Occupational Science Europe Conference 2025

Introducing occupational science

Occupational science aims to generate knowledge about human occupation, extending beyond paid work to include all everyday activities. It is an inter-disciplinary science investigating how our occupations shape how we live, as individuals, communities, and populations.

Occupational science research has generated knowledge and understanding of how people organise their daily occupations over the life course, expressing personal and sociocultural meanings. The relationship between occupation and context, and experiences of occupation, are also of interest. You can read more about recent occupational science research in the Journal of Occupational Science.

Background

Many academic disciplines are concerned with understanding particular aspects of human activities, for example economic theories, structures of societies, diverse cultures or details of anatomy. Occupational science was formally founded by occupational therapists in the late 1980s to bring occupation into central focus in a foundational science. They aimed to foster interdisciplinary studies, concerned with how the things people do in their everyday lives influence and are influenced by their health and well-being.

Since its inception, occupational science has extended beyond this focus on health, for example to develop concepts of occupation and offer critical perspectives on participation. Occupational science conferences and journals aim to include emerging interdisciplinary understandings of the things we do (occupations), the way we do them (form), their purposes (function) and their significance (meaning).

We are excited to announce a Special Issue of the Journal of Occupational Science (JOS): Visions and Realities - Exploring tensions in what we do and how we live. This special issue will present work and thinking that emerges from the 2025 conference. Anyone who has presented work at the conference, as well as others who have developed work that aligns with the conference themes (see below), is invited to submit a manuscript for review, for consideration for publication in the JOS.

The Special Issue continues the fruitful collaboration between OSE and JOS, which has enabled three previous special issues: 

• Meeting in Diversity: Occupation as common ground, JOS 26(2); 
• Europe in Transition: Impact on Occupation and Health, JOS 28(1); and 
• Situated occupation in everyday life: Towards environmental, economic, social inclusiveness and sustainability, JOS 32(2).

The focus of the upcoming special issue, visions and realities, encourages global thinking and contributions, with potential reference to indigenous knowledge systems, social critical theories, sustainable development goals, and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights.

Submissions for this special issue may be theoretical, educational, or research based, and should align with at least one of the following conference themes: 

• Transformation through participation: How can emerging knowledge about participation in occupations transform our shared understanding
• Negotiating social citizenship, rights, and responsibilities: How do inclusive approaches focused on what we do uphold our human rights
• Decolonising occupational science: How can we co-create and sustain critical dialogues for local and global benefits?
• Sustainable environments for all: What do systematic investigations of occupation contribute to a vision of sustainability, especially in relation to people who are seldom heard and marginalised?

The vision for this special issue is to bring together a variety of interdisciplinary topics with different perspectives of interest to the international occupational science community and beyond.

Guest editors

• Simone Coetzee, (University of Essex, United Kingdom)
• Georg Gappmayer, (University of Applied Sciences FH Campus Wien, Austria)
• Anna Pettican, (University of Essex, United Kingdom)

Deadline for submissions

• 10th January 2026

Wendy Bryant

Wendy is an Honorary Professor at the University of Essex and has recently published a book on her innovative rest-do days approach, which is informed by the concept of occupational balance. The approach is based on her personal experience of living with chronic illness, as well as her professional experiences as an occupational scientist and occupational therapist. Wendy is also known for her research relating to mental health day services and occupational alienation. Wendy will be talking to our Transformation through participation theme.

Lisette Farias Vera

Lisette is an Assistant Professor and Docent at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Occupational Science. Her doctoral thesis critically examined the epistemological foundations and discourses shaping occupation-based scholarship. In recent years, her research has focused on health promotion related to socioeconomic status and equity, using critical health qualitative inquiry. She teaches occupational science at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, integrating critical reflexivity, anti-racist, and decolonisation perspectives. Lisette will be talking to our Decolonising occupational science theme.

Susan Buckingham

Susan is a writer, researcher, consultant, campaigner, and activist, and she also edits the Routledge book series on Gender and Environments. Susan’s work develops the understanding of links between gender and environment and applies this to different contexts. Most recently this has been in the UN Decade for Ocean Sustainability and through consultancies with the European Commission, including the European Institute for Gender Equality. She has edited and written extensively and is currently writing a book on Ecofeminism. She has co-edited 'Feminist Climate Leadership' which is currently in press. As an activist-academic, Susan worked with women’s organisations, and was a trustee and collaborator with Women’s Environmental Network from 2000-2012. Susan co-founded Friends of the Cam in 2020 which campaigns against destructive, masculinist planning and water pollution practices which are destroying the chalk streams of South East England. She is also an activist in climate and social justice campaigns. Susan will be talking to our Sustainable environments for all theme.

