Philosophy faculty member gives keynote at INPE conference

Dr. Rowena Azada-Palacios delivered the opening keynote lecture at the 2024 conference of the International Network of Philosophers of Education (INPE), held at Edge Hill University, Lancashire, England from August 7 to 10, 2024. Azada-Palacios is an assistant professor and the current coordinator for graduate programs at the Department of Philosophy of Ateneo de Manila.

The theme of the conference was “Postcolonialism: Forging a Knowledge of Belonging.” Azada-Palacios’s lecture was entitled, “Can we teach philosophically about unspeakable human suffering?”, which argued for a decolonial and critical-phenomenological approach to pedagogically exploring widespread human suffering such as the devastation from war. Professor Amanda Fulford, associate dean for research and impact at Edge Hill University, gave the response.

The conference was attended by philosophers of education from the six continents. Apart from Azada-Palacios’ lecture, participants delivered almost 40 papers on the theme. Professor Michalinos Zembylas of the Open University of Cyprus delivered the Terence H. McLaughlin Lecture, which was the second keynote address. The conference also marked the last with Professor Sharon Todd (Maynooth University, Ireland) as INPE president, and the participants welcomed Dr. Renato Huarte Cuéllar (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) as the new president of the organization.