Generation Inclusion? – A Working Conference

For four decades, researchers have been exchanging ideas at the IFO Conference.

The Salzburg IFO team is delighted to invite you to the 40th Annual Conference on Inclusion Research in Salzburg. The conference will take place from 10–12 February 2027 under the title Generation Inclusion? – A Working Conference.

In keeping with the conference title, we invite you to work together on topics that matter to you and to us. The central format for this collaborative work will be working forums, whose themes are to be largely defined by you. The call therefore consists of two steps. In a first „Pre-Call“, we ask you to submit topics that you would like to explore – together with colleagues you already know or have yet to meet. There are various roles for participation, which are described in more detail in the Pre-Call. In this way, we aim to connect with the spirit of the early conferences, and to take up and further develop the idea of Symposia+ initiated in Bremen.

Alongside this central format, there will also be a traditional track with the option to submit individual contributions and posters. We aim to design the poster sessions in a way that makes engaging with presenters and their topics genuinely interesting and motivating.

We look forward to your topics.

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CALL & EVENT FORMATS

ACCESIBILITY AND AWARENESS

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EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

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TEAM & CONTACT

Pre-Call

The 40th Annual Conference on Inclusion Research aims to offer a space, on the occasion of its anniversary, to draw a connection back to its beginnings. With this perspective in mind, we would like to work together on how the subjects of inclusion have understood themselves, how they understand themselves today, and how they wish to define (themselves) in the future – and, relatedly, what Inclusive Pedagogy was, is, and could be and become in light of a changed world and increasingly challenging social conditions. We have therefore given the overarching theme the title Generation Inclusion? and wish to hold a working conference at the University of Education Salzburg Stefan Zweig.

We invite all those affected by, addressed by, or engaged with the topic of inclusion:

Self-advocates and experts by experience,
Family members and close associates,
Teachers, social educators and disability educators,
Open-minded, interested professionals,
Representatives of academic Inclusive Pedagogy and its related disciplines,
Researchers and activists, as well as
Advocacy and political representatives,

…to work across generations on the self-understanding and therefore the future of inclusion in the fields of education, child-rearing, and social services.

In our view, the aim of a working conference requires that collaborative partners be involved from the very beginning. That means you – all of you. This already hints at the fact that this conference will need to deviate from the „usual“ format. The idea for the framework of our collaborative work is as follows:

We would like to structure the conference around working forums as the central format. These form the focal point of the annual conference.

Characteristics of the Working Forums

They extend across the entire duration of the conference.
They serve the purpose of collaborative, in-depth work on a specific topic.
The goal is to initiate lasting collaborative relationships beyond the conference itself (e.g. publication projects, research networks, project ideas).

Roles in the Working Forums

There will be various ‚roles‘ within the forums, which we would like to define – not exhaustively – as follows. All of them are recognised as active, confirmable roles for collaborative work within the conference.

Impulse Givers

Propose a topic for a working forum and/or
Provide a thematic impulse to introduce an existing topic,
Co-structure the work process together with the moderators,
Are available for substantive work on the topic throughout the conference.

The role of Impulse Giver is considered a presenting and leading role and can be formally documented to the relevant organisation.

Discussants / Active Contributors

Actively participate in a working forum,
Contribute their own expertise, perspectives, and experiences,
Engage continuously in the work process.

The role of Discussant or Active Contributor is considered active professional participation in the working conference and can be formally documented to the relevant organisation.

Moderators

Accompany and structure the work process within the forum,
Support focused, participatory discussion,
Contribute to the documentation and continuation of results.

The role of Moderator is also considered an active, responsible role within the conference and can be formally documented to the relevant organisation.

Participation without a Declared Role

Participation in the annual conference is also possible without taking on a specific role. Participants without a declared role may attend the open parts of the conference and visit working forums as well as all other programme items.

Announcement of the Topics

We ask all Impulse Givers to submit by 5 July the topics they wish to address – topics that are, in their view, essential and centrally significant for the generation(s) of inclusion and their continuation.

Before the summer break (expected by 17 July), we will reintroduce the topics into dialogue via a final Call, and will concretise participation and collaboration on the thematic clusters – and, with your support, (pre-)structure the framework for our collaborative work. At that point, it will also be possible to submit poster or individual contributions.

