ICI Events║24th Shanghai Curriculum Symposium to Examine Textbook Development in China

Conference date: 20 November 2026

Venue: ECNU Putuo Campus, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai

The 24th Shanghai Curriculum Symposium will bring researchers together at East China Normal University to examine the development of a basic education textbook system with Chinese characteristics.

The symposium will explore theoretical foundations, cultural contexts and practical approaches to textbook development, alongside opportunities for international exchange. It responds to China’s wider agenda for developing knowledge systems and strengthening the relationship among academic research, curriculum and textbooks.

Organisers

- National Key Research Base for Textbook Development, specialising in Chinese textbook theory and internationalisation strategies

- ECNU Institute of Curriculum and Instruction, a Ministry of Education Key Research Institute in Humanities and Social Sciences

- Editorial Office of Global Education

Programme themes

1. Developing an autonomous knowledge system and a Chinese approach to textbook studies

2. Cultural foundations of China’s textbook system

3. Theoretical approaches to textbook studies in China

4. Digital textbook development and formats for primary and secondary education

5. Coherence across textbooks for primary, secondary and higher education

6. Curriculum and textbook development across twelve years of schooling

7. Modernising textbook governance

8. International dissemination of textbooks and national strategies

The programme will include keynote addresses and thematic sessions. Invited speakers and the detailed schedule will be announced separately. On-site check-in is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, 19 November.

Participation and costs

Because venue capacity is limited, in-person attendance is restricted to a small number of authors whose papers are selected. There is no conference fee. Participants are responsible for their travel, accommodation and meals.

Paper submission and registration

The submission and registration deadlines stated in the original announcement were 20 October 2026.

The call requested papers in Chinese, approximately 6,000–8,000 Chinese characters in length, following the format of recent articles in Global Education. Submissions were expected to address one of the eight themes and present a clear research question, a sound theoretical basis, explicit methods and a well-developed scholarly argument. Original research, theoretical contributions, detailed case studies and constructive accounts of practice were encouraged.

Papers were to be emailed to iciecnu@163.com, with Name + Paper title + Theme number in the subject line. The organising committee will arrange anonymous expert review. Selected authors will be invited to present in plenary or thematic sessions, and suitable papers may be recommended for a dedicated section in Global Education following the symposium; publication is not guaranteed.

Registration was conducted through a WeChat form, with a deadline of 24:00 on 20 October 2026. The original announcement stated that selected participants would be notified within one week of registration closing.

Contact and updates

For enquiries, contact Ms.Jiang at iciecnu@163.com. Updates are available through the Institute’s website, http://kcs.ecnu.edu.cn, and its WeChat account, ecnuici.