Learning doesn’t always begin with an answer; it often arises out of an experience, a moment of confusion, or a conversation that triggers something and sets it into motion. The TURN Conference 2026 »Experiential TURN – Erfahrungsräume für zukunftsfähiges Lernen« focusses on the question of how to effective redesign higher education to combine experience, reflection, and collective action.

Experiential learning if at the heart of this: Knowledge emerges from concrete experiences and gains meaning through reflection; it is contextualized theoretically and developed through repeated experimentation. TURN26 focusses not only on engaging methods but also on teaching and learning environments that appeal equally to the mind, heart, and senses: rethinking higher education teaching, attitudes, and responsibility, as well as direct experience, reflection, and collaborative creation.

The response to the call for participation was remarkable: 412 proposals were submitted, including 54 from students. The result is a programme that combines diverse perspectives and opens up spaces for exchange, teaching, and the development of higher education.

TURN26 will address topics such as student participation, learning experience design, the use of AI in academic studies and teaching, and the role of reflection in experiential learning processes through workshops, discussions, networking events, and other activities. Keynote speeches with key insights will be held by, among others, Nick Tyler, Professor at University College London, and Ira Helten, student at Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt/Oder. TURN26 invites attendees to understand higher education from a new perspective, as something that can be conceived, experienced, and collectively shaped.

Registration

Registration is now open and is free of charge. As spaces are limited, we recommend that you register as early as possible.

Further information on the programme can be found on the official TURN26 website: https://turn-conference.org/ 

Contact for TURN26
TURN26 Team at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Anna-Lena Öhmann - Conference Coordinator
E-Mail: turn26[at]uni-weimar.de  
https://turn-conference.org/