International Conference: “ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATION THROUGH EDUCATION – INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES”

International Conference

"Addressing Discrimination Through Education – Interdisciplinary Approaches and International Perspectives"

2.-4. November 2025 | Festsaal, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 5, 48149 Münster (Germany)

Organization
Prof. Dr. Fahimah Ulfat
Professor of Islamic Religious Education and Subject Didactics,
Centre for Islamic Theology, University of Münster

Prof. Dr. Anja Ballis
Professor for German Language Education
Institute of German Philology, University of Munich

The conference is dedicated to exploring the role of education as a transformative practice for analyzing and overcoming discriminatory structures. A special focus lies on teacher education and university instruction, the critical reflection of societal power relations, and the development of innovative didactic concepts – particularly from intersectional and digital perspectives.

Die Tagung widmet sich der Rolle von Bildung als transformativer Praxis zur Analyse und Überwindung diskriminierender Strukturen. Ein besonderer Fokus liegt auf der Lehrer:innenbildung sowie der universitären Vermittlung, der kritischen Reflexion gesellschaftlicher Machtverhältnisse und der Entwicklung innovativer didaktischer Konzepte – insbesondere unter Berücksichtigung intersektionaler und digitaler Perspektiven.

For registration and further information, please contact Lale Akarsu (lale.akarsu@uni-muenster.de). The Conference Program can be found here.

Program

Sunday, November 2, 2025
07:00	Opening Dinner

Monday, November 3, 2025
08:45 –09:00	Registration
09:00 –09:30	Welcome by the Conference Organizers Opening Remarks Prof. Dr. Michael Quante Prof. Dr. Mouhanad Khorchide
09:30 – 10:30	Keynote Speech Harmage and Hope – Holocaust Education and Beyond Agnes Kaposi (UK)
10:30 – 10:45	Coffee Break
10:45 – 12:15	PANEL 1: Discrimination in Different Contexts The 1976 SOWETO Youth Uprising 50 Years on – Discrimination in Education Then and Now Johan Wassermann (University of Pretoria) Exploring Discrimination in Teacher Education in Germany – Empirical Insights and Didactic Reflections Anja Ballis (University of Munich)
12:15 – 01:30	Lunch Break
01:30 – 03:00	PANEL 2: Antisemitism & Anti-Muslim Racism Antisemitic Manifestations – The Semiotics of Antisemitism in Sweden and Experiences Among Jewish Youth Charlotta Seiler Brylla (University of Stockholm) Historical and Current Foundations and Religious-Educational Challenges of Jewish-Muslim Relations in Germany Asher Mattern (University of Tübingen), Fahimah Ulfat (University of Münster)
03:00 – 03:30	Coffee Break
03:30 – 04:00	Roundtable: Discrimination in Past and Present Open Discussion with Day 1 Speakers
04:30 – 06:00	Advisory Board Meeting
07:00	Dinner

Tuesday, November 4, 2025
09:00 – 09:15	Review & Preview Summary of Day 1 in Discussions Introduction to Day 2 topics and objectives
09:15 – 10:45	PANEL 3: Literacies of Power and Resistance in Digital Spaces Information with the Intent to Harm – Opportunities for Anti-Oppressive Information Clara Chu (University of Illinois) Language, Power, and Literature (Education) in Digital Spaces – Insights from BookTok Practices Vesna Bjegac (University of Munich), Nina Simon (University of Leipzig)
10:45 – 11:15	Coffee Break
11:15– 01:15	PANEL 4: (Algorithmic) Discrimination and Virtual Education Navigating Ethical Tensions in Anti-Discriminatory Education Erkan Binici (University of Münster) Professionalising Anti-Discrimination in (Teacher) Education – Insights and Perspectives Jana Rüppel, Rebecca Schuler, Lisa Schwendemann (University of Munich) Decoding Discrimination in Virtual Spaces: Exploring the VR Environment ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ Svenja Hahn (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg), Calvin Hofmann, Mario Schwarz (University of Applied Sciences Heilbronn)
01:15 – 02:00	Working Lunch: Closing Discussion and Future Directions
02:00	End of Conference