What makes a life of flourishing?
Character – Life Skills – Competencies
Date: 24 th 11:30 to 26th of June 14:30 (Annual General Meeting of the Association, 13:45-14:45)
Host: Private University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria in cooperation with the Jubilee Centre of Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham and the University of Trnava
The conference is hosted by the Private University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria which is Austria’s largest private university college for teacher education with seven campus locations in Vienna and Lower Austria. Currently about 2,500 students participate in pre-service teacher education programmes and about 1,000 students in advanced teacher training courses.
Location of the conference: Vienna, Austria, Donaucity-Straße 1, 1220 Vienna. View Conference Rooms.
Conference description
The ECVA conference 2025 in Vienna will be titled “What makes a life of flourishing? Exploring the Intersection of Character, Life Skills and Competencies”. It will gather leading researchers from around the world to explore the crucial interplay between character development, essential life skills, resilience, and competencies. The conference aims to share research by bringing together philosophers, educators, education researchers, psychologists, and professionals. Attendees will engage in discussions on how character education can foster personal and professional flourishing, on the integration of virtues and life skills into educational curricula, and the impact of holistic child development approaches on overall well-being, happiness, and school success in a time of competence orientation.
In today’s educational landscape, many students face significant wellbeing and mental health challenges. The conference will focus on how whole child development approaches, such as Aristotelian character education and life skills programs can promote psychological well-being and happiness. It will also examine how these approaches can be integrated with more utilitarian education methods that emphasize the development of cognitive competencies and achievement in standardized tests. The central theme revolves around exploring how these elements of education can be effectively combined to help individuals thrive both personally and professionally.
Thus, the conference aims to provide a thorough understanding of how character education, life skills, and competency development can be leveraged to support students’ holistic development. By addressing these critical intersections, the event will offer valuable insights and strategies for educators, policymakers and parents dedicated to promoting resilience, well-being, and overall flourishing for students in work and life.
This event promises a rich exchange of ideas and research findings. The conference will be structured around plenary sessions and parallel sessions with paper presentations selected through double-blind review process.
Vienna, known for its historical and cultural heritage, provides an inspiring backdrop for this gathering. The city’s rich intellectual history and vibrant atmosphere will enhance the collaborative spirit of the event, fostering meaningful discussions and innovative ideas.
Conference Format
The conference will feature keynote presentations by renowned experts, alongside plenary sessions and parallel sessions for paper presentations. Vienna, with its historical and intellectual legacy, will provide an inspiring environment for vibrant discussions and collaborative innovation.
Call for Abstracts
The European Character and Virtue Association (ECVA) invites submissions for its upcoming conference, taking place in Vienna in 2025. This event, titled “What Makes a Life of Flourishing? Exploring the Intersection of Character, Life Skills, and Competencies,” will bring together leading researchers, educators, psychologists, philosophers, and practitioners from around the world to explore how character education and life skills development contribute to personal and professional flourishing.
The ECVA 2025 Conference seeks to address key questions at the intersection of character development, resilience, life skills, and competency-building.
Topics might include
- How can character education foster individual well-being, personal growth, and success?
- What role do life skills and competencies play in holistic child development?
- How can virtues and life skills be effectively integrated into educational curricula?
- What impact do whole-child approaches, such as Aristotelian character education, have on students' psychological well-being, happiness, and academic success?
- How can character and life skills education be aligned with modern, utilitarian educational goals such as competency development and achievement in standardized assessments?
We particularly encourage papers that examine:
- Theoretical frameworks and philosophical underpinnings of character and virtue education.
- Practical applications of character education and life skills. programs in schools
- Research on resilience, well-being, and happiness as outcomes of character and life skills education.
- Comparative studies on the integration of character and competency-based education models.
- Policy implications for implementing character education across educational systems.
Submissions are invited for paper presentations. All submissions will undergo a double-blind review process to ensure quality and relevance. We welcome contributions from researchers, educators, and practitioners who are interested in advancing the study and application of character and virtue education.
The paper proposal is to be submitted in English and must include the following:
- Abstract (500 words), with 4-5 keywords.
- Short abstract (100 words).
- Title of the paper.
- Author(s), affiliation, and e-mail address of the corresponding author.
Deadline for Abstract Submission: 15th of January 2025.
Notification of Acceptance: 1st of March 2025.
Submission Form ▼
Submit Your Abstracts
Who Are ECVA
The European Character and Virtue Association (ECVA), established in 2022, is dedicated to promoting research, training, and networking in the field of character education across Europe. ECVA serves as a platform for collaboration among universities, academic networks, individual researchers and practitioners, with the goal of advancing character virtues and influencing educational policy in Europe and beyond. By uniting a wide network of educational institutions in Europe and scholars from around the globe, ECVA fosters a vibrant community dedicated to character and virtue education.
Executive Board of ECVA (in founding process)
President:
Prof. Dr. James Arthur
Faculty Affiliate, Human Flourishing Program
Harvard University
Secretary:
Prof. Dr. Tom Harrison
Director of Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues,
University of Birmingham
Vice President:
Prof. Dr. Verónica Fernández
Director of the Virtue and Values Education Centre,
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
Treasurer:
Prof. Dr. Roland Bernhard
Professor of Education, Private University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria.
President:
Prof. Dr. James Arthur
Faculty Affiliate, Human Flourishing Program
Harvard University
Vice President:
Prof. Dr. Verónica Fernández
Director of the Virtue and Values Education Centre,
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
Secretary:
Prof. Dr. Tom Harrison
Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues,
University of Birmingham
Treasurer:
Prof. Dr. Roland Bernhard
Professor of Education, Private University College of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria.
Join us in Vienna to shape the future of character, life skills and virtue education!
Join us in Vienna to shape the future of character, life skills and virtue education!
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