Early Career Researchers Archives

Reflections of an ERC bursary awardee: How the global forum of ECER promotes self education

by Mutmainna Mutmainna | Emerging Researchers' Group, General, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

I feel blessed and honored to have been chosen as one of the winners of the Emerging Researchers’ Conference bursary, which provides opportunities to join the Emerging Researchers’ Conference (ERC) and the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2025.

This opportunity provided me with many valuable experiences. The first being that this was the furthest that I have travelled in my whole life. Starting from my home country of Indonesia, the route to Belgrade took almost 48 hours. Second, this was the first time I had attended a global forum with so many participants – the conferences were attended by 3076 participants from 70 countries. For me, one of the most valuable moments as a young researcher was the “Network Meeting”. This connected me with researchers from around the world who work on the topic of my doctoral study.

The importance of ECER and ERC as a global forum for PhD students

A group of ERC bursary winners on stage, being celebrated at the EERA conference

The global forum holds regular meetings including the education community. A global forum is a conference, symposium, or workshop that brings together participants from many countries and regions, not just one nation or institution. There are several ways in which PhD students can connect to global forums. One is to attend international conferences that are relevant to their research discipline. For example, as a PhD student in educational research, I chose the EERA conference. As EERA is an organization that brings together several research associations in regional and national education in Europe, attending the conference provided direct interaction with international researchers, either related to my work directly or other fields. Through this global forum, I had the opportunity to connect and exchange contact information with them, and begin building a professional network that will bring many benefits in the future. For PhD students who need financial support, many organizations offer scholarships to help students attend the conference. One of them is the Emerging Researchers’ Conference (ERC) Bursary.

Global forum and whole self education

Whole self education, sometimes referred to as holistic education or education for the whole person, is the idea of wholeness: of connections, inclusiveness, and oneness across intellectual, emotional, social, and ethical dimensions. It is an approach to education that views learning not only as the acquisition of academic knowledge but also as a process that develops the person as a whole. (Kwak, 2020; Saito & Akiyama, 2024)

As I reflected on my experiences at ERC, I was inspired by the book Redefining Spiritual Spaces in the Age of Technology: Innovations and Pitfalls. One chapter discusses Forum as a Transformative Method of Whole Self Educationby Jeff Snipes (Snipes J, 2025), and this really resonated with me. The chapter introduces the Forum Theory of Change model, which explains the four fundamental principles that shape whole self-education.

Be with awareness
Feel with compassion
Think with wisdom
Do with purpose

Applying the four principles through my ERC and ECER experience

My experience of attending ERC and ECER in Belgrade offered real examples of how these four principles can shape academic and personal growth:

Be with awareness

Self-awareness and our relationship with others and our environment affect our psychological health. This capacity has a positive effect on various aspects of our lives, including academic performance. When I attended ERC, I met with other young researchers from around the world and exchanged results from our research. The large number of ECER participants also meant there were many discussion rooms where I could explore new knowledge from other fields. This encouraged me to reflect on my research, compare how other presenters explain their work, and consider the feedback from others. I felt these experiences emotionally and they reminded me to be aware of my role as a PhD student in the future, both for my academic community and for my country.

Feel with compassion

A five-year longitudinal study with1090 participants showed that compassion for oneself and for other people is linked to reduced loneliness and increased mental health positivity throughout life (Lee et al., 2021). One of the valuable experiences from ECER and ERC was feeling compassion from others. After a long trip, I found it difficult to carry my travel bag, and local Belgrade residents around me offered their help. This was a memorable experience that helped me understand the culture of Belgrade. I realized that compassion can be found even in countries so far from my own. This also includes how I experienced the academic interactions (workshops, discussions, etc) that occurred during the ERC and ECER. I interacted with researchers from various countries, experiencing mutual respect in giving and receiving advice and feedback.

Think with wisdom

According to Grossmann et al. (2020), a person is said to be wise when they consider multiple viewpoints, combine opposing perspectives, reflect deeply, and show intellectual humility (Grossmann et al. 2020). When I participate in global forums such as ECR and ECER, as a PhD student it gives me the opportunity to develop my thinking with wisdom. For example, I can practice listening openly to a presenter when joining a parallel session, engage thoughtfully with new information, or offer suggestions in a supportive, not patronizing way.

