Can educational science help democracy in times of crisis?

Dresden hosts annual conference of the GERA Commission on Education for Sustainable Development 

On September 23–25, 2025, education researchers and experts from Germany and abroad will meet at TU Dresden. At the annual conference of the German Educational Research Association (GERA) Commission on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), over 100 participants will discuss how education can empower people to build a sustainable and democratic world in more than 50 workshops and lectures under the motto “Education, Democracy & Sustainability.” 

Given current developments, where democracy appears to be in crisis not only in the USA, education’s role in advancing social justice, cohesion, and a modern understanding of democracy is central.

The conference will address these questions not only in educational theory, but also in practice: The participants will explore where tensions arise, which approaches to strengthening democratic understanding are already being used in schools and other institutions, what has proven successful, and where potential remains. Dr. Edda Sant (The University of Manchester) and Prof. Johannes Drerup (TU Dortmund University), two internationally renowned experts, will be keynote speakers. 

Educational scientist and organizer Dr. Antje Goller is delighted to be able to hold the conference at TU Dresden and emphasizes the relevance of the conference results for educational research and practice: “Education and democracy belong together. And we want to do our bit to support this."

Conference home page: https://tud.link/186uad

Contact:
Dr. Antje Goller 
Faculty of Education at TU Dresden 
Chair of Nutrition and Home Economics / Vocational Didactics 
Tel: +49 351 463-33380 
Email: