CHER Annual Conference „Theories and Methods in Higher Education Research” starts in Kassel

The Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER) was founded 1988 in Kassel. Today, CHER is a European-based association in terms of annual conferences arranged by European scholars, but with a world-wide membership and a world-wide scope. CHER aims at developing activities in the field of research on higher education. It intends to stimulate cooperation in research projects and to develop further the internationalization of higher education research.

The conference is hosted by the International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER-Kassel) at the University of Kassel. INCHER-Kassel conducts research on questions concerning higher education as well as on topics at the interface between higher education and other fields of society. INCHER’s Executive Director Prof. Dr. Georg Krücken is also member of the CHER Board of Governors.

Three days of intensive exchange of ideas, three keynotes, 109 presentations and discussions, and one poster session are on offer for those participating in the conference. More than 180 persons participate at this year’s annual CHER conference. With participants from over 30 countries we cover a wide range of countries and continents, among them a remarkably high number of Asian participants.

The conference pursues two aims: First, critically to discuss theories and methods employed in higher education research, and second, to discuss the relevance of recent theoretical and methodological developments in other disciplines and interdisciplinary research areas for higher education research. Research questions will be discussed from theoretical perspectives, methodological perspectives, and from the perspective of a nexus of theories and methods. Further, two open tracks will give room for those contributions that do not specifically fit with the three perspectives and are not explicitly connected to the main theme of the conference.

Specials for Young Researchers are the Best Doctoral Paper Award and a Writing Clinic: PhD students and PhDs who have graduated within the last two years were invited to submit papers based on their doctoral work. Among the submitted papers, one will be selected for the Best Doctoral Paper Award. One day before the official start of the conference ECHER - the Early Career Higher Education Researchers -, offer a „writing clinic“ for participants who are interested to receive advice and assistance for their current publication projects.

Part of the conference are also the CHER General Assembly on Wednesday evening, and an atmospheric conference diner on Thursday night at the Alte Brüderkirche, a historic gothic church in Kassel dating from 1298.

Members of the Conference Organizing Committee are:

at INCHER-Kassel: Georg Krücken (also CHER Board of Governors); Shweta Mishra; Tim Seidenschnur; Christian Schneijderberg; Isabel Steinhardt. From the CHER Board of Governors: Jelena Brankovic; Gaële Goastellec; Hugo Horta; Terhi Nokkala; Emanuela Reale.

Conference office:  Susanne Höckelmann
Contact: hoeckelmann[at]incher.uni-kassel[dot]de