Do with purpose

Damon et al. (2019) describe purpose as a stable and general intention for achieving something that is meaningful for the self, but also has an impact on others. One of the memorable moments of the ERC was in the opening ceremony, when the President of EERA, Marit Honerød Hoveid addressed all participants of ERC, saying, “…you are the future.” Her words remind me of my responsibility as a young researcher and as part of a new generation in my country – to do my best and build a network within the global community. Attending the ERC and ECER encouraged deep reflection, providing space to think about educational issues in my country and consider what role I can play in addressing them in the future.

Key Messages

Participating in global forums is a meaningful way to foster whole self education.
Global forums create opportunities to meet with various researchers from different countries around the world
ERC and ECER provide space to reflect on educational issues and envision the roles we can play in the future.
Global forums nurture a sense of identity and responsibility as emerging researchers

Mutmainna

Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia

PhD candidate of Educational Research and Evaluation, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia. Mutmainna is a lecturer in the Physics Education Department at Universitas Sulawesi Barat. Her research interests include physics conceptual understanding and misconceptions, curriculum and instruction, and assessment in physics learning.

References and Further Reading

Goetz, J. L., Keltner, D., & Simon-Thomas, E. (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(3), 351–374. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018807

Lee, E. E., Govind, T., Ramsey, M., Wu, T. C., Daly, R., Liu, J., Tu, X. M., Paulus, M. P., Thomas, M. L., & Jeste, D. V. (2021). Compassion toward others and self-compassion predict mental and physical well-being: A 5-year longitudinal study of 1090 community-dwelling adults across the lifespan. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), 397. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01491-8

Snipes, J. (2025). Forum as a Transformative Method of Whole Self Education. In Redefining Spiritual Spaces in the Age of Technology: Innovations and Pitfalls (pp. 155-178). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

Empowering racialised women in European academia: Collaboration across borders

by Prof. Victoria Showunmi, Dr. Anne-Sophie Godfroy, Dr. Edna Costa, Dr. Marian Blanco-Ruiz | NW 33 Gender and Education

Foto de Shantanu Kumar en Unsplash

Across Europe, the persistent underrepresentation of racialised women in academia — understood as women positioned within racial categories through historical and social processes of racialisation that produce symbolic and material hierarchies shaping their experiences — reflects deep-seated structural inequalities rooted in colonial histories, racial hierarchies, and gendered exclusions. The project “Exploring Wellbeing and Progression Experiences among Racialised Women in Postgraduate Education” investigates how early-career researchers (ECRs) who identify as racialised women navigate these complexities within higher education institutions in England, France, Portugal, and Spain.

The project Exploring Wellbeing and Progression Experiences among Racialised Women in Postgraduate Education is supported by EERA Network 33: Gender and Education. It grew out of two related initiatives: the COST Action VOICES (CA20137, Making young researchers’ voices heard for gender equality), and the UCL-funded Global Engagement project examining the lived experiences of Black women in postgraduate education in England and France through an intersectional lens.

Building on these foundations, our project set out not only to analyse these racialised women’s experiences in academia, but also to build capacity among racialised women researchers by creating transnational spaces of exchange, reflection, and empowerment.

The project was carried out by a multidisciplinary and transnational research team, bringing together scholars with extensive expertise in gender, race, and higher education.

Professor Victoria Showunmi of University College London, UK (Team Lead)
Dr Anne-Sophie Godfroy of École Normale Supérieure – PSL, France
Dr Edna Falorca da Costa of University of Minho, Portugal
Dr Marian Blanco Ruiz of Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain.

Their collaboration exemplifies the project’s commitment to cross-border learning and to fostering inclusive research practices within European academia.

Politics, power, and post-colonial past

The project is situated within a critical political moment. Across Europe, right-wing populist movements continue to gain ground, often combining anti-gender rhetoric with nativist and xenophobic ideologies. Within this climate, racialised women scholars from former colonies face overlapping challenges – negotiating academic careers while contending with the residual power of colonial structures and the cultural expectations of “belonging” in European higher education.

“The transnational comparison across very different national contexts, more or less sensitive to reflexivity on racial inequalities, allows common patterns of exclusion and shared strategies of resistance to emerge”.

