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Please check out the Special Interest Group tab for information on the new ECHA SIG on Equity in Gifted Education!

Here is the link for the 4th thematic European Council for High Ability (ECHA) conference on inclusion and sustainability.

https://www.kau.se/en/combined-echa-and-igmcg-conference-16-18-june-2025

Pathbreaking psychologist and researcher, Professor Joan Freeman, died on July 2, 2023. She was 88.

Along with 9 other psychologists and educators, Prof. Freeman was instrumental in founding the European Council on High Ability https://echa-site.eu/. The organization grew to have an international impact, reporting on research and practices around the globe and advocating for children and youth with intellectual and academic gifts and talents.  She was active in the organization into her 80s as Founding President and as a spokesperson. In addition, from 2010 she became active in the formation of the European Talent Support Network within ECHA.

Prof. Freeman was a pioneer of the longitudinal research approach to studying gifted children and their families.  In the course of her career, she served as a consultant to universities in several countries, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Prague, Arabian Gulf University, Yale University, the University of Alberta, and the University of Stockholm. Prof. Freeman was in regular demand as a speaker around the world.

In 2007 she won a lifetime achievement award from the British Psychological Society.  The award is given to psychologists with an outstanding record of personal achievements who have also made significant contributions to the advancement of psychological knowledge. In 2014, Mensa International awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Prof. Freeman was born Sally Joan Casket, in 1935. She grew up in Manchester, apart from five years as a child evacuee in Canada during the war. She received her PhD in 1980 from the University of Manchester and became a Chartered Psychologist in 1988, licensed to practice by the British Psychological Society. She was awarded a visiting professorship at the University of Middlesex in 1991. During 1989-2020, living in London, Prof. Freeman served as a consultant to several agencies and universities while maintaining an active research agenda and a private practice working with children.  She was the author or editor of 17 books and over 150 peer-reviewed publications.  

Prof. Freeman was married to Prof. Hugh Freeman, M.D., editor of the British Journal of Psychiatry, who died on May 4, 2011.  She is survived by two sons and one daughter. Her son Tony Freeman passed away shortly before his mother.  

In an obituary for the website of the European Talent Center – Budapest, Csilla Fuszek, director at European Talent Center – Budapest, said, “Joan was interested in everything.  She was a lively and wise thinker; she could marvel at life again and again, and she had a kind of primal curiosity about people and all new things. At conferences, everything Joan presented reflected what she loved the most: intellectual inspiration, a lively argument, good company, the joy and excitement of creation. It is no coincidence that Joan became the founding president of ECHA. It is also no coincidence that she became a role model for many colleagues, an inspirational force not only because of her excellent research but also because of her character, one with strong views yet responsive to challenges. This is how everyone should grow old! we used to say.”

She leaves many friends and colleagues around the world who enjoyed her company, her wit, her passion for psychology, and her zest for adventure.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

With great pleasure the National Talent Centre of the Netherlands would like to extend you a warm welcome to join us next year in The Hague, The Netherlands, as we host the 18th Conference of the European Council for High Ability on 31 August – 3 September 2022. Abstract submissions are welcome for consideration and can be submitted via the conference website until Monday 11 April 2022, 23.59 hrs. CET. 

CONFERENCE THEMES

• Innovative Educational Practices
• Creativity without Limits
• Supporting Talent Development & Personal Growth
• Connecting Research & Practice in Meaningful Ways
• Engaging Every Learner: Motivation & Flow
• Pupil’s voice
• Creating New Traditions
• Giftedness across the Lifespan

SUBMISSION

Abstracts can be submitted through the online submission form only.

The deadline for the online submission is 11 April 2022, 23.59 hrs. CET.

MORE INFO &
CALL FOR ABTRACTS

THE HAGUE
GREAT CITY FOR A CONFERENCE!

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There is so much to see and to experience in the city by the sea, you certainly will not get bored. With the most historic sites per square meter in the Netherlands, The Hague oozes culture and history. Visit The Hague monuments such as the Binnenhof, Noordeinde Palace, and the Peace Palace. Take some time to visit one of the many beautiful museums. Or just go to the beach for a relaxing moment.

For more information: click on the green button   →

Feel free to share this newsletter with others who may also be interested in ECHA 2022 by forwarding this email or by sharing it on social media.

WWW.ECHA2022.ORG

ECHA 2022 CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

+31 71 2020 303  |  info@echa2022.org

International ECHA Conferences were and remain biannual summits in the last more than three decades. Every two years, the International ECHA conference brings together scientists and practitioners who are dedicated to the field of gifted education and talent support. On one hand, organizing an International ECHA Conference is a time-consuming and exhausting task. On the other hand, it is a rewarding, enriching and satisfying mission, which gives the possibility to you, the Organizer team, to show the world that your country and your organization stand up for the highly able people of all ages, and gives many long-term benefits. The General Committee of ECHA invites organizations involved in gifted education and/or care of highly able young people in Europe to submit their application to organize the 19^th International ECHA Conference in September 2024. The Guidelines for an ECHA Conference can be downloaded from HERE (ECHA International Conference guidelines). 

You should submit your application using the Application Form downloadable from HERE (ECHA International Conference proposal 2024) before the 30^th of January 2022 by email to ECHA Admin <admin@echa-site.eu>. The ECHA General Committee will then discuss the proposals, inform applicants about each other’s proposal, and the opinion of the General Committee about the proposals. Applicants will be able to withdraw or modify their application until March 30^th . The General Committee will announce the time, organizer and venue of the 19^th International ECHA Conference to the applicants and at the ECHA website by 30th April 2022. We look forward to receiving your proposal!

Registration is now open for the

7^th Bildungskongress in Muenster

in association with the LemaS-Conference 2021

22.09.-25.09.2021

Identifying Potential – Developing Talents – Sustainable Education

We are pleased to announce the 7^th Bildungskongress in Muenster entitled “Identifying Potential – Developing Talents – Sustainable Education”, which will take place from September 22^nd to 25^th, 2021, together with the annual conference of the research association “LemaS” (Leistung macht Schule, an initiative to enhance talent development in German schools). The congress will be held digitally. 

The congress aims to connect research approaches from the fields of gifted education and gifted support with sustainability (SDGs) and the related aspect of social responsibility. A central concern are the global challenges of the 21^st century (e.g. global climate and world health) and the question, how individualized talent support can prepare pupils of a new generation to meet these challenges in a dedicated, creative and constructive way. Based on these central questions, the congress, on the one hand, aims to ascertain, how the achievement-related potential of children and adolescents can optimally develop on a long-term basis and, on the other hand, how their talents can be integrated with regard to the role of civil society in shaping a sustainable future, in terms of ecology, society, economy, culture, politics, globalization and digitalization. In this context, also the function of states, or, more specifically, of educational policies (e.g. future teacher training, curriculum design and teaching methods for sustainable education) are to be discussed.

Confirmed Speakers are: Rena Subotnik, Jutta Allmendinger, Robert Sternberg, Armin Nassehi, Bernd Ulrich, Sally Reis, Joe Renzulli, Charles Fadel, Jan Bransen, Kristina Reiss, Kai Niebert and Andreas Schleicher (among others).

For more information see: https://icbfkongress.de/ (information in English on the right)

Register here: https://wwuindico.uni-muenster.de/e/mbk2021

Early Bird registration available until 30^th June 2021.

If you have questions, feel free to contact our team: icbfkongress@uni-muenster.de 

The keynote speakers for the 17th ECHA Conference, organised by Portuguese Association for Gifted Children – APCS, have been announced, as well as an Early Bird registration fee. Visit echa2021.org for more details, or click on the photos below.