It was inspiring to see how ideas about the future of higher education brought people together in Ankara, Türkiye. At the 8th International Higher Education Studies Conference (IHEC) 2025, hosted by the Association for Higher Education Studies in Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Susanne Maria Weber was invited as a keynote speaker.

The International Conference with the title “The Future of Higher Education in an Age of Uncertainty” addressed many relevant topics of changes in the research and practice field of higher education studies. Academics, students, civil society representatives, and Turkish policymakers joined the discussions.

“Not to be governed like this and in such a way”

Professor Dr. Susanne Maria Weber’s keynote contributed to the theme of aesthetic and embodied learning and democracy-as-becoming by presenting key research activities and project outcomes from the German team.

In her speech “Not to be governed like this and in such a way – Defending Truth – Contesting Power – Imagining the Commoning University”, she outlined the global trend of authoritarianism and its profound impact on Higher Education. She connected her empirical analysis to a Foucauldian perspective on truth and truthtelling (Parrhesia) and explored how acts of truthtelling might be possible in authoritarian regimes.

Professor Weber proposed commoning as a post-critical, heliotropic and solution-oriented approach, which would neither try to argue “against” existing dominance nor be “idealistic” in the sense of talking about what should be. Rather, such an approach suggests detaching from imposed discourses and connecting to desired futures, shaping a solution-oriented critique, which refers to “eupraxia” – the Greek word for solutionary patterns, that might, step-by-step, on a daily basis support, cultural shift toward the democratisation of academic spheres.

She noted that UNESCO also advocates for education to be oriented not simply toward the public good, but toward the common good, a distinction that becomes increasingly significant in light of right-wing political shifts that challenge national and state-based frameworks.

Building on the principles of commoning, Professor Weber showed how a threefold notion of democracy could support a framework to shape the future of Higher Education. She connected social togetherness, as well as peer governance and a care economy, to John Dewey´s notion of democracy and to the potential for organisational and cultural change within higher education institutions and organizations.

Introducing the pattern language of commoning, which was explored, tested and applied in the German research cases of the AECED project, Professor Weber highlighted its analytical potential and practical applicability. She explained how the Pattern Language of Commoning Card Deck can support individual reflection, team development, organisational change and the co-creation of future practices grounded in commoning.

In the last part of her keynote, Susanne Maria Weber introduced the results of one of her higher education research cases. During the winter semester of 2024/25, the German AECED team collaborated with undergraduate students in a BA seminar on organisational education, democracy-counselling, and consulting. Using the Pattern Language of Commoning Card Deck, the group explored democratic processes within higher education and outlined the concept of a Commoning University

At the end of the keynote, the results of this process of aesthetic and embodied learning were presented. The proposed Commoning University was shaped by students across five dimensions : the dimension of learning, students as co-creators, collective financing, and internal processes. Through these dimensions, multiple aspect of democratisation were addressed – laying the groundwork for practices that could be realised in the shared spaces of higher education institutions.

During the conference, participants suggested that the Pattern Language of Commoning Card Deck should be translated into Turkish. The AECED colleagues present readily agreed that this should happen during the project time, with the project currently in the dissemination phase. This process will also provide an opportunity to introduce the Pedagogical Framework and Guides to Practice of the AECED project to interested conference participants.

Transforming Education for Democracy: Co-Creation of Seminars with Future Professionals in Higher Education

In Ankara, Kardelen Dilara Cazgir and Prof. Dr. Susanne Maria Weber shared insights from the AECED Project and one of the German Higher Education cases. Kardelen led the presentation, Transforming Education for Democracy: Co-Creation of Seminars with Future Professionals in Higher Education, together with Susanne.

Kardelen opened by introducing the AECED project, explaining how it builds on Participatory Action Research and theoretical foundations of democracy-as-becoming. She highlighted AECED’s pedagogical focus on aesthetic and embodied learning and explained the three levels of transformation that had been identified through their research. She also outlined the common research questions that informed all six partners across nineteen cases.

Kardelen then shared one of the German cases on higher education. In this case, students designed and trialled aesthetic and embodied methods in real-life learning settings, exploring what it means to live democracy in practice. Together, the German team co-researched and co-created with students through three iterations across bachelor’s and master’s seminars. It was inspiring to see how students grew into co-researchers, shaping the learning process and space alongside the German research team.

After the session, the German Team had lively conversations with Turkish colleagues and other international partners during coffee breaks, informal gatherings, and dinners. Following the conference, Professor Weber was also invited as a guest speaker for the Middle East Technical University’s Sociology Seminar Series, where she shared insights from the AECED research.

The German Team explored ideas for future collaborations, including possible joint activities with international colleagues. The team are excited about continuing these conversations at the upcoming event and look forward to issuing invitations to lunch events, as we explore new opportunities in the exploitation and dissemination phases of the project.

Blog by Susanne Maria Weber and Kardelen Dilara Cazgir of AECED Germany and Marburg University

To be kept informed of future AECED events or to register your interest in the project please complete this short form: Registration of interest

#Education4Democracy