Pre-Call for Impulse Givers

If you – as an individual or group – would like to provide an impulse for a working forum, please fill in the following form by 5 July:

Submission form

For all other participants, the Call to be sent out in mid-July will be the relevant communication.

Accesibility and Awareness

We are committed to making the IFO Conference at the University of Education Salzburg as accessible and inclusive as possible. Our fundamental approach, as well as the concrete structures of the conference, are summarised in a comprehensive Awareness Concept.

Our concept is based on the Awareness Concept of IFO Bremen 2026, which the conference team developed in collaboration with the ADE of the University of Bremen. We have adapted this template to best meet the needs of our conference community at the University of Education Salzburg. We would like to sincerely thank our colleagues at the University of Bremen for their generous provision of materials, and we are very pleased to be able to build on the foundation of their valuable work.

We are consistently committed to implementing participation with as few barriers as possible across various dimensions.

Individual needs: You can already inform us of your personal needs (e.g. childcare, quiet spaces, specific assistance requirements) as part of the registration process or by emailing ifo@phsalzburg.at.
On-site support: Throughout the entire conference, contact persons will be available to assist with any support needs that arise.

We are all jointly responsible for a mindful, respectful, and accessible environment. The preparation of talks, workshops, and posters also contributes significantly to an accessible conference experience.

Getting involved together: We warmly invite all participants to read the Awareness Concept in advance, so that we can bring it to life together during the conference.

Our concepts in plain language and easy-to-read formats will appear here.

Everything about the Conference

Getting to Salzburg

Salzburg W.A. Mozart Airport

Salzburg W.A. Mozart International Airport is served daily by numerous direct international flights. The airport is located approximately four kilometres west of the city centre. Bus line 2 takes you to the main train station, and bus line 10 takes you into the city centre. Buses run every 10 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes in the evenings. Tickets can be purchased at machines or via the „SalzburgMobil“ app. Taxis are also available.

There is also the option of booking a pick-up service from „Salzburger Mietwagen und Reise-Service GmbH“. This service will take you from the airport to an address of your choice in Salzburg. This service must be booked three working days in advance.

If no direct flight to Salzburg is available, Vienna or Munich are good alternatives. Onward travel to Salzburg is possible via Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Deutsche Bahn (DB), or Westbahn.

By Train

Due to its location, Salzburg is easily accessible by train. Salzburg Main Station is situated in close proximity to the city centre. Many local and regional buses stop in the forecourt of the station (5:00 to 23:30).

By Car

Austria’s motorway network provides the best connections to Salzburg by car. The A1 West Motorway from Vienna via Linz approaches from the east. The A8 (Munich, Germany / Innsbruck, Austria) approaches from the west, and the A10 Villach/Graz arrives from the south (Italy and Slovenia).

Please note that a motorway vignette is compulsory on Austrian motorways. Further information: https://www.oeamtc.at/thema/maut-vignette/

Public Transport

Salzburg’s public transport system is very well developed. All major districts are accessible by one of the environmentally friendly city buses. Bus stops are clearly signposted. Single tickets must be validated at the ticket machine on the bus before each journey. Weekly and monthly passes need to be validated once only.

Further information: https://salzburg-verkehr.at/

You can reach our campus by taking bus lines 3, 5, 8 or 27 heading south. Our stops are „Akademiestraße“ (lines 3, 8), „Erzabt-Klotz-Straße“ (line 5) or „Sportzentrum Nonntal“ (line 27).

The Salzburg Transport Service Centre is located in the basement of Salzburg’s local train station at Südtiroler Platz. There you can purchase tickets, obtain information, and pick up additional materials.

Taxis in Salzburg: Simply call 8111.

Tourist Information: Salzburg Tourism, Mozartplatz 5, 5020 Salzburg | www.salzburg.info | www.visit-salzburg.net

Catering at the Conference and Conference Dinner

During the conference, exclusively vegetarian and vegan food will be provided.

The conference dinner will take place at Restaurant ‚Mephisto‘, which is within walking distance of the University of Education Salzburg Stefan Zweig. Erzabt-Klotz-Straße 22, 5020 Salzburg | www.mephisto-salzburg.at