The 12th Asian Conference on Education & International Development (ACEID2026)

March 22-27, 2026
Tokyo International Forum & Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, and Online

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We welcome your participation in and contributions to The 12th Asian Conference on Education & International Development (ACEID2026), held in partnership with the IAFOR Research Centre at the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP), Osaka University, Japan, and our global university partners.

The world has changed in dramatic ways since 2019. The practice of education is no exception. The where and how in education were challenged during the pandemic, but the why should perhaps be the central question as we contemplate future modes of education at all levels. The pandemic amplified the differences in the educational experiences of the haves and have-nots. The vulnerable and marginalised around the world, including Asia, need our attention more than ever but access and quality are unequally distributed in most of our educational systems. This is especially so in higher education. Yet, we have been debating endlessly about the pros and cons of online platforms, the decline in university revenues (due to lack of international students) and how to restore pre-pandemic normalcy in campus life.

These are testing times, where we are all trying to regroup from massive social, economic and political disruptions – at home and globally. In many parts of the “have-nots” world, concerns about education revolve around equity and access, and as such they are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) issues. Exchange of views and ideas among the stakeholders, practitioners and researchers in education as well as international development are crucial if we are to overcome the challenges to build a better future.

ACEID2026 affords us an exceptional opportunity to do so, as well as for renewing old acquaintances, making new contacts, networking, and facilitating partnerships across national and disciplinary borders.

Since its founding in 2009, IAFOR events and platforms have brought people and ideas together to promote and celebrate interdisciplinary study and exchange. IAFOR continues to engage in many cross-sectoral projects across the world, including those engaging leading universities and think tanks. Our unique global platform facilitates discussion around specific subject areas, with the goal of generating new knowledge and understanding, forging and expanding new international, intercultural and interdisciplinary research networks and partnerships.

ACEID2026 is a remarkable opportunity to gather (virtually or in-person) to discuss, debate, and develop the ideas that will shape the future of education in line with an important objective of the SDGs, to "leave no one behind".

For this year's event, ACEID will be partnering with The 16th Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences (ACP2026) and The 12th Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology (AGen2026), increasing opportunities for broad multidisciplinary exchanges. Registration the conference allows access to sessions in the other two.

We look forward to seeing you in Tokyo and online!

– The ACEID2026 Programme Committee

Key Information
  • Location & Venue: Held in Tokyo, Japan, and online
  • Dates: Sunday, March 22, 2026 ​to Friday, March 27, 2026
  • Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline: September 18, 2025*
  • Final Abstract Submission Deadline: December 12, 2025
  • Registration Deadline for Presenters: January 22, 2026

*Submit early to take advantage of the discounted registration rates. Learn more about our registration options.

Submit an Abstract
Register to Attend

Speakers

To be Announced

  • Evangelia Chrysikou
    Evangelia Chrysikou
    University College London, United Kingdom
  • William C. Frick
    William C. Frick
    University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
  • Kiichi Fujiwara
    Kiichi Fujiwara
    Juntendo University, Japan
  • Héctor García
    Héctor García
    Author, Japan
  • Seoyoun Kim
    Seoyoun Kim
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States
  • Kathryn M. Lavender
    Kathryn M. Lavender
    National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), United States
  • James W. McNally
    James W. McNally
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States
  • Fathali M. Moghaddam
    Fathali M. Moghaddam
    Georgetown University, United States
  • Hiroshi Ota
    Hiroshi Ota
    Hitotsubashi University, Japan
  • Lowell Sheppard
    Lowell Sheppard
    Never Too Late Academy & IAFOR, Japan

IAFOR's Conference Themes for 2025-2029

IAFOR Themes 2025-2029
Our selected themes for 2025-2029 bring together ideas and encourage research and synergies in the following areas:

  • Technology and Artificial Intelligence
  • Humanity and Human Intelligence
  • Global Citizenship and Education for Peace
  • Leadership

    • Our four themes can be seen as standalone themes, but they are also very much in conversation with each other. Themes may be seen as corollaries, complementary, or in opposition/juxtaposition with each other. The themes can be considered as widely as possible and are designed, in keeping with our mission, to encourage ideas across the disciplines.

    Read Last Year's Conference Report

    View the ACEID/ACP/AGen2025 Conference Photo Gallery
    Find Out More About Conference Reports & Intelligence Briefings

    Conference News

    Evangelia Chrysikou to Present ‘Designing Care Futures: Built Environments, Health Systems, and Human-Robot Cohabitation in an Ageing World’ at ACEID/ACP/AGen2026

    Evangelia Chrysikou to Present ‘Designing Care Futures: Built Environments, Health Systems, and Human-Robot Cohabitation in an Ageing World’

    Dr Chrysikou is the Founder/Programme Director of UCL’s MSc Healthcare Facilities, and is an awarded RIBA architect and healthcare planner who has consulted international organisations regarding accessible and inclusive design in healthcare ...