Mya-Rose Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 22-year-old British-Bangladeshi birder, race activist and environmentalist campaigning for equal access to nature, to stop biodiversity loss and climate change, and to ensure global climate justice, all of which she believes are closely interlinked. In June 2022 Mya-Rose’s book Birdgirl was published by Vintage Books and has recently been nominated for the Jhalak Prize. In it she shares the impact on her own mental health of growing up with a mother affected by severe bipolar disorder, how nature helped them cope as a family, and how she found joy and her voice through birding. Her first book, We Have a Dream, highlights 30 young global environmentalists of colour and was nominated in the British Book Awards 2022 and her children’s book Flight was published in June by Puffin.

When Mya-Rose was 11, she started her popular Birdgirl blog and at age 14 she launched the charity Black2Nature, which focuses on engaging Visible Minority Ethnic communities with nature. At age 17, she became the youngest person to see half the world’s bird species, and also to receive an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Bristol in recognition of her pioneering campaigning work. In February 2020 she shared a stage with Greta Thunberg in front of 40,000 protestors and in September of that year she travelled to the Arctic with Greenpeace, for whom she is an Oceans Ambassador, and took part in the most northerly Youth Strike for Climate. In November 2021 she spoke at COP26 on a panel with Emma Watson, Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai. 

The other causes closest to her heart are connecting people to nature so that they can care about fighting to avert the climate crisis. She campaigns against palm oil and plastic pollution, and she fights for the prioritisation of the human rights of indigenous peoples as a Survival International Ambassador. Her activism is informed by a life-long love of birds and the fight against racism. She writes articles and delivers speeches and talks as well as appearing on TV and in the media. Mya-Rose is also an Oxfam, Greenpeace and The Wildlife Trusts Ambassador. Mya-Rose will be talking to our Negotiating social citizenship, rights, and responsibilities theme.

On Thursday 21st August there are three strands of pre-conference workshops for attendees to choose from, which can be purchased for £34.75 via the Booking/registration section below. Pre-conference attendance is inclusive of parking, coffee break refreshments, and a buffet lunch.

Please note that places are currently available across all three, but they are limited and being offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

After you have paid, you will be sent a booking link to book onto the strand of activity that you choose, and within that booking process you will also have the opportunity to state any dietary and access needs. All pre-conference activities are being held within the Essex Business School, the same location as the main conference.

Strand One

• One whole day workshop: The International Social Transformation Through Occupation Network (ISTTON) - A Collective Critical Analysis and Positioning of Actions for Social Transformation (60 places)
• Time: 10:00-16:00
• Room: EBS.2.34 (+ breakout rooms)
• Ryan Lavalley, Aline Godoy-Vieira, Debbie Laliberte Rudman, Sarah Kantartzis, Susan Rappolt, Heidi Laukner, Joy Agner & Nicholas Pollard

For those who seek to advance social transformation through occupation by employing research, practice, activism, and volunteer experiences, it is essential to continually critically reflect on initiatives and programs through theoretical-methodological analysis that asks: What social transformation is being produced and towards what kind of society? The first aim of this workshop is to instigate a critical collaborative analysis of initiatives - and the occupation(s) they hope to mobilize for social transformation. The second aim, through large group discussion, is to articulate questions, values, and principles that drive social transformation work. This is expected to be an initial step towards the development of potential frameworks within the International Social Transformation Through Occupation Network (ISTTON) to regularly examine assumptions and values related to social transformation, methods, and evaluation.

Workshop facilitators will open dialogue by critically examining two initiatives currently underway, identifying key questions and analytical approaches that reveal facilitatory or problematic qualities of the projects’ processes. Facilitators will then invite participants to form small groups to examine additional example projects. The objective will be to create an authentic and supportive space for critique and interrogation based on presented analytical frames of initiatives oriented toward social transformation through occupation. Rooting this objective in concrete initiatives allows for clearer examinations while instigating important discussions about how to evaluate this work and its underlying values. The intention is to foster analytical capacities to examine social transformation initiatives while generating concrete actions to support current work underway. Everyone interested in the topic is welcome.

Strand Two

• One whole day workshop: Hand-stitching as resistance (20 places)
• Time: 10:00-16:00
• Room: EBS.2.66
• Jennifer Creek

This workshop gives participants an opportunity to identify a social issue they feel strongly about and to create a stitched item that expresses resistance (Wellesley-Smith 2021). Each person will make their own stitched piece and take it away with them. Simple hand-sewing skills are required, but support is available throughout the workshop. All materials will be provided.