Anne-Sophie Godfroy

Researcher in France

By drawing comparisons across four post-imperial national contexts, the study explores how histories of empire continue to shape institutional cultures. Taking inspiration from Fradera’s (2018) work on the ongoing relationship between former empires and colonies, the project examines how racialised women ECRs relate to colonial/decolonial culture and how they interpret their academic identities through it.

Rethinking identity – Intersectionality as a starting point

Rather than treating race as an afterthought to gender, the study asks: how is gender itself constructed through the lived experiences of racialised women? Intersectionality — understood as an analytic framework that elucidates how multiple dimensions of identity, including but not limited to gender, race, social class, sexual orientation, and disability, intersect and mutually constitute one another — serves as the project’s principal analytical lens, drawing upon Black feminist and postcolonial theoretical traditions.

Women in higher education are not a single story; intersectionality ensures we see the full narrative. Only by acknowledging the complexity of their identities can we create truly inclusive and transformative academic spaces.

Victoria Showunmi

Lead Researcher of the project

This sentiment encapsulates the project’s central aim of linking personal experience with structural analysis.

The project’s theoretical foundation combines Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, hooks’ Black feminist critique of representation, and Mohanty’s decolonial analysis of feminism (2003), highlighting how race, gender, and history intersect in academic life. These ideas are placed in dialogue with European reflections on universalism and citizenship by Balibar (1997),Diagne (2013), and Fassa, Lepinard, and Roca Escoda (2016). This exchange exposes the gap between Europe’s universal ideals and institutional realities, where “sophisticated racism” (Showunmi & Tomlin, 2022) persists beneath claims of neutrality and meritocracy.

Voice as method – Listening, trust, and shared space

At the heart of the research were focus groups held in each country throughout 2025, bringing together 24 postgraduate participants. These sessions were designed to create safe, reflective spaces where participants could articulate their experiences and develop new ways of discussing race and discrimination. A carousel approach was adopted, where researchers travelled between the four countries and observed how national contexts shaped both academic life and the language of inclusion.

The focus groups encouraged participants to move beyond isolation and build a shared sense of solidarity. Common themes emerged: the burden of “representing diversity,” the invisibility of racialised women in leadership, and the emotional labour of navigating majority-white academic environments. Yet there was also a strong thread of resilience – participants described finding strength through community, mentorship, and shared purpose.

Collaboration as capacity building

One of the project’s most significant achievements lies in its collaborative methodology. The transnational partnership between universities in England, France, Portugal, and Spain created a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange. Each team brought distinct disciplinary perspectives and cultural insights, ensuring that the research was both locally grounded and globally relevant.

This collaborative design became a form of capacity building in itself, as the discussion sessions brought together racialised ECR women who shared a common feeling and space, highlighting their expertise and visibility within their institutions. The script had an iterative design, meaning that interesting findings from one discussion group were implemented in the next, thus developing a model that illustrates how inclusive research practices can foster personal development while promoting collective understanding.

By empowering racialised women ECRs and their allies, the project helped participants develop new tools for addressing racial and gender-based inequalities. These included:

Strategies for self-advocacy
Ways of confronting microaggressions
Approaches to mentoring that centre on empathy and inclusion.

Participants reported that these skills translated into stronger engagement in their academic and professional environments.

Strengthening the European research community

The project’s outcomes extend beyond its participants. By incorporating the lived experiences of racialised ECRs, it enriches the European research landscape with perspectives that have often been marginalised. It challenges established narratives about who “belongs” in academia and what counts as legitimate knowledge.

Moreover, the collaboration strengthens EERA’s Gender Network by expanding its focus to include racial and postcolonial dimensions of gender inequality. Through links with initiatives such as COST Action CA20137 VOICES, the project connects individual empowerment with institutional change. This alignment fosters greater coherence across European research networks committed to diversity and inclusion.

The project also offers valuable insights for policymakers and institutions. By understanding how exclusion operates differently across contexts, universities can design more effective equity measures—ensuring that diversity initiatives move beyond symbolic gestures to produce tangible outcomes.

From research to reflection

This project demonstrates how research can serve as both analysis and intervention. The collaborative process not only generated empirical findings but also built networks of trust, understanding, and shared purpose among scholars across Europe. In doing so, it illustrates how capacity building can begin with listening: by valuing the lived experiences of those at the margins, research becomes a means of collective empowerment.