    ‘Ikigai’ Author Héctor García Joins ACEID/ACP/AGen2026 Longevity Panel

    Mr García will speak on the ACEID/ACP/AGen2026 panel titled ‘Longevity, Happiness, and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan and Beyond’ ...

    Accepted Presentations

    One of the greatest strengths of IAFOR’s international conferences is their international and intercultural diversity. As of January 13, 2026, ACEID2026 has received over 720 submissions from more than 86 countries and territories - including: Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, the United ...

    Sponsorship & Exhibition

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    About IAFOR’s Education Conferences

    IAFOR promotes and facilitates new multifaceted approaches to one of the core issues of our time, namely globalisation and its many forms of growth and expansion. Awareness of how it cuts across the world of education, and its subsequent impact on societies, institutions and individuals, is a driving force in educational policies and practices across the globe. IAFOR’s conferences on education have these issues at their core. The conferences present those taking part with three unique dimensions of experience, encouraging interdisciplinary discussion, facilitating heightened intercultural awareness and promoting international exchange. In short, IAFOR’s conferences on education are about change, transformation and social justice. As IAFOR’s previous conferences on education have shown, education has the power to transform and change whilst it is also continuously transformed and changed.

    Globalised education systems are becoming increasingly socially, ethnically and culturally diverse. However, education is often defined through discourses embedded in Western paradigms as globalised education systems become increasingly determined by dominant knowledge economies. Policies, practices and ideologies of education help define and determine ways in which social justice is perceived and acted out. What counts as "education" and as "knowledge" can appear uncontestable but is in fact both contestable and partial. Discourses of learning and teaching regulate and normalise gendered and classed, racialised and ethnicised understandings of what learning is and who counts as a learner.

    In many educational settings and contexts throughout the world, there remains an assumption that teachers are the possessors of knowledge which is to be imparted to students, and that this happens in neutral, impartial and objective ways. However, learning is about making meaning, and learners can experience the same teaching in very different ways. Students (as well as teachers) are part of complex social, cultural, political, ideological and personal circumstances, and current experiences of learning will depend in part on previous ones, as well as on age, gender, social class, culture, ethnicity, varying abilities and more.

    IAFOR has several annual conferences on education across the world, exploring common themes in different ways to develop a shared research agenda which develops interdisciplinary discussion, heightens intercultural awareness and promotes international exchange.

    About IAFOR

    "Inspiring Global Collaborations"

    Founded in 2009, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) is a mission-driven politically independent non-partisan and non-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging interdisciplinary discussion, facilitating intercultural awareness and promoting international exchange, principally through educational interaction and academic research. Based in Japan, its main administrative office is in Nagoya, and its research centre is in the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP), a graduate school of The University of Osaka. IAFOR runs research programs and events in partnership with universities, think tanks, and other associations. Through its international, intercultural and interdisciplinary conferences, research, and publications, IAFOR is a network hub for interdisciplinary discussion across Asia and beyond.
    Read more about IAFOR.

    Kiichi Fujiwara
    Juntendo University, Japan

    Biography

    Kiichi Fujiwara is a Professor in the Graduate School of International Liberal Arts at Juntendo University and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, Japan. He taught International Politics at the Graduate Schools of Law and Politics and the Graduate School of Public Policy until 2022. Professor Fujiwara founded the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo, a university think-tank that engages in multidisciplinary approaches to global challenges. His publications include Remembering the War (2001), A Democratic Empire (2002), Is There Really a Just War? (2003), Peace for Realists (winner of the Ishibashi Tanzan award, 2005), International Politics (2007), Conditions of War (2013), A Destabilizing World (2020), and Predatory Imperialism (forthcoming). Professor Fujiwara is a commentator on international affairs and writes a monthly column for Asahi Shinbun. He is also a film buff, and serves as a film reviewer for the NHK.

    Keynote Presentation (2026) | TBA
    Fathali M. Moghaddam
    Georgetown University, United States

    Biography

    Dr Fathali M. Moghaddam is an award-winning professor of psychology at Georgetown University, United States. He previously worked for the United Nations and McGill University, Canada. Dr Moghaddam has published extensively on intergroup relations, the psychology of democracy and dictatorship, and subjective justice. His most recent books include Political Plasticity: The Future of Democracy and Dictatorship (2023), The Psychology of Assimilation, Multiculturalism, and Omniculturalism (2024), The Psychology of Revolution (2024), and The New Immigration Challenge: A Psychological Exploration Toward Solutions (with M. Hendricks & R. Salas Schweikart, 2026). Professor Moghaddam currently holds an h-index of 67.

