Theme: Education in an Age of Uncertainty: memory and hope for the future

Social, political and economic problems have significant impacts on education and educational research. Educationalists and educational researchers have always been at the forefront of efforts to respond to societal changes. In this respect, the last few years have been exceptionally challenging for education systems and educationalists across the world. These challenges have been experienced in very contextualised and specific ways in Europe with economic crises, global pandemics and now war impacting not only on what we do as researchers and practitioners but also how we conceptualise our role(s)! On top of all these, the reality of mass migration and its impact on how we think of ourselves, our borders and our identity as Europeans in a general sense and European educational researchers in a specific way continues to engage us collectively and individually.

The complexity we are living through shouldn’t, however, obscure the history of some of these challenges and the contributions of educational research to addressing them. In 2024, EERA will be celebrating 30 years of service. It will be an opportunity to look back at our achievements and to focus on the future with hope and resilience. The annual ECER has always been at the forefront of developments both in educational research and educational practice in Europe and worldwide. As an association, EERA commits itself to engaging in high quality educational research for the benefit of society. This is, in and of itself, a declaration of hope as we view our work as contributing to the betterment of the broader society. It is also, however, an acknowledgement of the reality that the drive for societal improvement is an ongoing process that draws on a past, is explored in the present and seeks to influence the future. The ECER 2024 in Cyprus is an opportunity for us all to gather, discuss and debate around these themes. There will be special celebratory sessions to commemorate and acknowledge EERA’s 30 years of service in educational research. We will explore key issues, trends, successes and challenges in educational research and seek to examine how these might assist us in addressing current and future needs, challenges and opportunities.

It is particularly appropriate that this conference will be held in Cyprus. The island offers archaeological sites dating back tens of thousands of years, it has a fascinating history and gives us an opportunity to reflect on our current realities against a broader social and historical canvas. This opportunity to stand back, reflect and challenge ourselves to move beyond the concerns of the moment and consider the wider trends, hopes and possibilities is at the core of our theme. We need to look back and remember, we need to explain and explore where we are, acknowledging the challenges, uncertainties and unstable ground that characterises our current reality but ultimately we must look forward with hope to what is, as of yet, an unscripted and unknown future.

The ECER welcomes proposals that examine all of these areas exploring how our past endeavours, current realities and future hopes impact on education, schooling, educational research in Europe and beyond.

We look forward to welcoming you to the beautiful island of Cyprus with its wonderful food, hiking trails in the mountains and some of the best beaches in the world. We welcome old friends and new colleagues with enthusiasm and we invite you to enjoy a glass of wine and all the other amenities that Cyprus has to offer, as well as each other's company and thoughtful, informative discussions on educational research. We will see you in Nicosia!