International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies
CONFERENCE
24 – 27 June 2025
The International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies (IAACS) is established to support a worldwide field of curriculum studies. The conference, which occurs every four years, attracts a diverse international crowd of scholars and researchers from every continent in the field of curriculum studies to present their findings and discuss improvements over a period of three to four days.
Curriculum Studies in the Post/Anthropocene, invites scholars to explore the evolving intersections of curriculum theory and the complex challenges posed by the Anthropocene and beyond. Since Crutzen and Stoermer (2000) proposed the Anthropocene to capture humanity’s transformative impact on Earth’s systems, there have been growing calls to rethink this epoch. Moore (2015), for instance, suggested the term Capitalocene, attributing the rise of capitalism as the pivotal moment in humanity’s relationship with the more-than-human world. As we grapple with the posthuman condition, characterised by the confluence of advanced technologies and environmental degradation, theorists like Braidotti (2019) urge us to reconsider traditional conceptions of subjectivity and human exceptionalism. This conference seeks to address the implications of these developments for curriculum studies, engaging with contemporary theorisings in fields such as new materialism/s, feminist materialism/s, speculative realism, object-oriented ontologies and agential realism. We invite papers that critically explore how curriculum can navigate these emerging developments and contribute to reconfiguring justice, ethics, and subjectivity in the context of the post/anthropocene.
In the context of the post/anthropocene, curriculum reforms and transformations should contend with the rapid sociological, ecological, and technological shifts shaping our world. The concept of the ‘thick now,’ which captures the urgency of these accelerating changes, provides fertile ground for reimagining and reconfiguring possibilities for curriculum. Posthumanism, with its challenge to anthropocentric views and emphasis on the interconnectedness of humans, technology, and non-humans, offers a critical impetus for curriculum scholars to reconfigure traditional frameworks. This approach opens imaginative spaces for exploring alternative ways of knowing, becoming, and doing, where curriculum is no longer a solely human-centered project. The rise of Artificial Intelligence further disrupts conventional notions of curriculum, prompting questions about the ethical implications of AI in education research and the new pathways it creates for learning. As we engage in complicated curriculum conversations, these disruptions open possibilities for the creation of something transformative, where diverse voices and perspectives come together to co-create new curricular possibilities. Alternative and arts-based methods can enrich these conversations, providing more nuanced approaches to curriculum inquiry that capture the complexities of the present condition. Meanwhile, the urgency of sustainability, coupled with geopolitical shifts, demands that curriculum scholars critically engage with questions about the future of education in an increasingly interconnected and precarious world.
The objectives of the Conference are to:
(i) Offer a platform for researchers to disseminate the findings of their study and thus contribute to the discourse, understanding and practices in the field of curriculum studies in general, and Higher Education, in particular;
(ii) Advance curricular practices that are supportive of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in terms of quality of education and achievement of social justice;
(iii) Promote comparative perspectives in curriculum studies and enhance creative responses to contextual issues; and
(iv) Encourage networking across organizations to promote dialogue among practitioners and researchers.
Conference contacts:
Conferences secretariat: higherstudies@mie.ac.mu Phone: +230 401 6555 (Ext: 595)
Abstract submission queries: email: higherstudies@mie.ac.mu
Finance queries: email: financegroup@mie.ac.mu
Conference co-ordinators:
Prof Hyleen Mariaye
Mauritius Institute of Education
Email: h.mariaye@mie.ac.mu
And
Prof Labby Ramrathan
IAACS/SAERA/University of KwaZulu-Natal
Email: ramrathanp@ukzn.ac.za