    Keynote Presentation (2026) | The Psychology of Democracy and Democratic Backsliding
    William C. Frick
    University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    Biography

    Dr William C. Frick is currently a Professor in the College of Public Policy at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and a faculty developer with the Institute of Leadership in Higher Education. Previously, he was the Rainbolt Family Endowed Presidential Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at the University of Oklahoma, United States. He is the founding director of the Center for Leadership Ethics and Change, an affiliate body of the international Consortium for the Study of Leadership and Ethics in Education (CSLEE) of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). Professor Frick has assumed editorial roles and been appointed to editorial boards in a number of prominent registers including, and most recently, Leadership and Policy in Schools, the Journal of Educational Administration, and the Journal of School Leadership. Prior to his higher education academic roles, Professor Frick was a practitioner in common education public schools including building and district-level administration. He has been awarded Core Fulbright U.S. Scholar and Fulbright Public Policy Fellow assignments. A doctoral graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, United States, his research interests include the philosophy of administrative leadership, school system reform within urban municipality revitalisation efforts, and broader cultural studies exploring the intersection of identity and schooling. A coauthored book with Jacqueline A. Stefkovich titled Best Interests of the Student: Applying Ethical Constructs to Legal Cases in Education (2006) is now in its third edition with Routledge. He has served in multiple officer and representative roles for national professional associations such as AERA, UCEA, and the CSLEE as well as local schools and school systems.

    Featured Workshop (2026) | Navigating Academic Publishing
    Seoyoun Kim
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States

    Biography

    Dr Seoyoun Kim is affiliated with ICPSR and the Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research within the University of Michigan, United States She is also the director of the NACDA Program on Aging. She holds a dual-title PhD in Sociology and Gerontology from Purdue University, United States. Her research lies at the intersection of social gerontology, epidemiology, multi-omics, and cardiovascular health. Dr Kim explores how social and environmental factors shape health outcomes, particularly in ageing populations. She examines the impact of paid and unpaid productive engagement on the well-being of older adults, shedding light on the social determinants of health in later life. Her research also integrates multi-omics approaches to unravel the complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences on health and ageing.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Understanding Cognitive Impairment: Placing Dementia Within a Realistic Framework
    Héctor García
    Author, Japan

    Biography

    Héctor García was born in Spain and worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan, where he has lived for over 21 years. During his fifteen years in Tokyo’s IT industry, he wrote the international bestseller Xcentric Culture: A Geek in Japan (2008) and later The Magic of Japan: Secret Places and Life-Changing Experiences (2020). He is also the co-author of the global hit Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life (2016), which has been translated into 70 languages. Notably, Ikigai holds the distinction of being the most translated book ever originally written in Spanish. To date, he has published ten books on Japanese culture.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Longevity, Happiness, and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan and Beyond
    James W. McNally
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States

    Biography

    Dr James W. McNally is the Director of the NACDA Program on Aging, a data archive containing over 1,500 studies related to health and the aging life course. He is also a Senior Advisor for the National Institute on Aging (NIA), Division of Behavioral and Social Science (DBSR/ODRA). He currently does methodological research on the improvement and enhancement of secondary research data and has been cited as an expert authority on data imputation. Dr McNally has directed the NACDA Program on Aging since 1998 and has seen the archive significantly increase its holdings with a growing collection of seminal studies on the aging life course, health, retirement and international aspects of aging. He has spent much of his career addressing methodological issues with a specific focus on specialised application of incomplete or deficient data and the enhancement of secondary data for research applications. Dr McNally has also worked extensively on issues related to international aging and changing perspectives on the role of family support in the later stages of the aging life course.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Understanding Cognitive Impairment: Placing Dementia Within a Realistic Framework
    Evangelia Chrysikou
    University College London, United Kingdom

    Biography

    Dr Evangelia Chrysikou, RIBA is Associate Professor within the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction at University College London, United Kingdom, and Founder/Programme Director of the university’s MSc Healthcare Facilities. A multi-awarded RIBA architect and healthcare planner, Dr Chrysikou has published widely and won several prestigious grants and fellowships from international organisations, including Horizon 2020, UKRI, Wellcome, British Academy, Royal Society of New Zealand, and the Sasakawa Foundation. Her research interests lie at the spectrum of inclusion in relation to design, spanning across the disciplines of built environment, health, digital technologies and the social sciences. Dr Chrysikou is a member of the National Accessibility Authority, Hellenic Republic by invitation from the Greek Prime Minister, and a member of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Life Sciences and Healthcare Council Leadership Committee. She was the coordinator of the Environment Section of the EIPonAHA, EU, and has worked as a consultant for international government bodies such as the Japanese MOFA, Peru Reconstruction Mechanism, and the British Government for projects related to healthcare planning and architecture. She was elected Vice-President of the Urban Public Health section of EUPHA in 2018.