The findings will continue to inform ongoing dialogue within EERA’s Gender Network and beyond. Plans are underway to develop future projects that build on this foundation, fostering intersectional and transnational approaches to inclusion in European academia.

Ultimately, this study reminds us that collaboration across borders –and across difference – is not just a research strategy, but a necessary step towards transforming academia itself.

Key Messages

– The project examines how racialised women in postgraduate education across England, France, Portugal, and Spain experience wellbeing, academic progression, and structural exclusion within higher education systems shaped by colonial legacies and intersecting inequalities. – Through a transnational comparative approach grounded in Black feminist and postcolonial theory, the study identifies common patterns of invisibility, emotional labour, and “diversity burden,” as well as shared strategies of resistance, solidarity, and identity formation. – By creating collaborative, safe spaces for dialogue, the project strengthens capacity building, amplifies marginalised voices, and provides practical tools for transforming European academic cultures toward greater inclusion and equity.

Prof. Victoria Showunmi

Institute of Education, University College London, UK

Prof. Victoria Showunmi is Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Gender, Race and Identity at the Institute of Education (IOE), University College London (UCL). Her interests are gender, identity, and race through the lens of intersectionality, focusing on leadership and the lived experience of Black women and girls.

She develops fresh conceptual frameworks focusing on equity and social justice, especially the interplay between people and the sophistication of behaviours which lead to disengagement with the promotion of equality. Her work shows how culture and cultural background have the potential to disrupt power structures and lead to transformational change. She has an international profile based on the dissemination of her research through publication and teaching and was the recipient of BERA’s inaugural Academic Citizen of the Year award in 2023. This new award was created to honour a member of the wider academic community who has gone above and beyond in supporting colleagues and contributing to the wider discipline.

Prof. Showunmi is a member of the Gender and Education Executive, Past Chair of the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society, Chair of the International Studies Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Educational Research Association and co-convenor of the Gender Network of the European Educational Research Association.

Dr. Anne-Sophie Godfroy

University of Paris-Est Créteil, France

Anne-Sophie Godfroy is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris-Est Créteil in France. Her research interests include knowledge production and circulation, the role of science in society, responsible research and innovation, the relationship between gender and science, international comparisons, and the epistemology and methodology of multidisciplinary contexts.

Over the past decade, she has participated in several European-funded research projects on science and society, including the HORIZON structural change projects GEnderTime and ACT.

From 2021 to 2025, she chaired the COST Action VOICES, ‘Making Young Researchers’ Voices Heard for Gender Equality’. She is currently chairing the COST Innovator Grant Next Gender, which aims to build the capacity of the next generation of researchers and evaluators to engage in inclusive sex and gender research.

Dr. Edna Costa

University of Minho, Portugal

Dr. Edna Costa is an Assistant Professor at the School of Economics, Management and Political Science at the University of Minho and an integrated researcher at the Research Centre in Political Science (CICP-UM). She holds a PhD in Political Science from NOVA-FCSH (2018), with a thesis on work-family capabilities in Portugal and Spain. Her research interests focus on gender and politics, as well as youth political participation and representation, topics on which she has published nationally and internationally. She has also participated in several projects, among which, the study on “The political participation of Portuguese youth” (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), the COST Action “VOICES” on gender equality and early career researchers, and the SDSN-Portugal Work Group on “Meaningful Youth Engagement”.

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2341-6482
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/edna-falorca-da-costa-b5457630

Dr. Marian Blanco-Ruiz

Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain

Dr. Marian Blanco-Ruiz is a Lecturer in Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain). She holds a PhD in Media Research from Carlos III University of Madrid. Her research is grounded in feminist and gender-based approaches to media studies, with a focus on gender representations, digital and symbolic violence, and the impact of emerging technologies on youth, minors, and women’s mental health.

She has also participated in several projects, among which, is the leader of the project “The pressure of the ‘perfect mother’: the influence of digital media on women’s perception and mental health during motherhood and early childhood.” She is a member of the Core Group of the COST Action VOICES (2021–2025) and co-editor of the journal Communication and Gender.