Part 1:

This begins with an introduction to the concept of sewing as resistance, illustrated with past and present real-life examples. Participants are then invited to brainstorm social issues they are concerned about or situations they would like to influence. As a group, they will discuss what personal and/ or social difference it could make to express their concern through stitching an object.

Part 2:

A variety of sewing materials and hand-sewing tools will be available; each participant is asked to choose one social issue to address and to select the materials they want to use. People will be encouraged to discuss what they could make as a group and the facilitator will offer suggestions as needed. Each person works on their own project; they are free to talk or work quietly during the session.

Part 3:

Participants are invited to show what they have made to the group and talk about what the experience means to them. At the end of the discussion, the facilitator will summarise the themes that have emerged.

Strand Three

Two half-day workshops (am and pm – 25 places):

(am) Introduction to the Model of Occupational Wholeness (MOW) and its application in practice

• Time: 10:00-13:00
• Room EBS.2.65
• Farzaneh Yazdani

The Model of Occupational Wholeness was developed based on a series of research projects investigating the concept of Occupational Balance and its application in practice. MOW is a new way of Exploring, Re- Thinking and Re- Planning occupations (Doings) that leads to a balanced life from the perspective of the Doer. MOW introduces the Harmony between Doings that meet the needs for Being, Belonging and Becoming in different Contexts of one’s life as a contributing factor to one’s health and wellbeing.

MOW focuses on the sense of Wholeness as an outcome of meeting Being, Belonging and Becoming needs through Doings. MOW also provides a tool to co-develop a Narrative that demonstrates one’s Actual and Ideal Doings and the way the Incongruence between the two and the Meaning Making of the Congruence/Incongruence would impact one’s sense of Wholeness and in turn health and wellbeing. The workshop aims at introducing the concepts and principles of MOW and its applications in different settings and with different populations through scenarios.

(pm) Visual methods along a continuum of doing, being, belonging and becoming: A workshop about partnering with older persons in research

• Time: 14:00-16:00
• Room: EBS.2.65
• Eric Asaba, Qarin Lood, Urša Braun, Anneliese Lilienthal, Roar Hermansen Østby & Afsaneh Taei.

Background: Forming research partnerships with older persons, or those working with older persons, who are directly impacted by the research is central to inclusivity and challenging dominant narratives contributing to disparities or epistemic injustices. Visual methods can contribute to actively engaging (doing), reflected and shared experiences (being), a sense of connection (belonging), and seeing possibilities (becoming).

Aims: This workshop aims to address challenges and lessons learned from empirical and review projects utilizing visual methods such as photovoice, photo elicitation, and sketching with older persons in community and residential care settings.

Method: The workshop will commence with aims and goals followed by an overview of visual methods.  Next, rapid-fire presentations to trigger discussion will draw from projects in which visual methods and aging are intersected in topics such as migration, depopulated areas, frailty, sketching as method, and artistic design in residential care facilities. Results from a scoping review will be shared. Workshop reflection questions can include: Does it matter how we generate visual data? How do we create safe spaces? How do we ensure dialog? How can visual methods contribute to the evolving nature of research participation?

Workshop outcomes: After this workshop, participants will have: 1) gained insights into the power and relevance of visual methods in research with older persons, 2) reasoned about strengths, limitations, and everyday ethics in relation to different areas and contexts of research on aging and health, 3) discussed practical utility and relevance of visual methods for occupational science practice spanning research and education.

Please access the conference programme via the QR code below, or via Oxford Abstracts.

To reduce the environmental impact of the conference and to avoid printing costs, the programme has been produced within the Oxford Abstracts platform that conference abstracts were originally submitted through. Therefore, those of you who have already submitted your conference abstract through the Oxford Abstracts platform, will now just need to follow the above link and re-enter your sign-in details to access the programme.

For those of you who did not create an account as part of submitting an abstract, please follow the link above and then select the ‘Sign-up to Oxford Abstracts’ link at the bottom of the box that appears. You will then need to enter your details to create an Oxford Abstracts account, which you can continue to access during your conference attendance as part of planning and navigating your participation.

Please do let us know if you spot any errors in the programme.

We are delighted to have had so many high-quality abstract submissions which has enabled us to produce a really diverse and inspiring programme.

