4th Congress on Participation Research
Date: September 10 and 11, 2026
Location: University of Siegen, Lower Castle Campus – Lecture Hall Center (US-C), Unteres Schloß 3, D-57072 Siegen
Programme
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
| 17:00 | Whose Questions, Whose Answers? – Perspectives on the Nexus of Disability Research and Activism International pre-conference evening event (hybrid) with Prof Dr Tsitsi Chataika (University of Zimbabwe), Dr Šárka Káňová (University of West Bohemia) and Prof Dr Jan Šiška (Charles University, Prague) Please note: The hybrid pre‑conference event will be held exclusively in English. Participation is free of charge. 📝 Sign up now! |
Thursday, September 10, 2026
| 9:30 | Check‑in | Cloakroom | Coffee |
| 10:30 | Welcome Addresses | Thematic/Organisational Introduction Welcome address by the Dean of Faculty II, University of Siegen – Prof. Dr. Magdalena Eckes; Welcome address by Ministerialdirigent Markus Leßmann, Head of the ‘Social Affairs and Inclusion’ Department at the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine‑Westphalia. (Friedrich-Schadeberg-Hörsaal, Room US-C 116) |
| 11:00 | Keynote I: Prof. Dr. Theresia Degener Twenty Years of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Friedrich-Schadeberg-Hörsaal, Room US-C 116) |
| 12:00 | Keynote II: Prof. Dr. Tsitsi Chataika From Global Commitments to Local Realities: Decolonising Participation and Reclaiming Community Agency Twenty Years after the CRPD (Friedrich-Schadeberg-Hörsaal, Room US-C 116) |
| 13:00 | – Lunch break – |
| 13:45 | Thematic Forums/Research Workshops (A) Overview of all thematic forums/research workshops |
| 15:30 | Poster session Coffee break with cake |
| 16:15–17:45 | Thematic Forums/Research Workshops (B) Overview of all thematic forums/research workshops |
| 18:00 | Annual General Meeting (AGM) Aktionsbündnis Teilhabeforschung (Friedrich-Schadeberg-Hörsaal, Room US-C 116) |
| 20:00 | Joint Dinner (Siegerlandhalle) |
Friday, September 11, 2026
| 9:15 | Welcome | Introduction to the Day’s Schedule |
| 9:30 | Keynote III – Prof. Dr. Albrecht Rohrmann Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: a challenge for local authorities and social services Following this: a discussion featuring prepared statements from the participants – Patrick Frankenbach (Prognos), Prof. Dr. Wiebke Falk (Fulda University of Applied Sciences), Eva Konieczny (ZPE, Uni Siegen), Carolina Zibell (Aktion Mensch), and Dr. Christof Stamm (Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia) (Friedrich-Schadeberg-Hörsaal, Room US-C 116) |
| 10:45–12:15 | Thematic Forums/Research Workshops (C) Overview of all thematic forums/research workshops |
| 12:15 | – Lunch break – |
| 13:15 | Keynote IV – Dr. Šárka Káňová From Participation to Shared Power. Sharing Power. Transforming Systems. (Friedrich-Schadeberg-Hörsaal, Room US-C 116) |
| 14:15 | – Coffee break – Fruit to go |
| 14:30–16:00 | Thematic Forums/Research Workshops (D) Overview of all thematic forums/research workshops |
| 16:15 | Joint Conclusion (Friedrich-Schadeberg-Hörsaal, Room US-C 116) |
| 17:00 | End/Departure |
Note: The programme is continuously being updated.