Dear Colleagues of the PhD Programme in Pedagogical, Educational and Instructional Sciences,
The organizing committee of the PhD Programme in Education and Social Sciences at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (unibz) is pleased to announce the international conference:
Beyond Boundaries: Rethinking Borders in Education, Society, and Thought
Brixen-Bressanone (Italy)
1–3 July 2026
The PhD Conference Beyond Boundaries invites PhD candidates and early-career researchers in the fields of education, pedagogy, social sciences, and related disciplines.
In a context marked by increasing complexity, intersectionality, and global interconnectedness, boundaries are no longer fixed or self-evident. The conference aims to create an open and interdisciplinary space in which early-stage scholars can explore how disciplinary, social, and conceptual boundaries shape knowledge, identities, and social practices — and how these boundaries can be critically questioned and transformed.
Through reflection on the tensions between specialization and interdisciplinarity, on visible and invisible social boundaries, and on the limits of knowledge, language, and meaning, Beyond Boundaries fosters critical dialogue on inclusion, innovation, and participation in educational and social research.
The transdisciplinary nature of the conference is also reflected in the diversity of the invited international keynote speakers, whose contributions will range from research on emotion regulation to innovative approaches to communicating and disseminating academic knowledge. The programme will also devote particular attention to the well-being of early-career researchers, including a session on mindfulness and a keynote lecture addressing overachievement in academia.
Abstracts may be submitted in English, Italian, or German. Presentations will be held in English.
Attached are the extended Call for Abstracts, the full program, and the conference flyer. For further information regarding registration procedures and fees, please consult our website.