The 52nd annual conference of OCIES will be hosted this year in Melbourne at the Australian Catholic University. The conference is being convened by a committee comprised of representatives of ACU, University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and Monash University, as well as education and development practitioners, reflecting the collaborative nature of our society. Details of the conference theme, call for abstracts, and registration are below. We look forward to hosting you in Melbourne soon!
There have been many calls for the rethinking, reimagining and re-visioning of Comparative and International Education (CIE). This has occurred alongside, and in response to, critical agendas of decolonising and decarbonising, the rise of Artificial Intelligence, as well as the deep questioning of the role of both research and education in our contemporary worlds. This year marks a decade since the vote was taken to support changing the formerly named Australian-New Zealand CIES (ANZCIES) to Oceania CIES (OCIES). This change responded to desires from our members for an identity more inclusive and welcoming of educationists from across our region, and for challenging some of the assumed borders of our Society and of CIE as a field. Choosing Oceania for the new name of the Society was a deliberate decision aimed at centring the ocean that connects us as people of/in the Pacific islands, Aotearoa, Australia and other neighbours. In OCIES we promote Oceania not as a geographic concept but as a relational space that connects all those who choose to enter, regardless of where we are researching from or in.
Ten years on from the name-change, and in light of the current tensions and debates within the field of CIE and academic research more broadly, we believe it is timely to take stock of what it is that CIE from the Oceania region is doing, what it can do, and what it should do. This includes considering the type of questions we ask, the type of knowledge valued and the ways of working and relating promoted and enabled through our CIE research. Conversely, what does it currently silence, hide or constrain and with what effects? OCIES offers a unique space for asking such questions, being located outside the historically constructed ‘centres’ of power of CIE.
We have designed the structure of the conference to honour time for connection, collaboration, and discussion, and the ethic of relationality that underpins our Society. In doing so, we have built on previous OCIES conferences in offering session types that centre opportunities for conversation and collaborative learning, and that value diversity in ways of engaging and knowing. Recognising the pressures that many of us are facing in our research and practice to achieve greater efficiency, productivity and ‘impact’ with less resources, the conference is designed to be a rejuvenating space that produces connections and conversations that extend beyond the moment in time of the conference itself.
The conference will be structured around four sub-themes. These sub-themes are designed to focus discussions on what our CIE research(ers) within the Oceanian region is, can and should be doing in and for our worlds. These themes are:
Abstracts can be submitted for four different session formats, each of which are designed to encourage discussion and relationship building amongst all participants:
Further details are in the Call for Abstracts.
To submit an abstract please complete the form by clicking here or copy and paste the following URL into your browser search bar: https://forms.gle/1BiPbWSxdtubSJ3F9
The deadline for Abstracts is: Monday 22nd July
(extended from original deadline of 1st July)
Conference registration is being managed by Humanitix. Click here to register or copy and paste the following link into your browser:https://events.humanitix.com/ocies-annual-conference-2024
Registration fee rates are listed on the Humanitix site and in the Call for Abstracts.
Early bird fees are available until 30th August.
Discounted rates are available for current paid OCIES members, full time students, unwaged/retired, and those from Low-Middle Income Countries (LIC) and Pacific island countries (PIC).
Please click here to become a member of the OCIES.
The conference will take place at the Melbourne campus of ACU, located on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri (Woiwurrung) people. The conference will be held in ACU’s newly established dedicated conference space in the heart of what is traditionally known as Ngár-go, now Fitzroy. Fitzroy is on the edge of the CBD and is the site of many popular restaurants, cafes and shops. It is in easy walking distance of CBD accommodation options, as well as the many parks, museums and art galleries that that Melbourne has to offer. For more of the history of the place you will be visiting, have a look at the following websites:
Deadly Story – the land of the Wurundjeri
Deadly Story – Ngár-go
City of Melbourne– About Melbourne
Audio walking guide – Yalinguth
Conference registration includes the pre-conference workshop for New and Emerging Researchers of OCIES, a welcome reception on Tuesday night, morning/afternoon and lunchtime catering for the three days of the conference, and the conference dinner on Thursday night.
Further details on accommodation options will be provided in due course. We have secured a limited number of rooms in University accommodation, that will be prioritised for students and others with demonstrated need. When registering, please indicate your interest in these rooms.
When registering, please also indicate whether you require a support letter for a visa application. These can be provided by ACU to those who require them.