Call for papers

Abstract submission period: 8 January–13 February 2026 
Conference dates: 2–3 June 2026

Theme: “A Humanely Sustainable and Impactful Higher Education” 

Pedaforum 2026 invites you to reflect on how pedagogical well-being, ethics, responsibility, internationalisation, working life relevance, lifelong learning, educational technology, and pedagogical leadership shape the future of higher education. 

Topics related to the theme are listed at the end of this call. Please ensure your abstract aligns with the conference themes. 

  • Submission period: 8 January–13 February 2026 
  • Notification of acceptance: by 13 March 2026
Submit your abstract via electronic form

Please note: The abstract you submit may be published as part of the event program.

Presentation Formats 

  • Oral presentation 
  • Workshop 
  • Poster 
  • Symposium (including 3–4 individual symposium presentations)

MuotoDescription of Presentation Types 

Oral Presentation

Oral presentations may be research-oriented or practice-/ development-oriented that either focus on on-going or completed work. 

A. Research-oriented oral presentation: 
Include in your abstract: 
a) Theoretical background, research aim, and research questions 
b) Methods used 
c) Key findings 
d) Conclusions 
Indicate that your presentation is research-oriented on the submission form. 

B. Practice-oriented or development-oriented oral presentation: 
Include in your abstract: 
a) Purpose and aims 
b) Target group and context 
c) Implementation methods 
d) Key observations 
e) Next steps 
Indicate that your presentation is practice-oriented or development-oriented on the submission form. 

Duration: 15 minutes + 5 minutes for discussion. Individual presentations will be grouped into thematic sessions.Muoto 

Workshop 

Workshops should actively engage participants and promote collaborative development of higher education pedagogy. They may be designed as discussion-based, co-creative, gamified, performative, spatial, embodied, or a combination of these approaches. 

Include in your abstract: 
a) Workshop objectives 
b) Implementation and participant engagement methods 
c) Expected outcomes for participants 

Duration: 45 or 90 minutes (select in the submission form).Muoto

Poster

Posters may overview ongoing or completed research, or they may be practice-oriented or development-oriented. Prepare the abstract following the oral presentation guidelines and indicate its orientation on the submission form. 

Posters will be presented digitally during a poster session, which begins with short introductions (3 minutes per poster), followed by open discussion. 

Duration of poster session: 45 minutes. 

Symposium

A symposium consists of three or four oral presentations linked by a common theme or perspective, plus a discussant’s commentary. Presentations may have a research-orientation or a practice-/development-orientation, or a combination of both. 

The symposium organiser must submit: 

  1. Symposium overview, including: 
    a) Objectives 
    b) Structure and content 
    c) Details of the discussant 
    d) Expected outcomes for participants 
    Presentation type: Symposium.  
    Indicate whether the symposium focuses on research, development, or both. 
  1. Individual symposium presentations, submitted separately following oral presentation guidelines. Each submission must include: 
  • Presentation type: Symposium presentation 
  • Indication of orientation: Research-oriented or practice-/ development-oriented 
  • Additional information: Name of the symposium organiser and the title of the symposium (Important: This ensures all symposium presentations are linked correctly with the intended symposium overview.) 

Duration: 90 minutes (e.g., 15–20 min per presentation, 15 min for discussant comments, 15 min for audience discussion). 

Abstract Writing Guidelines for All Abstracts

The abstract should briefly present the content and aims of your presentation. Abstracts will be reviewed by the scientific committee to determine acceptance and to inform programme planning. 

Please follow these instructions: 

  • Title: max. 15 words 
  • Abstract length: max. 500 words 
  • References: Include in-text citations (APA style); no reference list required 
  • Language: Finnish or English (presentation language must match abstract language) 
  • Provide 3–4 keywords 

Further information: abstraktit.pedaforum@uef.fi 

Conference Themes and Suggested Topics 

We welcome abstracts on the following themes: 

  1. Internationalisation and multiculturalism in higher education 
  • Internationalisation and multilingual pedagogy 
  • Study-related and work-related migration 
  1. Educational technology, digitalisation, and pedagogical development 
  • Simulation technology and pedagogy 
  • Artificial intelligence 
  • Digital pedagogy and online teaching 
  • Digivisio – annual review 
  1. Meaningful learning, ethical perspectives, and human-centred approaches 
  • Human-centred and empathetic teaching 
  • Ethical and learner-focused approaches 
  • Sustainable and humane learning environments 
  1. Pedagogical well-being 
  • Diversity and support for learning challenges 
  • Self-efficacy and coaching pedagogy 
  • Holistic student well-being 
  • Teacher well-being 
  1. Pedagogical leadership 
  • Data-driven leadership 
  • Curriculum development 
  • Development of pedagogical environments 
  1. Working life orientation in learning and competence-based education 
  • Collaboration with working life 
  • Competence-based approaches 
  • Lifelong learning 
  • Digital infrastructure and future development 
  1. Accountability and sustainable development in higher education 
  • Accountability and sustainability 
  • Pedagogical innovations for sustainable development