For environmental reasons, we are minimising the production of printed programmes for OSE 2025 and ensuring that delegate information is available online via the Oxford Abstracts platform. This will also include digital ‘handout’ copies of presenter slides and posters.

To ensure we have all OSE 2025 presentations ready in the presenting rooms, and also available as digital handouts on Oxford Abstracts, we will require digital versions of presenter posters and slides to be uploaded to Oxford Abstracts (the same platform you used for submitting your abstract) by midnight on Tuesday 19th August.

To upload posters and presentation slides to Oxford Abstracts, presenters need to go into their submission on Oxford Abstracts and press Edit. Once the ‘Edit’ screen opens there will then be an option to upload your poster (in PDF), your 15-minute presentation, or your workshop presentation, to the abstract page. Please ensure that the process is complete before logging off. Please note that the maximum file size has now been increased to 70MB.

Guidance for 15-minute Oral Presentations

• Presentation slides must be in PowerPoint (including for upload) and presentations must be given in English.
• Presenting rooms will have a computer, audio-visual equipment, and an internet connection.
• Please pace and practice your presentation so that you are not speaking too fast – this will help language comprehension for delegates for whom English is not their first language.
• Each presenter will have 15 minutes available; your presentation should last no more than 15 minutes, so that there will also be time for questions and discussion (approximately 2-3 minutes per presentation). Due to programme schedule, there will not be the possibility of running overtime.
• A session chair will introduce each presenter, keep the session to time, and facilitate the questions and discussion.
• Most sessions will include three oral presentations and last for 55 minutes in total.
• Please include an introductory slide with your title, name, co-authors, affiliation(s) and contact details.
• Be creative. Make good use of visuals to make your talk engaging and accessible.
• Text on slides should be clear and concise with correct spelling. Please use fonts that are clear to read (e.g. Arial, Calibri or Verdana), and ensure there is good colour contrast between the text and the background.
• Prepare all diagrams or charts neatly and legibly beforehand, in a size sufficient to be read on screen (this includes annotations).
• Ensure that you leave your audience enough time to read and digest the material or data that you show. We recommend no more than one slide per minute speaking time.
  Bullet points and enumerated lists are easier to digest than large blocks of text. Your presentation must only include content that you are entitled to use.
• You must not include third-party intellectual property (such as copyrighted imagery, music, video clips etc) unless you have permission from that party or are otherwise legally entitled to do so. Please make sure that you include the required credits or acknowledgements in your presentation (for example, to thank collaborators or supervisors).

Guidance for 55-minute Interactive Workshops

• Workshop rooms will have a computer, audio-visual equipment, an internet connection, and a flat floor.
• You can re-arrange furniture in the workshop room if you wish, but please return it to its original positions at the end of your workshop.
• Please pace and practice your workshop so that you are not speaking too fast – this will help language comprehension for delegates for whom English is not their first language.
• Workshops are intended to be interactive, so please plan content and activities to facilitate this.
• Please bring any resources that you require (e.g. flipchart paper, post-it notes, pens, etc) as these will not be provided in the room.

Guidance for Poster Presenters

• Your poster presentation should be A0 in size (842mm x 1189mm) and portrait orientation. We encourage printing on recycled paper or fabric. Please also save as a pdf file of your poster.
• Posters must be in English and cover the same material as your abstract.
• The poster must be self-contained and designed to be read: a bit more text can be added than would be appropriate for oral presentation slides.
• You are free to organise your poster layout as you wish, but a potential structure is as follows:

1. Title and author details (include affiliations)
2. abstract/overview of key results
3. Introduction, and any necessary background
4. Methodology/methods/design
5. Findings/results
6. Discussion, conclusions
7. Acknowledgements and references

• The text should be clear and concise with correct spelling. Please use fonts that are clear to read (e.g. Arial, Calibri or Verdana), and ensure there is good colour contrast between the text and the background
• Prepare all diagrams or charts neatly and legibly beforehand, in a size sufficient to be read when standing 1-2 m from the poster board, including annotations. As a rule-of-thumb test, if you cannot read the text when printing your poster on an A4 sheet, it is too small.
• Links to web-based content are welcome.
• Make good use of colour to highlight different features within the text and charts.
• Bullet points and enumerated lists are easier to digest than large blocks of text.
• Posters will be displayed in two ways: (1) on poster boards at the conference (2) as a PDF in the Online Conference Portal on Oxford Abstracts.

