The deadline for Expressions of Interest is March 18

The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) has launched a Call for Expressions of Interest for the IAP‑ISSE International School of Science Education 2026, a high‑level, invitation‑only event that will take place 16-19 October 2026 at the historic Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture (EMFCSC) in Erice, Italy. The initiative will convene leading scientists, educators, academicians, and institutional representatives to address the future of science education in a rapidly changing world.

Qualified participants – including senior scientists, science teachers, and science‑education specialists – can apply for the initiave through the online form (click here to access the form). The deadline for submitting the form is March 18, 2026.

The School is organized by IAP in collaboration with the EMFCSC, home to more than 120 international scientific schools and a longstanding hub for advanced study and interdisciplinary dialogue. Since 1976, EMFCSC’s International School of Science Education has played a central role in fostering global cooperation on topics at the forefront of science education. Click here learn more about the initiative.

Science Education in a Time of Epistemic Transformation

The 2026 edition of the International School of Science Education is framed by the profound transformations currently reshaping knowledge production, dissemination, and validation. As highlighted in the meeting’s vision document, science education now operates in an environment shaped by digital information ecosystems, AI‑mediated learning, uncertainty, and societal polarization.

In response to these challenges, the IAP‑ISSE International School of Science Education 2026 will focus on several interconnected priorities:

• Inquiry‑based science education (IBSE) as a pathway to agency, understanding, and critical thinking.
• Teaching how science works, including the nature of evidence, uncertainty, and scientific consensus.
• Science education in the age of artificial intelligence, understood as a deep epistemic shift rather than a technological add‑on.
• Research‑informed professional learning, strengthening sustainable connections between evidence and classroom practice.
• International alliances and networks for long‑term collective impact.

The overarching goal is to move beyond reflection and toward coordinated global action, identifying shared priorities and establishing thematic alliances capable of producing practical, research‑informed resources and policy‑relevant documents.

Participation and Support

Participation in the IAP‑ISSE 2026 is invitation‑based and aims to bring together individuals with recognized leadership in science, education, and institutional development. Board and lodging in Erice will be covered by the organizers, while participants from high‑income countries are expected to cover their own travel expenses.

Applicants also have the option – on a voluntary basis – to submit a proposal for a poster or lecture, accompanied by a short abstract (up to 2,500 characters). Details on submission requirements are included in the background document.