RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025

The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute for British Geographers) Annual International Conference will be held at the University of Birmingham and online, from Tuesday 26 August to Friday 29 August 2025.

The Geography Education Research Group will be hosting a number of sessions:

Wednesday 27 August

11.10-12.50: Making the Case for Geography in Our Classrooms: Lightning Lessons for Transformative Learning

• Kenneth Foote, University of Connecticut, 
• Alan Marvell, University of Gloucestershire
• Sonja Rewhorn, The Open University
• Gavin Heath, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Harry West, UWE, Bristol

14.40-16.20: Food Education, Creative Practice and Youth’s Everyday Geographies of Food

• Sara Brouwer, Utrecht University
• Irene Marchiani, Utrecht University
• Tine Beneker, Utrecht university
• Ajay Bailey, Utrecht university
• Harrison Awuh, Utrecht University
• [Co-sponsored with the Food Geographies Research Group]

Thursday 28 August

9.00-10.40: What Can We Creatively Learn Here, That We Can Learn Nowhere Else?

• Smriti Safaya, Stockholm Environment Institute – York, University of York
• Suzie Eden, University of York

11.10-12.50: The Future of Fieldwork

• Joanna Southworth, University of Birmingham
• Lesley Batty, University of Birmingham
• Surindar Dhesi, University of Birmingham

14.40-16.20: Emerging and Innovative Pedagogies in Geography Higher Education

• Harry West, UWE, Bristol
• Alan Marvell, University of Gloucestershire
• Jennifer Hill, UWE, Bristol

16.50-18.30: Creating pathways to leadership in Geography HE (Panel discussion)

• Sonja Rewhorn, The Open University
• Vicky Johnson, The Open University
• Matt Finn, University of Exeter

Friday 29 August

9.00-10.40: 2025 Journal of Geography in Higher Education Annual Lecture – Jennifer Hill, UWE, Bristol

Organised by: 

• David Higgitt, University of Lancaster
• Derek France, University of Chester
• Sonja Rewhorn, The Open University

11.10-12.50: Writing successfully for the Journal of Geography in Higher Education

• Derek France, University of Chester
• Sonja Rewhorn, The Open University
• Alan Marvell, University of Gloucestershire
• Harry West, UWE, Bristol
• David Higgitt, University of Lancaster

14.40-16.20: Crǝativethnographies (1) Exploring new ways to co-produce young people`s geographies using arts, fiction and so-much-more-than-that

• Itta Bauer, University of Zurich
• [Co-sponsored with the Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group]

16.50-18.30: Crǝativethnographies (2) Exploring new ways to co-produce young people`s geographies using arts, fiction and so-much-more-than-that

• Itta Bauer, University of Zurich
• [Co-sponsored with the Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group]