2024 IARSLCE APC X ICSL: 2024 IARSLCE Asia-Pacific Conference X International Conference on Service-Learning Hong Kong, December 3-6, 2024

Conference website	https://events.polyu.edu.hk/2024iarslceapcxicsl/home
Submission link	https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=2024iarslceapcxicsl
Poster	download
Submission deadline	August 7, 2024
Notification of Proposal Acceptance	September 19, 2024

Call for Proposals

We are excited to announce the 2024 IARSLCE Asia-Pacific Conference (APC) X International Conference on Service-Learning (ICSL) to be hosted in Hong Kong on 3 – 6 December 2024.  This event is a collaborative effort by the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) Asia-Pacific Community of Practice (APCoP) and the Service-Learning and Leadership Office (SLLO) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU).  This event also marks the 1^st IARSLCE APC and the 5^th ICSL.

The conference theme is: Service-Learning in Asia-Pacific Contexts.  In light of the rapidly growing pedagogy of service-learning in Asia-Pacific, it is crucial to review and enhance the integration of service-learning with regular curricula and research endeavors.  By specifying ‘Asia-Pacific Contexts’, we acknowledge the plurality within the region, which is comprised by various cultural, social, and contextual nuances across different countries and communities.  This conference aims to illuminate the rich cultural heritage and diverse communities in Asia-Pacific contexts that contribute to the distinctive approaches and practices of service-learning in this region.  By emphasizing and strengthening the connection between Asia-Pacific and the global community, this conference seeks to explore how service-learning can effectively contribute to addressing different global issues and objectives, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The success of service-learning programmes heavily relies on the commitment and collaboration between faculty members and community engagement professionals. In today's academic landscape, faculty members often face immense pressure to excel in teaching, research, and various institutional services. In driving the development of service-learning, it is crucial to engage faculty members by demonstrating the potential benefits and impacts that this pedagogy can bring to the students, the community, and themselves. Additionally, providing training and implementation support is essential to enhance faculty members' efficacy in incorporating service-learning into the curricula and research.

Similarly, community engagement professionals also confront a multitude of priorities and pressing issues due to the ever-changing policies, resources, and needs. To ensure the success and development of service-learning in this context, continuous dialogues are imperative to foster understanding among different stakeholders and facilitate collaborative efforts in addressing community needs through service-learning initiatives.

Therefore, we invite researchers, educators, practitioners, community engagement professionals, and students who are interested in a scholarly and evidence-based approach to service-learning to contribute to this significant dialogue by submitting proposals that align with the conference theme. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. Community Engagement, Partnership, and Entrepreneurship
2. Faculty/Educator/Practitioner-Scholar Engagement and Professional Development
3. Service-Learning in Graduate, Secondary, and Co-curricular Education
4. Transdisciplinary, Intercultural and Global Learning through Service-Learning
5. Technology in Service-Learning
6. Student Outcomes, Assessment, and Measurement
7. Theory, Concept, Pedagogy, and Methods
8. Service-Learning Cases: Institutional Model
9. International Service-Learning
10. Indigenous Knowledge Practices in Service-Learning

We encourage submissions that present empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, experience-sharing and reflection on practices, and innovative projects in service-learning. Join us for this conference to explore the intersection of service-learning, the SDGs, and vibrant Asia-Pacific contexts. This conference provides a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions, share experiences, and foster collaborations across borders that can lead to impactful change in this region.

The conference offers four presentation formats: 1) Paper Presentations, 2) Lightning Talks, 3) Interactive Workshops, and 4) Poster Presentations.  Please read the guidelines below carefully for the proposal submission in each format. 

 

Submission Guidelines

1. Paper Presentations

A submission for a 20-minute paper presentation is an individual paper with one or more co-authors, in the form of a complete narrative paper, whether still in progress or in final form for presentation.