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7920-5978
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianblancoruiz/

References and Further Reading

Balibar, É. (1997). Racisme et universalisme. Raison Présente, 122, 63–77. https://www.persee.fr/doc/raipr_0033-9075_1997_num_122_1_3401

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

Diagne, S. B. (2013). On the Postcolonial and the Universal? Rue Descartes, 78(2), 7–18. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275877851_On_the_Postcolonial_and_the_Universal

Fassa, F., Lepinard, E., & Roca Escoda, M. (2016). L’intersectionnalité: enjeux théoriques et politiques. La Dispute. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311577224_Intersectionnalite_enjeux_theoriques_et_politiques

Fradera, J. (2018). The Imperial Nation. Princeton University Press. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691167459/the-imperial-nation?srsltid=AfmBOopzeD1qDM_CvZu4YYz6yoii8HUGk1d4scxfn559XtdjxgBndK0K

hooks, b. (1981). Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism. Cambridge, MA: South End Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315743264

Mohanty, C. T. (2003). Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11smp7t

Showunmi, V. & Tomlin, C. (2022). Understanding and Managing Sophisticated and Everyday Racism. Rowman & Littlefield.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382720644_Understanding_and_Managing_Sophisticated_and_Everyday_Racism_Implications_for_Education_and_Work

Perspectives on intercultural approaches to education and social justice: impressions from an emerging researcher

by Charaf El Bouhali | NW 7 Social Justice and Intercultural Education

As a Ph.D. student at the beginning of my career, attending the European Conference on Educational Research in Belgrade was a valuable introduction to the global academic community. ECER was an essential opportunity for academics and emerging researchers to discuss topics at the forefront of educational research, alongside the Emerging Researchers’ Conference (ERC) that took place immediately before ECER.

Overall, the annual event hosted 2,619 scholars, with 1,938 papers presented from 75 different countries, representing a genuinely international community and an amazing array of perspectives. This year’s conference took place amid students’ ongoing mobilisations, which have been continuing for many months already and were focused upon demanding transparency, accountability, and respect for fundamental rights whilst utilising a critical and engaged lens.

These student demonstrations and occupations hold not only an intrinsic political meaning but also an educational relevance. University public spaces have, indeed, been converted into a platform for dialogue and active and democratic participation. I was particularly caught by the slogan in Serbian language “Nije filozofski ćutati,” which stands for “it is not philosophical to be silent,” a catchphrase also quoted by Prof. Pavel Zgaga during his Keynote Speech on ‘educational research, policy and politics’.

Intercultural perspectives that emerged during ERC and ECER and how they might be useful for my educational researcher path

As a listen-only participant, I had the chance to attend several sessions on relevant topics for my research. The latter focuses on on the schooling experiences and integration processes of young people from migrant backgrounds in Italy.

Pertinent themes that emerged were related to students’ cultural and linguistic diversity, education in marginalized urban contexts, and intercultural early childhood education. Attending presentations on social justice and intercultural education – in which research results from different European contexts were highlighted – has certainly helped me broaden my perspective on various aspects of my research. I also believe it is crucial to attend sessions related to other networks to acquire fundamental notions of educational research, particularly linked to theoretical approaches and methodologies to be used. As such, I have also attended various presentations within networks 04 (Inclusive Education) and 14 (Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research).

The sessions I attended were marked by a positive exchange of ideas and opinions, with the purpose of finding strategies that can be implemented in educational and pedagogical practices. A feature that emerged from several presentations is that education also presents a sociopolitical dimension (Akkari & Radhouane, 2022). As part of the so-called ‘second generation of migrants in Italy’, I would even push myself to affirm that there is nothing more antithetical to education than neutrality, especially considering the subaltern position of migrant communities in Europe.

Insights from the ‘Social Justice and Intercultural Education’ Workshop

A large building with a statue in the middle of a courtyard

A key activity that has been very supportive for my first experience at an international conference on educational research is represented by the workshop “How to develop a decentralised way of doing research?” led by Professor Lisa Rosen.

A range of strategies for decentering dominant narratives and strengthening marginalised voices were mentioned. This activity, open to professionals at different stages of their careers and particularly to emerging researchers, was aimed at promoting decentralisation from exclusively Eurocentric models, creating socially and interculturally sensitive knowledge and to question our positions and prejudices as researchers.

