WERA
The World Education Research Association (WERA) came into being on April 18, 2009. WERA is an association of national, regional, and international specialty research associations. Its express aim is to further education research as a scientific and scholarly field.
EASA is a founding member of the World Education Research Association (WERA). This privileges EASA members who consequently have access to WERA’s considerable networks and resources. WERA-related opportunities have urged EASA members toward special sensitivity to education issues with relevance to the global south, without neglecting south-north discourses and knowledge exchange.
Prof. Liesel Ebersohn
Secretary General: WERA
Department of Educational Psychology
Email: liesel.ebersohn@up.ac.za
WERA website
WERA Newsletters
WERA Latest News
Final Call for Submissions: WERA–TERA 2026 Focal Meeting
The submission deadline is 14 May, 23:59 Taipei time, leaving only two days for final contributions.
At this stage, any additional dissemination would be extremely valuable in helping us reach colleagues who may still be considering submitting.
For ease of sharing, all materials remain available here:
- Submission portal and conference details:
https://tera-wera2026.nsysu.edu.tw/ - Full call and information:
https://weraonline.org/wera-focal-meeting-2026-taiwan/ - Shareable announcement:
https://mailchi.mp/aera/wera-tera-taiwan-2026-focal-meeting-extension-second-call
Social media posts are also available for reposting via your association channels:
LinkedIn, X, and Instagram, as previously shared.
WERA Symposium 2026 - Submissions for WERA Invitational Symposia: 15 May – 31 May 2026
WERA 2026 Invitational Symposia
The World Education Research Association (WERA) 2026 Focal Meeting will be held in person from 15–18 October 2026 at the National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in collaboration with the Taiwan Education Research Association (TERA-Taiwan).
Submission Period
Submissions for WERA Invitational Symposia will be accepted only between 15 May and 31 May 2026. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline of 31 May 2026.
Invitational Symposia must not be submitted through the open Call submission platform currently available. They will also not be accepted by email. WERA Association members will be provided with the appropriate Invitational Symposia submission link in due course. The submission platform will be accessible from 15 May 2026.
Purpose of the Invitational Symposia
Each WERA Association member is invited to organise an Invitational Symposium for the WERA 2026 Focal Meeting, with the Association member explicitly listed as a co-sponsor.
The aim is to ensure that every WERA Association member participates visibly in the WERA Focal Meeting and is represented as an integral part of the WERA community. These symposia are intended to highlight the depth, quality, and vibrancy of education research within each country or region represented in WERA, while also strengthening international research linkages.
Focus and Substance of the Symposium
Each Association member is asked to take the lead in organising a high-quality research symposium. The symposium should feature key education research from the Association’s country or region and examine a specific education research problem or topic through an international, comparative, or worldwide lens.
A symposium allows several papers to explore one shared theme from different perspectives, creating space for deeper discussion and broader expertise than a single paper presentation would allow.
Format and Requirements
Each Invitational Symposium must follow the WERA 2026 Focal Meeting symposium submission guidelines.
- An 800-word abstract of the symposium must be included.
- The symposium title must be included.
- A brief paragraph about each paper must be included.
- The symposium must include a minimum of 3 papers and a maximum of 5 papers.
- The symposium must have a clear overall focus or theme.
- Each paper must align with the overall theme while offering a distinct perspective.
- Each Invitational Symposium will be allocated a 90-minute session.
Roles and Participants
Each symposium proposal must be submitted by an organiser. The organiser may also serve as a chair, presenter, or discussant, but this is not required.
A WERA symposium should include:
- A chair
- A discussant
- Between 3 and 5 participants/presenters
The symposium may include presenters from other countries or regions, although this is not obligatory.
At least one participant, commentator, or discussant should consider the implications of the symposium topic from a more international, comparative, or worldwide perspective.
Additional Guidance
- Associations are encouraged to draw on research scholars with substantive expertise in the symposium topic.
- A leader from the Association may serve as chair, even if the topic falls outside their own area of expertise.
- WERA has requested that Association members do not invite each other across Associations to participate in these Invitational Symposia.
Review and Quality Assurance
WERA Invitational Symposia will not go through the same review process as open submissions. Quality assurance is considered to have been completed by the relevant WERA Association member submitting the session.
