Join Ulster University and the Centre for Youth Research and Dialogue in Belfast for Critical Conversations on Contemporary Youth Research, Policy, and Practice.
Stop the Clock - Spread over three days and located on the new Ulster University campus in Belfast.
The conference promises both international scholarly debates and exchange in critical youth studies and opportunities to immerse in the rich political and cultural life of the city. Participants will be able to engage with research papers, community tours, reflective discussion and networking opportunities with academics and practitioners interested in youth and young adulthood.
In a period of rapid social change and political and economic turbulence, the conference provides the opportunity to ‘stop the clock’ and make sense of what is going on for young people now - and to consider prospects for the future.
Young people today are experiencing a unique set of obstacles: climate crisis; social division and unrest; growing local and global inequalities; the intensification of precarity in and outside of working life; instability in world economy; the aftermath of a global pandemic - all of which shape the world that they are growing up in and how they make sense of themselves and their futures. For some, there is a growing sense of hopelessness, anxiety and uncertainty and sometimes a lack of confidence in political institutions and leaders, which can intensify feelings of chaos and crisis.
Turbulent times can lead to shifts in world view. New, innovative responses to challenges emerge. Technology, for example, combines with youth culture to give voice to new forms of resistance and activism. In a 24/7 digitally connected world, local struggles can gain global traction. Featuring paper presentations, panel sessions and key note lectures from leading academics, this conference brings people together to take a snapshot view of the here and now of contemporary youth research, policy and practice.
Within this context, we look forward to receiving proposals for papers for the conference. Papers may focus on the areas listed below, however, this is not an exhaustive list.
View our city centre accommodation offers from our partner Visit Belfast.The full programme will be available later in the year but to help you make travel and accommodation arrangements - the conference will run from 9am on 3 September and conclude at 5pm on 5 September.
Meet the keynote speakers.
We are delighted to welcome inputs from esteemed researchers whose research expertise will be of interest to those working in the field of youth studies and youth work.
Registration now open. Please see ticket costs below.
Getting to Belfast couldn't be easier.
Northern Ireland has three airports, sea crossings from England and Scotland, and a direct rail link from Dublin.
Coming from further afield? No problem.
You can fly direct to Belfast from over 20 European cities and a number of North American locations.
And once you arrive, you’ll find it’s just as easy to get around as it was to get here.