Discussing the issue seems to me fundamental to avoid reinforcing power relations and tokenism by excluding (even inadvertently) marginalised groups. I believe that the positionality of the researcher in the areas of Social Justice and Intercultural Education could put us, as academic researchers, in a vulnerable position. As suggested during this session, it is appropriate to employ it when an analysis is implemented or an in-depth study is conducted. I would like to mention some key points on the positional statement that caught my attention and may be useful to early-career researchers:

– Be aware that identity, beliefs, and values may influence research work in different ways

– Consider biases, emotional responses, and transparency in your research efforts

– Do not ignore the relevant balances and imbalances of power, as well as the institutions involved and political implications

– Knowledge and analysis of the research context, through a critical approach, holds crucial importance

Reflections for the future

ECER provided me with an extraordinary opportunity to outline the prospects for educational research in the European context, particularly in my specific field of investigation.

My main challenge now is to build on what I have learned, the advice I have received, and the insights gained during the conference to foster dialogue with other emerging researchers and fuel gradual but steady academic growth. In a closing remark, I believe that fostering critical awareness of educational practices, promoting social purpose in research, and strengthening methodological commitment should be central to interculturalism, innovation, and social responsibility.

Key Messages

International conferences accelerate early-career development – ECER/ERC offer essential exposure to global educational research perspectives and networking opportunities for emerging scholars.

Education is inherently political, not neutral – Educational research must critically engage with power dynamics, especially when working with marginalised and migrant communities.

Researcher positionality shapes research quality – Awareness of your own identity, biases, and values is essential to avoid reinforcing power imbalances in intercultural research.

Decentre Eurocentric narratives – Decentralised research approaches that amplify marginalised voices create more socially sensitive and robust knowledge.

Critical awareness drives meaningful research – Combining methodological rigour with social purpose is central to impactful intercultural and social justice education research.

Charaf El Bouhali

Università di Padova

Charaf El Bouhali: PhD student in Pedagogy, Education and Instructional at the University of Padua. His research focuses on the schooling experiences and integration processes of young people from migrant backgrounds in Italy.

Orcid: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0009-0001-1663-3019 Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/charafel

LinkedIn

References and Further Reading

References and Further Reading

Akkari, A. and Radhouane, M. (2022). Intercultural Approaches to Education: From Theory to Practice, Springer, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70825-2

Cabiles, Bonita S. (2025). Internalised deficit perspectives: positionality in culturally responsive pedagogical frameworks.Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 33(4), 1129-1146 https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2326004

Conti, L. (2025). Intercultural education: recalibrating meanings, objectives, and practices. Intercultural Education, 36(4), 418–436.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2025.2484514

O’Neil, D. (2025). Complicated shadow: a discussion of positionality within educational research. Oxford Review of Education, 51(4), 579-594. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2024.2351445

Conferences as catalysts for researcher development: Lessons from Post-Soviet contexts and reflections from ECER

by Turana Abdullayeva | Emerging Researchers' Group

What does it truly mean to attend a conference? Is it merely about collecting certificates and adding lines to a CV, or does it represent a deeper professional journey? My experience at European Conference for Educational Research (ECER) and several other conferences I have attended since beginning my PhD in the United Kingdom have helped me answer these questions and reflect on the challenges faced by researchers in post-Soviet contexts.

Two journeys, two systems

When I first arrived in the UK to begin my PhD, I carried with me a clear formula for academic success: academic achievement = conferences + publications. That belief originated from my first PhD experience in Azerbaijan, where the rules were explicit, three conferences (one international) and five articles, or no degree. While there was comfort in that structure, it also brought pressure. Conferences were obligations, not opportunities.

Interestingly, my supervisors in the UK encouraged a different approach: “One meaningful conference is better than five rushed ones.” Initially, this lack of rigid targets and checklists left me uncertain about how to measure progress. However, over time, I came to understand the depth of their advice.

Predatory publishing and Soviet legacies

Recent scholarship on post-Soviet academic systems highlights the persistence of Soviet-era evaluation practices that prioritise quantitative output over research quality (Chankseliani, Lovakov & Pislyakov, 2021). This study examines how such legacies shape publishing behaviours and contribute to the growth of predatory publishing in post-Soviet educational research. How many conferences? How many articles? How many citations? This system rewards quantity rather than quality, perpetuating a cycle of superficial productivity.

