The Hague
November 2025
Education Assessment
From November 6th to 8th, 2025, The Hague became a vibrant hub of educational innovation as it hosted the 26th Annual Conference of the Association for Educational Assessment Europe (AEA-Europe). The conference theme focused on “Designing Tomorrow’s Assessment Landscape for Positive Impact on Learning”. According to Prof. Damian Murchan, President of AEA Europe, this theme certainly attracted the attention of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and test developers”. In fact, the conference gathered more than 370 academics, researchers, students, and practitioners from 36 countries.
The event took place at the elegant NH Den Haag, offering a modern and inspiring setting for collaboration and exchange.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) served as the host organizer, ensuring a rich and dynamic conference experience. The Organizing Committee included AEA-Europe Council members Damian Murchan, Cor Sluijter, Stuart Shaw, Elena Papanastasiou, and Linda Wye; Rebecca Hamer, Antony Furlong, Vanessa Scherman from the International Baccalaureate, the conference hosts, and Petros Stratis with Vasso Plevrou from EasyConferences. Their dedication and expertise contributed to the organisation of an exceptional conference with a strong academic programme and engaging social activities.
Programme
The academic programme included six pre-conference workshops on a wide range of topics, offering participants the chance to explore key issues in assessment design, policy, and practice. The interactive workshops allowed participants to explore the challenges of using assessment to positively influence teaching, learning, and curriculum.
Dr. Rebecca Hamer, Local Organizing Committee Chair, highlighted the positive outcomes of the pre-conference workshops, which fostered rich exchanges between participants.
A rich poster session provided an opportunity for participants to present their research work in an accessible manner. The Best Poster Award went to Kevin Mason for his paper “Test Equating for Maintaining Standards Using Comparative Judgement,” which was selected through an anonymous participant vote.
Keynote speakers offered thought-provoking perspectives from across the globe. Representing the host institution, the International Baccalaureate, Dr. Matt Glanville delivered an engaging talk on “All the World Is a Stage – Enter the Androids: Navigating Current and Future Challenges of International Baccalaureate Assessment”. Drawing on the main conference theme, which linked learning and assessment, Professor Jo-Anne Baird (University of Oxford) explored the challenge of “Raising Educational Standards”. Moving beyond traditional research findings, Professor Jennifer Randall (University of Michigan) invited participants to dream and envisage new possibilities for assessment in her inspiring keynote presentation, “Assessment as a Tool for Liberation: Come Dream with Me”. Finally, Dr. Militsa Ivanova (University of Cyprus), winner of the Kathleen Tattersall New Researcher Award, presented her award-winning research, “Who Tries and When in the Digital Age: Measuring and Modeling Test-Taking Effort through Process Data in Large-Scale Assessments,” by highlighting the impact of motivation in large-scale assessments.
At the closing ceremony, members of AEA-Europe were recognized for their professional achievements in educational assessment. Jennifer Compton received the AEA Europe Associate Accreditation. Lenka Fiřtová, Thomas Hooley, Sumita Ishaque, Gemma O’Brien, Tim Stratton, Samantha Tummey, and Tilaye Yeshanew received the Practitioner Accreditation. Helen Claydon, Sebastiaan de Klerk, Graham Hudson, Marieke van Onna, and Michael Buhagiar were awarded the AEA-Europe Fellow Accreditation.
Beyond the academic sessions, participants enjoyed the beauty and charm of The Hague, a city known for its elegance and global outlook. Between the conference’s academic sessions, attendees had the opportunity to explore the city’s landmarks, including the Peace Palace, Binnenhof, and Scheveningen Beach. The welcome reception at the venue offered a warm atmosphere for networking over canapés and local drinks, setting the tone for a collegial and memorable event. The conference dinner delighted guests with a fine selection of local dishes and drinks, followed by a lively after-party, where delegates danced and celebrated new collaborations and friendships.
Acknowledgments
The organizers expressed deep appreciation to the event’s host institute, the International Baccalaureate, a global leader in education that provides high-quality programs that develop the intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills needed to live, learn, and work in an interconnected world.
The success of the conference was made possible thanks to the generous support of its sponsors and partners, whose collaboration contributed to the event’s outstanding quality and impact. The organizing committee extended sincere gratitude to AQA Questions Matter, International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Inspera, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Duolingo, Learnlab, Pearson, Cito, Renaissance, GA Partnership, and Hague Convention Bureau. The continued engagement and commitment of these sponsors supported AEA Europe’s mission of advancing educational assessment across borders. Their collective participation underscored the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and professional organizations in shaping the future of learning and evaluation.
EasyConferences provided seamless event support through its Online Registration System, Abstract Submission Platform, Conference Coordination Services, and Digital Media Services, including website and social media management, as well as the official Conference Application.
Looking Ahead
The next AEA-Europe Annual Conference will take place in Rome, Italy. It will be hosted by Università Roma Tre, with the support of Francesco Agrusti, Beatrice Partouche, Cristiano Corsini, and University Rector Prof. Massimiliano Fiorucci.
As one of Europe’s most culturally rich cities, Rome offers the perfect setting for continuing the AEA-Europe tradition of fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence in educational assessment.
