Panel details

Panel organiser(s) will be presenting	In-Person & Online
Number of paper presentations	3

Abstract

This panel delves into the intricate relationship between ethics, pedagogy, and humanitarianism, specifically focusing on the challenges that arise when bridging the gap between the classroom and real-world practice. It recognizes discomfort as a central theme running through this connection and aims to examine the transition from university classrooms to practice, exploring both the alignments and contradictions that emerge. By addressing the interplay between various disciplines, the panel aims to shed light on how disciplinary boundaries and interdisciplinary approaches contribute to this discomfort.

The panel welcomes papers which identify how educational practices can prepare students for the complexities and uncertainties of humanitarian work. The following questions may prompt initial reflections. In what ways does humanitarian studies traverse ethical boundaries and prepare students for the ethical dilemmas of humanitarian practice? How does an ‘ethics of discomfort’ take shape within the humanitarian studies classroom? In what ways does / should / could discomfort prepare students for humanitarian practice, and where does ethical ‘messiness’ emerge? How does the inherent interdisciplinarity of humanitarian studies shape students’ experience of the subject and understanding of humanitarian practice?

By addressing the intersections of ethics, pedagogy, and humanitarianism, the panel hopes to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities within humanitarian education for educators, researchers and practitioners.

Paper presentations