STSM Testimonials: Experiences from ECER 2025: Reflections on Autonomy and Openness in Higher Education

This year, I attended European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) with the support of an ITC Conference Grant awarded by the OPEN COST Action. ECER, was held in Belgrade, Serbia on the 8^th to the 12^th of September. Researchers from across Europe were brought together under the theme “Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”. The conference provided a rich platform to share research, connect with colleagues, and reflect on how education contributes to individual well-being and inclusive communities.

I participated in the conference with two collaborative contributions. The first paper, “Conceptualization of the University Autonomy with Context-sensitive Factors in Turkish Higher Education,” was co-authored with Dr. Serap Emil, Anıl Ersöz, and Dr. Betül Bulut Şahin. This paper is developed within the scope of the OPEN COST Action. The idea was sparked after the Working Group 2 meeting in Warsaw earlier this year, where discussions encouraged us to revisit fundamental concepts such as university autonomy from a context-sensitive perspective. We began with the case of Türkiye, analyzing higher education laws, regulations, and governance practices. Our ECER presentation shared the preliminary findings of this joint work, and the session generated valuable feedback from colleagues in the Higher Education Network as well as members of our OPEN COST Action.

In collaboration with my colleague, I co-authored a second paper on open science practices and the dissemination of knowledge through postgraduate education. This presentation was delivered within the special call of the Open Research in Education network.

Beyond our own sessions, ECER offered an excellent opportunity to build new connections, especially in the Open Research in Education (Network 12) and Higher Education (Network 22) networks, and to rejoin colleagues from other networks such as Environmental and Sustainability Education Research (Network 30). The keynotes, presentations, and subsequent discussions on artificial intelligence, the conceptualization versus the realization of education, and the formation of individuals as authentic beings through education led me to reflect more deeply on academic freedom, university autonomy, and the changing challenges that universities face in today’s fast-paced world. These exchanges were especially thought-provoking and closely connected back to our work on autonomy and governance, as well as to the objectives of the OPEN COST Action.

I am truly grateful to the OPEN COST Action for awarding me the ITC grant to support my participation at ECER. Beyond this, being part of such an inspiring Action allowed me to join a vibrant academic community and collaborate with scholars. I look forward to further engaging with members of the Action in upcoming meetings to share our results.