• Word limits for the proposal:
  • 15 words or fewer for title
  • 200 words or fewer for abstract
  • 1,500 words or fewer for the paper.  Abstract, figures, tables, and references are excluded from this word limit.
• The following should be included in the proposal:
  • Title
  • Abstract and up to 5 keywords
  • Background and objectives
  • Theoretical framework or perspectives
  • Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
  • Data sources or evidences
  • Results and/or discussion
  • Contributions to theory and/or practice
  • References (up to 10)
• Template of proposal for paper presentations

Guidelines for Presenters

• Authors of accepted proposals are expected to complete registration to the conference before the deadline and attend respective presentation sessions. 
• Authors of accepted proposals should upload a final paper in camera-ready format by 31^st October, 2024.  The template for that will be provided later on the website.
• Accepted papers will be grouped into sessions by the Programme Committee.  Presenters will be notified of the presentation session and venue by email.
• The time allotted to each paper presentation is 20 minutes for oral presentation and 5 minutes for ‘Question & Answer’ session.
• A chair will be present in each session to briefly introduce the presenters and manage the time. 
• The venue will be equipped with a computer, a projector, and a screen for the presenters.

 

2. Lightning Talks

Lightning Talks are concise presentations of 10 minutes that specifically address a key aspect related to the conference theme.

• Proposal content and word limits:
  • 15 words or fewer for title
  • 100 words or fewer for the summary of the research problem or community issue
  • 500 words or fewer for the statement of purpose, brief explanation of the theoretical foundation for the talk, and justification for the significance of the talk.
• Template of proposal for lightning talks

Guidelines for Presenters

• Authors of accepted proposals are expected to complete registration to the conference before the deadline and attend respective presentation sessions. 
• Accepted lightning talks will be grouped into sessions by the Programme Committee.  Presenters will be notified of the presentation session and venue by email.
• The time allotted to each paper presentation is 10 minutes for oral presentation and 5 minutes for ‘Question & Answer’ session.
• A chair will be present in each session to briefly introduce the presenters and manage the time. 
• The venue will be equipped with a computer, a projector, and a screen for the presenters.

 

3. Interactive Workshops

Interactive Workshops are participatory sessions of 60 minutes designed to engage participants in hands-on activities, discussions, and collaborative learning about practical tools, strategies, or skills related to service-learning.  

• Proposal content and word limits:
  • 15 words or fewer for title
  • 200 words or fewer for workshop overview
  • 800 words or fewer for the workshop format, activities, evaluation method, materials and technical requirements.
• A short biography (70 words or fewer) of each presenter should be provided in a separate document.
• Template of proposal for interactive workshops
• Template of presenter biography submission

Guidelines for Presenters

• Authors of accepted proposals are expected to complete registration to the conference before the deadline and attend respective presentation sessions. 
• Presenters will be notified of the interactive workshop time and venue by email.
• The time allotted to each interactive workshop is 60 minutes.
• The venue will be equipped with a computer, a projector, and a screen for the presenters.

 

4. Poster Presentations

Poster presentations offer participants an opportunity to showcase and discuss their current research or programmes and community partnerships that are informed by research or yield research opportunities. The projects could be completed or in various stages of development.

Student submissions will be accepted for poster presentations, and they will be handled separately with a student track.

• Word limits for the proposal:
  • 15 words or fewer for title
  • 200 words or fewer for abstract
  • 800 words or fewer for the statement of purpose, brief explanation of the theoretical or conceptual foundations for the work, concise description of the design and methods, the project findings, and significance or implications of the work.
• Template of proposal for poster presentations

Guidelines for Presenters

• Authors of accepted proposals are expected to complete registration to the conference before the deadline and attend respective presentation sessions. 
• Presenters are responsible for preparing their own posters. A designated bulletin board will be provided for each presenter to showcase their work. It is recommended that the poster size be A0 (841 × 1189 millimeters or 33.11 × 46.81 inches) in portrait orientation.
• Presenters will be notified of the poster session by email.  Presenters are expected to be present during the poster session to engage in discussions about their project with conference participants. It is recommended for presenters to bring a written summary of their work to distribute among interested participants.

