ROCKET Outreach Conference #3
Experiences with Interculturality and Diversity around Critical Virtual Exchange
How can we account for diversity in higher education and promote equal opportunities? How can we adapt to a teaching context which not only becomes increasingly intercultural, but has also moved from the analog into the digital realm in recent years? And how can we navigate the conflicts that arise, learn about ourselves, and foster the wellbeing of students, lecturers, and administrative staff alike?
These are some of the questions which the project ROCKET (“Role-Playing Games on Conflict Transformation for Equity in Higher Education through Virtual Exchange”) has been trying to answer since its beginning in 2024. The project’s main objective is to develop a blueprint for Critical Virtual Exchange (cf. Hauck), which integrates interpersonal and conflict transformation skills as well as the innovative teaching format of online role-playing games, in order to deepen intercultural understanding and appreciation of diversity in higher education. Initiated in the ENLIGHT network and conceived by the universities of Göttingen, Groningen, and Uppsala, ROCKET is a cooperation partnership funded by Erasmus+. Accordingly, it combines areas of expertise from all three institutions and thereby addresses matters of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Göttingen), Critical Virtual Exchange (Groningen), and Role-Playing Games and Conflict Transformation (Uppsala).
Call for presentations:
For the project’s third and final Outreach Conference, we invite contributions which address one of the project areas and place a strong focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are interested in various kinds of inter/faces; a term which we take to extend to intercultural exchange, diversity, digital teaching formats and how they can connect participants across the globe. We also apply this term to conflict transformation and role-playing games, which allow us to interact playfully by putting on a different face. Topics for potential presentations include, but are not limited to:
- State-of-the-art approaches to promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Higher Education, from a research, teaching, or administrative perspective
- Intercultural exchange and learning experiences in a physical and/or digital setting
- Implementing inclusive and equitable teaching in Critical Virtual Exchange
- Role-Playing Games in Relation to Critical Virtual Exchange and/or DEI
- Perspectives on Diversity and Conflict Transformation
The main language of the conference will be English. Scholars of all levels of qualification are warmly invited to submit proposals for 20-minute presentations. We will accept 16 presentations total. The conference will further include a student panel featuring 15-minute presentations as well as sessions, workshops, and future open educational resources.
Please submit your abstract of no more than 300 words and a short bio note of no more than 200 words by 31st October 2025. All abstracts will be subject to a peer-review process before being considered for the conference. You will be informed about our decision within two weeks after the call closes.
SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT HERE
There is no participation fee. We offer a 300€ travel subsidiary to all speakers. To (non-speaker) administrative staff who are interested in attending, we recommend checking with your local International Office about the possibility of Erasmus+ staff mobility funding in this context. The event will take place on-site in Göttingen. The conference rooms are accessible via elevator. In case of questions, please contact ROCKET@uni-goettingen.de.
Reference:
Hauck, Mirjam: From Virtual Exchange to Critical Virtual Exchange and Critical Internationalization at Home (2023-07-03). The Global Impact Exchange, 2023 (Spring). 9-12.