    Keynote Presentation (2026) | Designing Care Futures: Built Environments, Health Systems, and Human–Robot Cohabitation in an Ageing World
    Hiroshi Ota
    Hitotsubashi University, Japan

    Biography

    Dr Hiroshi Ota is a Professor in the Center for General Education at Hitotsubashi University, Japan, where he serves as Director of the Hitotsubashi University Global Education Program. His research primarily focuses on higher education policies and practices related to internationalisation and international student mobility from a comparative perspective. He has more than 150 publications in both Japanese and English, including 20 book chapters published by Springer, Routledge, SAGE, Multilingual Matters, and so on. Professor Ota serves as a vice president of the Japan Association of International Student Education (JAISE). In addition, he has been a visiting scholar for the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), a government agency that supports and promotes international education. He has also served on many selection and evaluation committees for international education and internationalisation projects organised by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in Japan and other international organisations. Professor Ota received his EdM in 2001 and a PhD. in Social Foundations of Education (Comparative and Global Studies in Education) in 2008 from the State University of New York at Buffalo, United States. He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study international education administration in the United States in 1996. He was invited by the Harvard-Yenching Institute to serve as a Visiting Scholar from 2023 to 24.

    Keynote Presentation (2026) | Challenges and Opportunities for the Internationalization of East Asian Higher Education in a Rapidly Changing Environment
    Kathryn M. Lavender
    National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), United States

    Biography

    Kathryn Lavender is the Data Project Manager for the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), the aging archive at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the Institute for Social Research, the University of Michigan, United States. NACDA is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Ms Lavender helps to guide data producers on data management and data sharing in the realm of data on aging populations/gerontology; promotes secondary research resources for public use; and contributes to spreading knowledge about quality metadata and data discovery through NACDA, as well as through the DDI Alliance. Ms Lavender has been an ICPSR staff member for more than 15 years and has been managing NACDA for nearly half of that time.

    Featured Workshop Presentation (2025) | Aging Data in the Digital Era: Leveraging NACDA Resources for Gerontological Research, Training, and Education

    Previous Presentations

    Featured Workshop Presentation (2025) | Aging Data: NACDA Resources for Gerontological Research, Training and Education
    Lowell Sheppard
    Never Too Late Academy & IAFOR, Japan

    Biography

    Mr Lowell Sheppard is an author, speaker, social entrepreneur, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with a lifelong commitment to social impact, ethical leadership, and exploration. He has worked extensively with established NGOs and start-ups, most notably as the Founder of HOPE International Development Agency Japan. Under his leadership, HOPE-JP has grown to rank among the top 2% of charitable organizations in Japan, achieving the prestigious nintei tax-deductible certification. Mr Sheppard has been a longtime supporter and past speaker at IAFOR Conferences. He currently serves as the organisation’s Director of Development, seeking to expand the Global Fellowship Programme and scholarship opportunities. Mr Sheppard’s passion for social and environmental improvement projects has driven his career. For over two decades, Lowell has served as an informal advisor to companies and boards around the globe.

    In pursuit of adventure and deeper insights into ageing and longevity, Mr Sheppard moved onto a sailboat five years ago and has been sailing full-time around Japan, embracing the life of a digital nomad and explorer. After spending fifteen months moored and deeply immersed in the Blue Zone culture of Okinawa, Mr Sheppard set out in 2025 to revisit a journey that had first shaped his life twenty-five years earlier: chasing Japan’s cherry blossoms from south to north. What began as a seasonal passage became a year-long quest, repeatedly visiting and revisiting Japan’s key longevity hotspots—rural prefectures, islands, and communities where people continue to live long, healthy, independent lives. Between these journeys, he regularly returned to his own ‘longevity laboratory’” a remote island village where he lives and observes daily community life at close quarters, blending slow travel, field research, and lived experience.

    As an author, his book Never Too Late (Lion Hudson PLC, 2005), published in four languages, became the inspiration for his latest social enterprise, the Never Too Late Academy. His most recent book, Dare to Dream, was shortlisted for the UK Business Book of the Year Award in 2023.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Longevity, Happiness, and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan and Beyond

    Previous Presentations

    Featured Presentation (2020) | From South East Asian Classrooms to the Middle of the North Pacific!