Predatory publishers – organisations that charge fees for publishing work without proper peer review – and “fast-track” conferences thrive under such conditions. In Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and beyond, early-career researchers are often lured into prestigious-sounding “Global Innovations in Science” events hosted in Paris or Dubai, high fees, impressive certificates, but minimal academic substance (Hajiyeva, 2023). The pursuit of legitimacy can make researchers vulnerable to academic exploitation.

Scholars such as Kulczycki (2017) and Chankseliani et al. (2021) have demonstrated that bibliometric inflation is widespread across the region. Academic worth is frequently reduced to numbers, a lingering legacy of Soviet-era evaluation frameworks, where scientific labour was planned, counted, and reported for administrative purposes rather than genuine inquiry. Although policy language has evolved, institutional cultures often remain unchanged. Weak research infrastructure, limited funding, insufficient training in empirical methods, and minimal collaboration all contribute to a cycle of formality without substantive innovation (Kuzhabekova & Mukhamejanova, 2017; Ruziev & Mamasolieva, 2022).

Insights from ECER

Unlike the so-called “international” conferences I had previously encountered, often held in tourist capitals with grand titles but little academic value, ECER offered a genuine academic community. My presentation was peer-reviewed, the audience posed thoughtful questions, and the true value lay in the scholarly exchange rather than the certificate.

One notable aspect I observed, rarely discussed openly before, was the element of care. ECER made deliberate efforts to support researchers with children. Although childcare remained costly compared to my experience at the ESA 2024 conference in Porto, the recognition of this issue was an important step. Inclusion, I realised, is not merely a research topic; it must also be a lived academic practice.

Through these experiences, I learned that conference participation should not be treated as a numerical pursuit. It is a long-term dialogue, a slow process of building academic identity. Attending one or two high-quality conferences per year, combined with collaborative projects and research visits, can be far more valuable than accumulating numerous certificates.

My advice to early-career researchers, particularly those from post-Soviet contexts, is this: do not chase appearances, seek scholarly communities.

Conclusion

To truly support researcher development, academic systems should:

Shift evaluation criteria from quantity to depth.
Reward collaboration and intellectual contribution, not mere output.
Strengthen research literacy to resist predatory academic practices.

Until academic value is redefined in this way, research systems will continue to produce numbers instead of knowledge.

Conferences, when grounded in genuine scholarly exchange rather than numeric performance indicators, can serve as spaces of both personal and systemic transformation. For post-Soviet researchers, embracing this perspective may be crucial in redefining academic success and fostering authentic research cultures.

Key Messages

Conference participation is not just about certificates or CV lines—it is a meaningful journey of professional and personal growth.
Academic systems in post-Soviet countries often prioritise quantity over quality, which can lead to superficial productivity and vulnerability to predatory publishing and conferences.
Genuine scholarly communities, such as those fostered at ECER, offer opportunities for peer review, intellectual exchange, and inclusion—far beyond what “fast-track” conferences provide.
Researcher development benefits most from attending a few high-quality conferences, engaging in collaborative projects, and building authentic academic networks, rather than chasing appearances or numbers.

Turan Abdullayeva

University of Sheffield

Turana Abdullayeva is a PhD researcher in Education at the University of Sheffield and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). Her research focuses on inclusive education, decolonial disability studies, and teacher education in post-Soviet contexts, with a particular emphasis on Azerbaijan.

Alongside her doctoral work, Turana teaches and supervises postgraduate students, contributes to international research projects on accessibility and anti-ableist research cultures, and works in student support and inclusion. She has published in leading international journals, including Disability & Society and the International Journal of Inclusive Education, and regularly writes reflective blog posts on academia, access, and belonging.