We are deliberately including elements of ‘unconferencing’ within the OSE 2025 conference programme. We hope this will provide a more inclusive learning environment, which will foster critical discussion and reflections amongst delegates, as a distinct departure from some of the more conventional and structured conference sessions and activities. Such ‘unconferencing’ spaces will also provide the opportunity to take part in, and connect with others through informal occupations, as part of learning together (Aldrich et al, 2021). 

This means that there will be some defined spaces available through the OSE conference for people to use as self-organised spaces for discussing, reflecting, and learning together. Some of these will be bookable otherwise empty rooms, but a more active unconferencing space will be provided by Colchester Blanketeers, as a way of coming together through doing. Colchester Blanketeers was established in November 2017 and the group makes crocheted and knitted colourful blankets, which are gifted to patients who are at the end of their lives in hospital settings. The organisation began with a lady who spent many weeks in hospital, and between her daughter and the Ward Sister, a blanket was placed over the bed to provide comfort and alleviate the harsh clinical environment on the ward.

Sadly, the lady passed away, but the blanket made such a difference, that the idea of making blankets for this occasion was born. Often blankets are kept by the family to provide ongoing comfort at a difficult time. The group meets once a month, it’s becoming a social event as well as a meeting place to collect blankets, share patterns and generally to come together for a common cause. There are other Blanketeer groups in the locality. The Ipswich Blanketeers were founded as a sister group in 2018, and other hospital trusts have also followed suit across East Anglia. Therefore, at OSE 2025, Colchester Blanketeers will be facilitating a space for people to spend time contributing to the blankets and connecting with others, if they wish to, as part of ensuring the conference also has a wider social purpose.

We have also made a deliberate decision to omit people's titles from the event information and delegate name badges. We intend that this will facilitate a more democratic conference space and foster equitable connections.

• Aldrich RM, Galvaan R, Gerlach AJ, Laliberte Rudman D, Magalhaes L, Pollard N, Farias L (2021) Promoting critically informed learning and knowing about occupation through conference engagements. Journal of Occupational Science, 29(4): https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2021.1970617. 

The OSE 2025 conference will be held at the University of Essex Colchester campus, with details of the various ways to travel to our campus available here. This includes details of easy public transport links to London, which is approximately a one-hour journey away. Once you have arrived, you can use our interactive map to help you find your way to specific buildings and rooms on our Colchester campus.

If you are travelling to the UK from elsewhere, please check if you require Electronic Travel Authorisation.

We are aiming to offer an entirely ‘on campus’ conference experience for those who want it, in terms of conference, accommodation, eating, and social event options all being available on the University campus without any need for additional travel. Please see sections above and below for further details and booking in relation to these options.

However, if people prefer alternatives the nearest small town (Wivenhoe) is about one mile/1.5km from the University, where there are a small number of places to eat and socialise. The nearest city is Colchester, which is approximately five miles/8kms away from the University.

The conference and the pre-conference workshops day will both take place in our Essex Business School building: A truly unique, and flexible space; its zero carbon credentials reinforce the message of how we are all responsible for responding to the climate emergency our planet is in. Against the backdrop of its tropical garden, it offers multiple spaces to host delegates and network. It is also equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology. If you require a hearing loop please let us know (OSE2025@essex.ac.uk), as we can book you a portal one from our media centre. For more information about access and facilities within the Essex Business School please visit the listing on the AccessAble website.

If you are travelling to our campus by car and not staying in campus accommodation, please park within the North Towers carpark as it is very close to the conference venue and is free. If you are parking in a disabled bay (there are several available) please ensure you display your blue badge. If you are staying in campus accommodation, you will have been provided with separate details of overnight parking.

Accommodation

There are two accommodation options on our Colchester campus, both are within easy walking distance of the conference venue:

• Event Essex accommodation - when booking please quote code OSE2025 to ensure your room is in the same block as other OSE 2025 delegates. (Please note that this accommodation is in unoccupied student accommodation, so rooms are single ensuite rooms, only suitable for one person. However, if a couple are looking to come together, we can arrange that they have rooms next to each other or as close as possible).
• Wivenhoe House Hotel - An elegant 18th Century four-star country house hotel on the University campus (NOW FULLY BOOKED).

Wivenhoe is the closest town to the University, where there are other bed and breakfast accommodation options, such as The Flag Inn and The Black Buoy. There is also a Premier Inn Hotel in Colchester, which is a 30-40 minute bus ride away (number 87) from the conference venue. The nearest train station to the conference venue is Hythe, but there is also a train station in Wivenhoe.

More information about places to stay and things to do in Essex can be found on the Visit Essex website.