 

Important Notes

• Please use the submission link provided at the top of the page to submit your proposal.
• In preparing for the proposal document which you will be asked to upload to the online platform, please adhere to the respective templates provided for each of the presentation formats explained above.  No author identification should be included on the proposal document itself to ensure a blind review process.     
• Authors must affirm that their papers are original and have not been published elsewhere previously. It is strictly prohibited to submit the same work simultaneously to any other conference, workshop, or journal.
• Plagiarism and self-plagiarism are strictly forbidden. In order to safeguard the intellectual property rights of others and maintain the authors' academic reputation, we emphasize the importance of upholding ethical conduct in academic endeavors.

 

List of Topics

1. Community Engagement, Partnership, and Entrepreneurship
2. Faculty/Educator/Practitioner-Scholar Engagement and Professional Development
3. Service-Learning in Graduate, Secondary, and Co-curricular Education
4. Transdisciplinary, Intercultural and Global Learning through Service-Learning
5. Technology in Service-Learning
6. Student Outcomes, Assessment, and Measurement
7. Theory, Concept, Pedagogy, and Methods
8. Service-Learning Cases: Institutional Model
9. International Service-Learning
10. Indigenous Knowledge Practices in Service-Learning

 

Committees

Conference Committee

• Dr Stephen CHAN (Chair), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Dr Hope ANTONE, The United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia
• Dr Jen AZORDEGAN, Australian Catholic UniversityDr Vishalache Balakrishnan, University of Malaya
• Professor Marie Therese Angeline P.  BUSTOS, University of the Philippines - Diliman
• Dr Atsuko KURONUMA, International Christian University, Japan
• Dr Intan Azura MOKHTAR, Singapore Institute of Technology
• Fr (Prof) George THADATHIL, Salesian College (Autonomous), Sonada-Siliguri, Darjeeling, India
• Ms TRAN Thi Thanh Huong, Vietnam Campus Engage
• Professor Nicole WEBSTER, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
• Dr XIANG Rong, Yunnan University, China

Programme committee

• Dr Grace NGAI (Chair), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Dr Mark Anthony D. ABENIR, Ateneo de Manila University, The Philippines
• Dr Jen AZORDEGAN, Australian Catholic University
• Dr Vishalache BALAKRISHNAN, University of Malaya
• Dr Atsuko KURONUMA, International Christian University, Japan
• Mr Kenneth LO, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Professor Ma. Theresa T. PAYONGAYONG, University of the Philippines
• Fr (Prof) George THADATHIL, Salesian College (Autonomous), Sonada-Siliguri, Darjeeling, India
• Ms TRAN Thi Thanh Huong, Vietnam Campus Engage
• Dr Sharon VALARMATHI, Christ University, India
• Dr XIANG Rong, Yunnan University, China

 

Venue

The main conference (4-5 December 2024) will be held at Hotel ICON, 17 Science Museum Road,Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong.  Please visit our Conference Website for more information.

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to icslpu@polyu.edu.hk.

 

About IARSLCE APCoP

The IARSLCE Asia-Pacific Community of Practice is a community established to promote the development and dissemination of research on service-learning and community engagement and build strong partnerships in Asia-Pacific. This community of practice (CoP), part of the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE), is an international non-profit organization for scholars, practitioners, and community partners to engage in high quality trans-disciplinary research across a wide range of approaches and forms of service-learning and community engagement.

About SLLO

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has adopted service-learning as an integral part of the institutional strategy since 2010.  Currently, PolyU offers more than 70 service-learning courses to five thousand students every year.  They serve in both local and international sites including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and South Africa.  With a pivotal role in driving the initiatives, the Service-Learning and Leadership Office (SLLO) has a vision and commitment to advancing service-learning and youth leadership at PolyU, as well as preparing students to become civic-minded professionals with leadership skills, cross-cultural capability, global perspective, and a heart to serve.