:
SEL and transforming education;
SEL and Sustainable Development Goal target 4.7;
SEL for a peaceful world
Monitoring, reporting and assessment frameworks of SEL


Please submit abstracts in English of not more than 350 words through the online submission system and send a copy to (amaquen@amaquen.org). Papers may be submitted in English or Arabic.


The closing date for submission of abstracts is 31st of May 2023.