Linkedn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-turana-abdullayeva-9456961a1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turush.abdullayeva

References and Further Reading

Chankseliani, M., Lovakov, A., & Pislyakov, V. (2021). A big picture: bibliometric study of academic publications from post-Soviet countries. Scientometrics, 126(10), 8701-8730. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353979277_A_big_picture_bibliometric_study_of_academic_publications_from_post-Soviet_countries

Hajiyeva, N. U. (2025, August 31). Facebook post. Retrieved September 15, 2025, from https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AAbrdwv68/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Kosaretsky, S., Mikayilova, U. And Ivanov, I. (2024). Soviet, Global and Local: Inclusion Policies in School Education in Azerbaijan And Russia. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 30, p.e0103. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384702057_Soviet_Global_and_Local_inclusion_Policies_in_School_education_in_Azerbaijan_and_Russia

Kulczycki, E. (2017). Assessing publications through a bibliometric indicator: The case of comprehensive evaluation of scientific units in Poland. Research Evaluation, 26(1), 41–52. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvw023

Kuzhabekova, A., & Mukhamejanova, D. (2017). Productive researchers in countries with limited research capacity: Researchers as agents in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 8(1), 30-47. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-08-2016-0018

Mamerkhanova, Z., Sakayeva, A., Akhmetkarimova, K., Assakayeva, D., & Bobrova, V. (2025). Development of inclusive education in the Republic of Kazakhstan: An inside view (case of the Karaganda region). Frontiers in Education, 10, 1630225. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1630225

Ruziev, K., & Mamasolieva, M. (2022). Building university research capacity in Uzbekistan. In Building research capacity at universities: Insights from post-soviet countries (pp. 285-303). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-12141-8_15

ERC TAMPERE 2026 – upcoming submission deadline for emerging researchers’ conference in finland

by Associate Prof. Maiju Paananen & Dr Iida Kiesi | Emerging Researchers' Group

After the ECER conference in Belgrade, we – the organising committee of ECER 2026 in Tampere – found ourselves reflecting on what makes conferences so special. Although important, we guess that for most, it is not just the panels or the presentations. For us, it is also the atmosphere of intellectual generosity, meeting the friends we have made in the academic community, and making new ones.

In addition, what made the experience in Belgrade so special was that the place itself reminded us of the power of collective action. Walking through the city, hearing about the student protests driven by a deep concern for justice, transparency, and democracy, we couldn’t help but think about the questions of what it means to act on knowledge ethically, collectively, and with purpose. What does it mean for a research community to know in ways that matter? And how do we transform the knowing into action? These questions they stay with us as we look toward Tampere and our upcoming theme: “Knowing and Acting”.

ECER 2026

Collective knowing and acting requires a community. For EERA community it means creating spaces where emerging voices are heard and valued. That’s why the Emerging Researchers Conference feels so important for us as the organisers of ECER Tampere 2026. ERC is not only an event for junior members of an academic community, it’s EERA’s collective effort to build up a community that is welcoming, supportive, intellectually stimulating and rigorous, and ethical. We would like the ERC to be a place where early career scholars can connect, share ideas, and build friendships that sustain them in the often-challenging academic world. This is a prerequisite of collective knowing and acting. Thus, we warmly encourage the members of EERA community to support early career researchers’ participation in ERC in Tampere.

Emerging Researchers’ Conference 2026

The Emerging Researchers’ Conference programme consists of two days of conference activities. In various sessions, the ERC participants can engage with paper and poster presentations, ignite talks, posters, and workshops. The participants can also enjoy a keynote lecture by Richard Budd (Lancaster University) and an interactive session themed “For slow reading and criticality in accelerating academia” by Zsuzsa Millei (Tampere University) and Antti Saari (Tampere University). To network and discuss with colleagues further, ERC in Tampere has interactive lunch breaks and a City Reception Event.

Conference information

Read more about the programme of the Emerging Researcher Conference in Tampere and how to submit your proposal by 31 Jan 2026: Emerging Researchers’ Conference | EERA

We wish that ECER Tampere 2026 will bring us opportunities to imagine together what education research can be and do, and to act on that imagination.

Associate Professor Maiju Paananen

Chair, Organising Committee, ECER Tampere 2026

Associate Professor Maiju Paananen is the chair of the Local organising committee of Emerging Researchers’ Conference in Tampere 2026. Paananen leads Child politics and Early Childhood research group at Tampere University, Faculty of Education and Culture.

Dr Iida Kiesi

Conference coordinator of ECER Tampere

Dr Iida Kiesi is the coordinator for the ECER 2026 in Tampere. Kiesi defended her doctoral thesis in 2024, in which she researched privatization of Education in Finland.

Reflections of an ERC bursary awardee: How the global forum of ECER promotes self education

The importance of ECER and ERC as a global forum for PhD students

Global forum and whole self education

Applying the four principles through my ERC and ECER experience