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AEPF & KBBB 2025

Rethinking Educational Research in Times of Change

© IzfB Uni DuE
A conference brought together around 350 experts to discuss how societal change, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence are reshaping education and educational research.

How are societal transformation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and changing patterns of diversity reshaping education - and what do these developments mean for educational research? These questions were at the heart of the conference “Changing Education - Changing Educational Research?”, which took place at the University of Duisburg-Essen from 22 to 24 September 2025. Around 350 participants from academia, educational practice, and policymaking came together for research presentations, symposia, discussion forums, and keynote lectures. The programme addressed topics such as social inequality, migration-related diversity, artificial intelligence in teaching and learning, and collaboration between research and practice. A dedicated session on AI in educational contexts also connected the conference with the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025.

The conference brought together expertise from across the University Alliance Ruhr. Keynotes by Prof. Dr. Aladin El-Mafaalani from TU Dortmund University and Prof. Dr. Nikol Rummel from Ruhr University Bochum complemented the strong educational research profile of the host institution, the University of Duisburg-Essen. This cross-location exchange demonstrated the added value of the UA Ruhr by combining diverse perspectives, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, and jointly addressing complex educational challenges. The conference also reflected the ResCom’s ambition to increase the visibility of educational research across the three universities and to create new opportunities for cooperation between researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders.