Making young children’s rights, safety and wellbeing the paramount consideration
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) is pleased to announce the 2026 AJEC Research Symposium, Making young children’s rights, safety and wellbeing the paramount consideration, will convene in-person on 30 September 2026 at The University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Victoria.
The AJEC Research Symposium brings together early childhood researchers, leaders, academics, students and practitioners to exchange ideas, innovative research methodologies and findings. The symposium will also discuss the latest research and pedagogical practice from the longest-running and most highly regarded academic journal produced by ECA, the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC).
The 2026 AJEC Research Symposium will include:
- a keynote discussion based on the theme of Making young children’s rights, safety and wellbeing the paramount consideration
- roundtable discussions—sharing and debating research evidence, theoretical perspectives and methods
- provocation presentations—presentations showcasing innovative theoretical or methodological perspectives.
Contributions to the symposium are invited to explore the most important focus of early childhood education—children and families. The specific focus will be on the principle, ‘paramount consideration’. By reflecting on this, we hope to share current insights into equity, fairness, children’s rights and wellbeing, safe environments and high expectations to support all young children. We invite early childhood educators and researchers to share innovative research methodologies, evidence-based findings and insights within each of the streams:
- Children’s rights and wellbeing
- Responsive and safe environments
- Equity and social justice
- Policy and leadership
- Partnerships with families and communities.
We welcome early childhood researchers and workforce professionals engaging with young children, their families, communities, educators and allied professionals to participate and come together to share cutting-edge knowledge and forge research networks across Australasia and beyond.
Date and Location
Date: 30 September 2026
Time: 8.30 am – 4.00 pm AEST
Location: The University of Melbourne
Registration to the 2026 AJEC Research Symposium is OPEN
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Category
- ECA Member
- Non-member
- Conference Add-on
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Rate
- $342.00
- $399.00
- $232.00
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Registration
- Register now!
- Register now!
- Register now!
ECA members receive a discount. To sign up as a member of ECA click here or call us on +61 2 6242 1800.
To receive updates regarding the 2026 AJEC Research Symposium, subscribe to the ECA Events Newsletter.
To receive updates regarding the 2026 AJEC Research Symposium, subscribe to the ECA Events Newsletter.
About AJEC
The Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) is Australasia’s foremost scholarly journal and the world’s longest-running major journal within the early childhood field. Published quarterly, AJEC offers evidence-based articles that are designed to impart new information and encourage the critical exchange of ideas among early childhood practitioners, academics and students.
ECA provides AJEC to subscribers both in hardcopy and online. An online annex offering even more articles, is also available for subscribers.
Testimonials from previous AJEC Research Symposium attendees
‘I have attended every AJEC symposium. I find the events an excellent place to disseminate own research as well as hear from others – I enjoy that it is a spread of HDR, ECR, senior academics and policy makers presenting.’
‘A rich two days of research dissemination and dialogue. The evidence base for high quality education and care continues to grow through meaningful contemporary research.’
‘The provocations were so rich and insightful. It was my favourite part of the symposium.’