From July 16 to 18, 2025, the Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário Lisboa hosted the 6th Symposium of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) under the theme “Renewing the Social Contract for Education: Navigating Possible Futures.” The event brought together around 250 participants from over 30 countries, including 177 who attended in person, in an environment marked by academic rigor, intercultural dialogue, and collective knowledge-building.

Organized by the Comparative Education Section of the Portuguese Society of Educational Sciences (SPCE-SEC) and the CeiED – Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Education and Development, the symposium established itself as a privileged space for intercultural dialogue, critical reflection, and global academic cooperation.

The scientific program was particularly rich and diverse. The opening session featured an inspiring keynote by António Nóvoa, while the closing conference was delivered by António Teodoro, Director of CeiED. Among the highlights were the commemorative session celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Society of Comparative Education and the 40th anniversary of the Brazilian Society of Comparative Education, as well as the roundtable “Mobilizing Knowledge through Comparative Education: Past, Present, and Future.”

Over the course of three days, the strong participation of scholars, researchers, and experts from diverse regions of the world reaffirmed the dynamism and relevance of comparative education as a critical field of study and an essential tool for shaping more just, inclusive, and sustainable educational futures. The geographical, institutional, and cultural diversity of the participants further underscored the pluralistic character of the symposium, once again highlighting the vitality of comparative education as a field of research, teaching, and socio-political engagement.

The organizers extend their sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this edition: participants, keynote speakers, moderators, scientific and organizing committees (SPCE-SEC and CeiED), the WCCES Standing Committee, technical team, volunteers, and institutional partners. Your commitment and enthusiasm were fundamental to the quality and impact of this gathering.

The dialogue initiated in Lisbon will continue in Toulouse, which will host the 7th WCCES Symposium. Until then, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who took part in this shared journey of reflection and action toward possible futures for education.

The symposium's keynote speeches and featured sessions are available for viewing here:

• July 16 – Highlight: Keynote by António Nóvoa
• July 17 – Highlight: Thematic panel “Learning in Intercultural Contexts: theoretical foundations and international experiences”
• July 18 – Highlights: Roundtable “Mobilizing Knowledge through Comparative Education: Past, Present, and Future” featuring Régis Malet; Thematic panel “Participation and Democracy in Educational Processes: effects of curriculum autonomy policies on teaching professionalism in Portuguese-speaking countries”; and the closing keynote by António Teodoro.

© Photographs and video kindly provided by Petaxi Baptista