In contemporary academia the boundaries between research and teaching are blurred and complex. Sometimes deliberately. Oftentimes by chance. Other times by need. We live in an age of research-informed teaching, practice-based learning, academic publishing and global collaboration. As a result, we are simultaneously educators, researchers, authors and practitioners. We are place-bound but international in outlook. It is a complex scenario further complicated by cross-disciplinary thinking and an ever-growing emphasis on impact, rankings, internationalization, our social role and most recently, the digital turn and AI.

In this context, the understanding of what we do as academics is far from clear. In the arts, educators continue to practice. In design, professionals engage in teaching and learning. In our schools, teachers are involved in lifelong learning. In the humanities and sciences, what we teach is often the very thing we research. In every discipline, whatever our country, we are frequently asked to publish, engage communities and adapt to change.

Examining this scenario at a conference held in the heart of Europe, the historic city of Prague, the conference builds on an academic history that spans back centuries to one of the earliest universities in the Czech Republic. Inviting in academics and institutions from across the city, country and further afield, it expands its perspective to scenarios regionally and globally.

It seeks to better understand current practices in research and teaching from across disciplinary and geographical boundaries. It is interested in presentations on specific research projects, innovative teaching, questions of ethics, equity and inclusion, innovations in academic publishing and the impact of technologies and AI on how we operate. In all cases, it seeks an interdisciplinary perspective.