These symposia are regarded as flagship WERA scholarship spaces, and WERA is aiming for full participation from all Association members.
Key Dates
- Submission platform opens: 15 May 2026
- Submission deadline: 31 May 2026
- WERA 2026 Focal Meeting: 15–18 October 2026
- Location: National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Further Information
Association representatives are encouraged to contact WERA if they require additional information.
The invitation was sent by Rocío García-Carrión, WERA Secretary General.
Coupon code to access WERA website's private member space (coupon expiry: 31 May 2026)
This dedicated platform (https://weraonline.org/member-space/) :
- visible in the navigation menu for members with a registered account and active membership on the WERA website (https://weraonline.org/my-account/)
- is being developed as a growing resource library and online knowledge repository.Members will find a curated list of WERA Associations’ and Institutions’ journals and publications, along with video resources, past keynote speeches, and open-access materials
designed to support global education research collaboration.

To help your members take advantage of this benefit, a unique coupon code for your association:
Coupon code: wera-easa2026!
This code can be redeemed by your members until 31 May 2026, and their access to the WERA Member Space will be valid for one year from the date of registration. It cannot be used for the two-year membership tier.
We encourage you to share this opportunity with your members as soon as possible/before the updated deadline so they can take full advantage of the coupon.
For your convenience, we’ve attached a PDF with instructions on how to redeem the code on the WERA website.
Submissions for WERA Invitational Symposia: 1 May – 15 May 2026
The World Education Research Association (WERA) 2026 Focal Meeting will be held in-person from 15–18 October 2026, at the National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in collaboration with the Taiwan Education Research Association (TERA-Taiwan) .
WERA FOCAL MEETING INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
As has become customary, we are inviting each WERA Association member to organise an Invitational Symposium (with your Association member as the explicit co-sponsor) at the WERA 2026 Focal Meeting. We think it is important for every WERA Association member to participate visibly in the WERA Focal Meeting and be seen as an integral part thereof. Given feedback following the previous WERA Focal Meetings, we would again like to foreground the vibrancy of research, including and especially international research, within each country or region that constitutes WERA. We have seen how it adds to the importance of worldwide meetings to show the depth of education research and the important role of WERA in stimulating research and creating linkages around the globe.
SUBSTANCE OF THE WERA INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
We ask each of you to take the lead in organising a research symposium of high quality and merit with whomever you wish to work within your Association. These symposia are an opportunity to feature key research in your country or region. A symposium provides opportunities, not afforded by a single paper, to examine a specific education research problem or topic through an international, comparative, or worldwide lens and to bring to bear diverse perspectives, intensive discussion, or a wide range of expertise.
FORMAT OF WERA INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
The format must follow the same guidelines and provide the required fields for symposia as depicted in the WERA Call for submissions for the WERA 2026 Focal Meeting. Therefore, each Invitational Symposium must indicate:
- 800-word abstract of the symposium, including the title and a brief paragraph about each paper (minimum of 3 papers and maximum of 5 papers) in the symposium.
- The symposium must have a clear focus, with each paper aligned to the overall focus/theme while offering distinct perspectives.
- Invitational Symposia will be allocated a 90-minute session.
- Invitational Symposium proposals are submitted by an organiser who may or may not be a chair, presenter, or discussant. A WERA symposium includes a chair and discussant and between three and five participants. Participants include all presenters and any discussants.
- The symposium can include presenters from other countries or regions – although this is not obligatory.
- Assuming many or most of these symposia may focus on research or research policy issues within your own country or region, we do, however, ask that one participant (a possible commentator / discussant) consider the implications from a more international, comparative, or worldwide perspective.
- We encourage drawing upon the research scholars with substantive expertise on the symposium topic you develop.
- Of course, you or another leader from your Association may serve as a Chair even if outside of your own expertise.
- Please do not invite each other (i.e., across Associations) to participate in these symposia.
SUBMISSION OF WERA INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
- Invitational Symposia will not go through the process of review that open submissions do in response to the WERA 2026 Focal Meeting Call. As the quality assurance is already screened by the relevant WERA Association member submitting the session.
