In late August 2025, University Lecturer Marina Lundkvist and Postdoctoral Researcher Cecilia Heilala participated in the international EECERA conference (European Early Childhood Education Research Association) in Bratislava, Slovakia. The theme of this year’s conference, Early Education for All: Celebrating Diversity and Seeking Inclusion, placed issues of equity, diversity, and inclusive practices at the center of the discussions—issues that are increasingly shaping both policy development and the research agenda within early childhood education and care.
As part of the conference program, Lundkvist and Heilala presented preliminary results from the first phase of data collection in the research project Envisioning tomorrow (Tänka framåt). The presentation attracted interest through its focus on future-oriented perspectives in educational contexts and contributed to ongoing international discussions on how early education can evolve in response to societal change and growing demands for sustainability, participation, and equity.
The EECERA conference constitutes one of the most important international meeting places for researchers whose work concerns children, childhood, and early childhood education in diverse cultural and institutional contexts. Presenting research in such settings is of central importance for academic knowledge development. Through critical feedback, dialogue, and networking, opportunities are created for both theoretical refinement and methodological development, while research findings are examined within a broader scientific and international framework.
The conference offered a multifaceted overview of current research fields, where issues of inclusion, pedagogical quality, professional learning, and children’s rights emerged as recurring themes. For Lundkvist and Heilala, participation was not only an opportunity to disseminate their own findings but also a chance to engage with new research approaches and establish connections with colleagues from different parts of the world.
Overall, participation in the conference proved to be both intellectually stimulating and strategically significant for their research. The scholarly discussions and international exchanges provided renewed energy and strengthened motivation to further develop the Envisioning tomorrow project. In a research environment where knowledge production is increasingly dependent on international dialogue and collaboration, such meeting places are not only inspiring—they are essential for the continued relevance and impact of research.