International conference on Wonder, Education, and Human Flourishing

The main theme of the conference Wonder, Education, and Human Flourishing was the role of wonder in education and children’s development, and its relation to children’s (present or future) flourishing. It was an explicit purpose of the conference to bring together educational theorists, education scientists, philosophers, psychologists and members of other disciplines interested in wonder (or closely related topics) and its relation to education and/or human flourishing. The conference featured a mix of conceptual, normative, and empirical papers. The papers that were presented treated topics such as:

The educational importance of wonder
(How) does wonder contribute to human flourishing?
The distinction between wonder and curiosity
Different types of wonder (and their diverse roles in education and/or human flourishing)
Wonder’s relation to (other) emotions (e.g. awe, fear, aesthetic emotions)
Wonder and imagination
Wonder and intrinsic motivation to learn
Wonder’s role in particular types of education, such as science education, moral education, political education, art education

The conference comprised inspiring keynote lectures by Genevieve Lloyd, Todd Kashdan, and Yannis Hadzigeorgiou, a presentation of our research project, and over twenty papers presented in parallel sessions, discussed in a convivial and constructive atmosphere. Here's a photographic impression of the conference: