Call for papers for the

7th RAIFFET International Conference

Technological education, vocational training and education for a sustainable society

IPNETP in ABIDJAN (IVORY COAST)

5 - 8 May 2025

Download Call for communications for the 7th RAIFFET International Conference RAIFFET 2025

Rationale

Through the adoption of the Global Development Goals (MDGs) and then the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN has enacted, “17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” with a view to achieving a better future and a more sustainable world for all. These 17 SDGs are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, a roadmap for the development of all States.  

As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNESCO coordinates the SDG “quality education” which is an integral part of the sustainable development agenda and constitutes the fourth of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations, in New York, in September 2015. This goal aims to “ensure equal access to quality education for all and promote lifelong learning opportunities”. 

The African Union, keen to adapt and make the objectives of SDG4 compatible with its own objectives, adopted in 2016 the continental education strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) as a framework for the transformation of education systems. 

In 2019, a joint report by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and the Global Education Observatory (GEM) on “meeting the commitments” of the fourth Sustainable Development Goal relating to Education (SDG 4) highlights the progress made since 2015 in access, completion and quality of basic education for all.

However, progress towards achieving SDG 4 remains insufficient: access to quality education remains incomplete and significant disparities persist across the world (Mabiala, M. U. (2023))  and within the countries themselves (Kanga, B. M. (2023)). Africa weighs more than other continents in the gaps to be filled to achieve the objectives of SDG 4, which are also reflected in the Continental Strategy for eEducation in Africa (CESA) (16-25).

To address this education crisis in Africa, the African Union announces via an information note making education the theme of the year 2024 “Educating an Africa fit for the 21st century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, qualitative, sustainable and relevant learning for Africa”. 

Thus, to achieve the objectives of SDG 4, which are also reflected in the Continental Strategy for Education in Africa (CESA 16-25), the African Union invites all stakeholders from preschool to university, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and non-formal education to refocus their efforts on the quality of teaching, learning and the acquisition of skills. Three levels of action can be considered:

• At the level of educational policies : in particular through curriculum reforms to enable the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes which all children, young people and adults have or will need to become active participants in the transformation of societies in which they live.

• At the learning level : which must enable the mastery of basic knowledge (reading, writing, counting, reasoning) with a view to continuing studies and/or building a socio-professional future;

• At the level of teacher training : which must allow each teacher to practice their profession in the best conditions and to develop their knowledge and professional skills. 

Conference themes

This seventh conference will be an opportunity to compare points of view on this issue of education for a sustainable society from pre-school to university including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) including  non-formal education. It is therefore an issue of questioning the way in which the objectives for sustainable education are constructed along 3 axes:

Axis 1 — Educational policies for a sustainable society

This first axis questions the impact of educational policies on the organization of education and training systems in all education sub-sectors, particularly in the areas of scientific, technological and professional education. 

Indeed, if we 

“consider that actions which improve the quality of education take place in the classroom and in the school, they are constantly influenced by actions and decisions which are taken outside the school, in particular at different levels of the education system . There is therefore reason to ask whether these different decisions and actions are relevant, coordinated and oriented towards the common objective of better learning for students.. 

The proposals will endeavour to present experiments or work which aim to assess, or even measure, the effects of this or that political decision on the question of education for all, whether it concerns access to scientific and technological culture, educational inclusion, better training-employment coordination or even teacher training to enable them to provide quality teaching.

Axis 2: Teaching - learning for a sustainable society

This second axis questions the organizational conditions of teaching situations likely to promote the appropriation of knowledge or skills, by children, adolescents or adults, in all education sub-sectors, particularly in the fields of scientific, technological and professional education.

Schooling is not synonymous with learning. Children learn very little in many education systems around the world: even after several years of schooling, millions of children do not master the basics of reading, writing and numeracy. However, education for a sustainable society involves equipping learners with the skills they need to lead healthy, productive and meaningful lives. 

The proposals will focus on presenting experiments or research work which aims to characterize the effectiveness of the teaching system through the analysis of what the teacher/trainer teaches and what the learners learn. In other words, how do the organizations implemented by the teacher/trainers promote or harm the learning of each and every individual who makes up the diversity of learners? This question will also be an opportunity to reflect on the role of initial and continuing training of teachers/trainers in thinking about the effectiveness of these organizations. 

Axis 3: Information and communication technologies for a sustainable society

This third axis questions the role of Information and Communication Technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), in the teaching-learning process in all education sub-sectors, particularly in areas of scientific, technological and professional education. Educational environments linked to the use of ICT and AI are, for education policies and specialists, a priori hopeful for meeting the many challenges of education in Africa in all facets of education, particularly as it relates to teaching and learning for all.  The ministerial declaration of the 2022 ADEA Triennale recognizes the role of technologies in improving the sustainable provision of education and training in Africa. This is even more relevant in Africa, where learning outcomes were at crisis levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, technology and AI are not miracle solutions to meet all the challenges of education in Africa. But their proper application can largely solve the initial problems of teaching and learning, if harnessed correctly. As Fortin (2022) points out

“The implementation of these modern tools is inevitable and brings along with it its advantages, but it would be wrong to place unquestioned faith in technology as the saviour of many of the world's most serious problems. »

The generalization of the use of digital technology and AI induces new forms of relationship to the knowledge of the actors whose choice and organization will be decisive in terms of the effectiveness of learning. AI can provide opportunities for analyzing learning data, creating tailored educational content and supporting teachers in their daily tasks

The proposals will focus on analyzing the role of these tools, including AI systems, which instrument the activities of learners and teachers, aiming to understand and explain the effects of their integration in the teaching-learning process. This theme will be an opportunity to answer numerous questions regarding educational developments in all education sub-sectors, taking into account the ethical and practical implications of the use of AI in education. . 

Objectives of the Conference

This conference should encourage exchanges between partners and especially between participants. It is not the only institutional meeting but it is an opportunity to develop scientific cooperation, to promote innovative practices and to contribute to the professionalization of stakeholders. This training in and through educational research contributes to the professionalization of all partners in the network. It is an opportunity to disseminate the results of research carried out in the field of scientific and technological education and professional training, to discuss innovations, a vector for the development of societies, to encourage the construction of future joint programs and to support scientific publication in order to promote research carried out beyond our local networks.

Furthermore, it aims to support doctoral and post-doctoral students in a process of scientific communications and publications. 

Schedule and submission of papers

• Complete papers of 15,000 characters (including spaces and punctuation) excluding bibliography.

• Launch of the call for papers: October 5, 2024

• Article submission: January 5, 2025 

• Notification of acceptance and requests for corrections : February 5, 2025

• Submission of finished articles: April 5, 2025

Pre-registration

To enable us to support you in seeking funding for your participation in the conference and to facilitate communication between us, we kindly request you to pre-register as quickly as possible via https://raiffet2025.sciencesconf.org/

As soon as you have completed your pre-registration, we will send you an official letter from RAIFFET to enable you to apply to your institution (university, school, laboratory, NGO, company, etc.) to obtain funding for your participation in the conference.

≪ Jacques GINESTIÉ young researcher ≫ Prize  for RAIFFET2025

During each of its conferences, RAIFFET grant the Young Researcher Prize. This award aims to recognize the work of a young researcher recently engaged in research. 

The selection criteria selected include the quality of scientific production, the originality of research carried out, as well as the interest and social impact for the development of education, particularly in Africa.

All young doctors (who have defended their thesis between 2020 and 2024) can apply, without any condition of nationality, language in which the scientific work was written or country in which the work was carried out.

To be able to apply, interested people must submit in addition to their conference presentation:

• A detailed Curriculum Vitae (four pages maximum, detailing teaching activities, research activities and responsibilities exercised) 

• The list of scientific publications produced by the candidate and distinguishing articles, books and book chapters, communications in conferences (specifying whether or not these communications are published in proceedings). The list will be provided in APA 7th standard.

The Young Researcher Prize is awarded to the winners during the Gala evening. We thank you for your interest and your participation in this conference. Together, let's contribute to a better and more sustainable future for all.

Hélène CHENEVAL-ARMAND, 

President of the scientific council   

Aix Marseille University