- Invitational Symposia must be submitted ONLY between 1 May and 15 May 2026.
- Please do not submit any WERA Invitational Symposia through the open Call submission platform currently available.
- WERA Association members will be provided with the appropriate link for submission of Invitational Symposia in due course.
- The submission platform for Invitational Symposia will be accessible from 1 May 2026.
- No Invitational Symposia submissions will be accepted after the deadline of 15 May 2026.
- No WERA Invitational Symposia submissions will be accepted through email.
Submissions for WERA Invitational Symposia: 15 February 2024 – 15 March 2024
Dear Association Member Representatives on Council,
The World Education Research Association (WERA) 2024 Focal Meeting will be held in-person from 8-12 September 2024 at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom (UK) in collaboration with the British Educational Research Association (BERA).
WERA FOCAL MEETING INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
As has become customary, we are inviting each WERA Association member to organise an Invitational Symposium at the WERA 2024 Focal Meeting. We think it is important for every WERA Association member to participate visibly in the WERA Focal Meeting and be seen as an integral part thereof. Given feedback following the previous WERA Focal Meetings, we would again like to foreground the vibrancy of research, including and especially international research, within each country or region that constitutes WERA. We have seen how it adds to the importance of worldwide meetings to show the depth of education research and the important role of WERA in stimulating research and creating linkages around the globe.
SUBSTANCE OF THE WERA INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
We ask each of you to take the lead in organising a research symposium of high quality and merit with whomever you wish to work within your Association. These symposia are an opportunity to feature key research in your country or region. A symposium provides opportunities, not afforded by a single paper, to examine a specific education research problem or topic through an international, comparative, or worldwide lens and to bring to bear diverse perspectives, intensive discussion, or a wide range of expertise.
FORMAT OF WERA INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
The format must follow the same guidelines and provide the required fields for symposia as depicted in the WERA Call for submissions for the WERA 2024 Focal Meeting. Therefore, each Invitational Symposium must indicate:
- 750 word abstract of the symposium, and must include the title and a paragraph about each paper (minimum of 3 papers and maximum of 5 papers in the symposium) in the symposium.
- There is an additional 250 words for references.
- The symposium as a whole must have a clear focus and each paper therein must be clearly related to the overall focus/theme of the symposium but also offer distinct perspectives.
- If your abstract does not include a paragraph under the title of each paper, it will not be considered as an Invitational Symposia. Successful symposia will be allocated a 90 minute session.
- Invitational Symposium proposals are submitted by an organiser who may or may not be a chair, presenter, or discussant. A WERA symposium includes a chair and discussant and between three and five participants. Participants include all presenters and any discussants.
- The symposium can include presenters from other countries or regions – although this is not obligatory.
- Assuming many or most of these symposia may focus on research or research policy issues within your own country or region, we do however ask that one participant (a possible commentator / discussant) consider the implications from a more international, comparative, or worldwide perspective.
- We encourage drawing upon the research scholars with substantive expertise on the symposium topic you develop.
- Of course, you or another leader from your Association may serve as a Chair even if outside of your own expertise.
- Please do not invite each other (across Associations) to participate in these symposia.
SUBMISSION OF WERA INVITATIONAL SYMPOSIA:
- Invitational Symposia will not go through the process of review that open submissions do in response to the WERA 2024 Focal Meeting Call. As the quality assurance is already screened by the relevant WERA Association member submitting the session.
- Invitational Symposia must be submitted ONLY between 15 February 2024 – 15 March 2024.
- Please do not submit any WERA Invitational Symposia through the open Call submission platform currently available.
- Association members will be provided with the appropriate link for submission of Invitational Symposia in due course.
- The submission platform for Invitational Symposia will be accessible from 15 February 2024.
- No Invitational Symposia submissions will be accepted after the deadline of 15 March 2024.
The email comes with our warm regards and our excitement about this collaborative programming. As these are flagship WERA scholarship spaces, we aim for 100% participation for all WERA Association members. We look forward to receiving your Invitational Symposium between 15 February 2024 and 15 March 2024.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any additional information.
Kind regards,
Rocío García-Carrión
WERA Secretary General
