Conference on the challenges of education science 25. Oct. 2024

The conference, the largest national event in the field of education science, attracted more than 500 participants from almost all universities in Hungary and from abroad, including Germany, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine.

The National Conference on Educational Sciences is an event of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) Scientific Committee on Pedagogy, which in the first years was hosted by HAS, later hosted by a different institution and city each year, and organized by the University of Debrecen for the fourth time.

- Last time in 2020, due to the pandemic, we were able to host the representatives of Hungarian educational science virtually, so it is a special pleasure for us to welcome you in person in 2024, and not only online - said Veronika Bocsi, Associate Professor of the DE GYGYK, Chair of the conference.

Teacher training is a priority area of UD’s strategy, and is currently offered in 9 of the 13 faculties of the university in some form or other. The Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Social Pedagogy play a key role, with lecturers and PhD students conducting research in the fields of teacher training, pedagogy, educational science, early childhood pedagogy, education for special needs children and social pedagogy.

- The issue of well-being and crises is becoming increasingly prominent in today's societies, as the dynamics of modern life constantly present individuals and communities with new challenges. Crises are present not only on economic and political levels, but also test the mental health of individuals," said Elek Bartha in his opening remarks.

The Vice-Rector for Education of UD stressed that the relevance of the meeting is that education plays a key role in addressing well-being and crises, as education is one of the most effective tools in promoting social cohesion and mental health. Education can provide responses to the challenges of well-being and crises in many areas, as reflected in the thematic richness of the conference that is about to start and the presentations here can be important steps in maximizing the potential of education to contribute to making future individuals and communities more skilled, innovative and resilient to crises.

The conference of the Scientific Committee on Education of HAS is a forum for knowledge sharing between teachers and researchers in the field of education, offering many participants their first opportunity to engage in academic work and, with regular participation, has become an integral part of a research career.

Social well-being is becoming increasingly complex and multidimensional, thus it is particularly important to think together about the challenges of education and training in a world of crises. In recent years, we have had to face a number of challenges, including the Covid epidemic, war conflicts and climate change, which have influenced and continue to influence everyday life and have an impact on education, and it is therefore essential to rethink the methods, goals and content of teaching and learning," said Erzsébet Gortka-Rákó in her opening speech.

The Dean of DE GYGYK stressed that the aim of the conference is to provide a space for the presentation of current research results in the field of education science, which can partly provide answers to questions arising in the field of education and teaching.

- I encourage you to share your experience, research results and good practices, as all this is essential to build and develop a system of education for social well-being," concluded the Dean.

The co-organizer of the event, Levente Takács, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education, also welcomed the participants on behalf of the Faculty. He said that the organizers had chosen a theme that was both long-standing and timely, although this could not have been an easy task, as this was the current event in a series of conferences that the HAS Committee has been organizing since 2001.

- I believe that a university is a very appropriate venue for such an event, where education and research are inextricably linked. And the Faculty of Humanities, which is a leading centre of educational research and doctoral training in the region and nationally, was pleased to host the conference sessions," said Levente Takács.

Each year, the National Conferences on Education emphasize and explore a different theme in pedagogy. This year, the central themes - well-being and crises - have been chosen by the organizers to reflect the biggest challenges facing pedagogy and schools.

The event, which closes on Saturday, will feature 37 symposia, 48 sessions and six poster sessions.

Press Centre - BZS