The 20th International Conference on Thinking (ICOT) will once again be held in Melbourne, and will feature a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers across nine strands.
With a theme of ‘We are on the edge of what?’, organisers of the conference said it promises thought provoking innovation, creative and critical thinking, and transformative ideas.
“The interdisciplinary nature of ICOT (July 7 to 11, 2024) provides opportunities to venture further from what participants have traditionally leaned towards,” organisers said.
“The motivation for the conference is to understand and enhance thinking, learning and creativity across disciplines at the individual and organisational level and to develop people and organisations through improved thinking and learning strategies.”
It is the second time Melbourne will be home to the conference, playing host in 2005 to the 12th International Conference on Thinking.
ICOT gathers a wide range of participants including practitioners, researchers, academics, innovators and students from many international backgrounds, successes and experiences.
The 2024 conference targets nine key disciplinary strands that include: Human Rights, Business, Education, The Body, Technology, Globalisation, Arts, Environment and Sports.
International presenters at ICOT 2024 include:
- Phillip D. Jaffe (CH) – Professor at the University of Geneva, Switzerland and elected member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
- Tina Grotzer (USA) – Senior researcher at Project Zero, faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and cognitive and learning scientist specializing in education.
- Vishal Talreja (IND) – Co-founder of Dream a Dream, a charitable trust empowering children from vulnerable backgrounds to overcome adversity and is an advocate for disadvantaged children.
- Bill Martin (USA) – Faculty member during the Columbine School Shooting, who has gone on to enable voices to be heard and foster the creation of desired cultures.
- David Perkins (USA) – the Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Professor of Teaching and Learning, Emeritus, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and is a founding member of the well-known research and development group Project Zero at HGSE.
- Patrick Newell (JPN) – Co-National Project Manager for the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)’s Survey for Social and Emotional Skills in Japan.
- Ron Ritchhart (USA) – Researcher at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education since 1994 where his research focuses on understanding how to develop, nurture, and sustain thoughtful learning environments for both students and teachers.
- Jonathan Levy (FRA) – the initiator, program, and scientific director of CRIA (Child Rights In Action) forums. Jonathan is educated in Pedagogy and the philosophy of education, and provides training in the education, social, Intergovernmental and NGO sectors.
- Teina Moetara (NZ) – an accomplished composer and performer in Māori Performing Arts, and trained as a primary school teacher delivering in the Māori language.
- Yong Zhao (USA) – Distinguished professor at the School of Education at the University of Kansas and a professor in Educational Leadership at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education.
International speakers will join local academics, educators, artists and business leaders including Rita Reichman (Steinway Artist), Mary Featherston AM, Kieran Nolan (RocketShoes.io), Lina Le (Shrunk) John Edwards (Author, ICOT steering member), Associate Professor Tilman Ruff AO, Suzie Betts (Boob Armour), Ryan Trainor (Adventus.io), Andy Dinan (MARS Gallery) , Simon Goodrich (Portable) and Anders Sorman-Nilsson (Thinque).
Further presenters will be announced as the conference approaches.
The 20th International Conference on Thinking will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on July 7-11 2024.
For more information, visit www.icot2024.com