We have arranged social events for the evening of Friday 22nd August, to enable delegates to unwind and continue to network on the University campus, within easy walking distance of the conference venue and the two accommodation options detailed in the section above:

• 6:30pm Wivenhoe House Hotel - £49.69 for a three-course meal (allergens listed below) – NOW FULLY BOOKED
• 6:30pm Fusion East - £25.00 for a three-course meal (allergens listed below) – NOW FULLY BOOKED
• From 8pm of the evening of Friday 22 August, we have also hired the University Sub Zero bar for our exclusive use and there will be music to dance to. Tickets for this are £12 and all are welcome, regardless of whether you are also purchasing the evening meal option. Tickets are still available to book online.

Sports facilities

If you wish to be active during your time on campus with us, you can book sports activities for a charge and find further details of what is available here. However, please note that as non-University members, you need to book by telephone on +44 (0)1206 87325, using your debit or credit card or by visiting the Sports Centre on your arrival. As a non-University member, you will not be able to book online. Please note that tennis rackets and discs (for the disc golf) will be available to borrow from Event Essex.

Allergens for Wivenhoe House meal

• Smoked Salmon, Capers, Chervil and Lemon Dressing (Fish, Mustard, Sulphites)
• Roasted Tomato Soup, Crusty Bread (Gluten (Wheat), Soya, Milk)
• Falafel Flatbread, Harissa Mayo, Red Onion, Rocket Pesto (Gluten (Wheat), Sulphites, Mustard, Nuts (Cashew))
• Breast of Chicken, Potato Fondant, Wild Mushroom Sauce, Seasonal Vegetables (Celery, Milk, Mustard, Sulphites)
• Roasted Squash Gnocchi, Wilted Rocket, Sage Crisps, Shaved Cheese (Milk, Gluten (Wheat), Sulphites, Celery, Nuts (Cashews))
• Wild Mushroom, Spinach and Garlic Wellington, Roast Potatoes, Root Vegetables, Gravy (Gluten (Wheat), Sulphites, Celery, Soya, Mustard)
• Chocolate Brownie, Marshmallow, Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Cream (Gluten (Wheat), Milk, Eggs, Soya, Sulphites)
• Glazed Lemon Tart, Berries, Chantilly (Gluten (Wheat), Eggs, Milk, Soya)
• Fruit Salad (not provided info)

Allergens for Fusion East meal

• Mini Vegetable Spring Rolls with a sweet chilli dipping sauce (Vegan) (Gluten (Wheat))
• Vegetable Gyoza Dumplings with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce and vegan mayo (Vegan) (Gluten (Wheat), Soy, Sesame)
• Chicken Katsu Curry with rice and Asian slaw (Gluten (Wheat), Soy, Sulphites, Celery)
• Sweet Potato Katsu Curry with rice and Asian slaw (Vegan) (Gluten (Wheat), Soy, Sulphites)
• Chicken Teriyaki on a bed of rice with Asian slaw and garnished with spring onions and sesame seeds (Gluten (Wheat), Sesame, Soy, Sulphites)
• Tofu Teriyaki on a bed of rice with Asian slaw and garnished with spring onions and sesame seeds (Vegan) (Gluten (Wheat), Sesame, Soy, Sulphites)
• Chicken Green Thai Curry with rice and garnished with coriander and red chillies (Gluten (Wheat), Sesame, Soy, Sulphites)
• Vegetable Green Thai Curry with rice and garnished with coriander and red chillies (Vegan) (Gluten (Wheat), Sesame, Soy, Sulphites)
• Chocolate hazelnut ice cream mochi (Vegan) (Nuts, Soy)
• Fruit Salad with Mango Coulis (Vegan)

Your conference attendance is inclusive of a buffet lunch and morning and afternoon tea, coffee, biscuit etc refreshments. Not all of the usual campus eateries will be open during the conference, due to it being the summer holiday period. However, during the daytime there will be some open (for example, the Innovation Centre café, which is a short walk from Essex Business School). There you can buy hot and cold drinks, pizzas and paninis, etc.

If you are staying overnight on campus (at Wivenhoe House Hotel or in the Event Essex student accommodation) please ensure your accommodation booking is inclusive of breakfast if you wish to be provided with that. You will then be issued with a charge card that you can use for breakfast within one of the campus eateries. We have also provided two bookable conference dinner locations (Wivenhoe House and Fusion East) on the evening of Friday 22nd August, as it is not possible to fit everyone into one venue. Both these dinners are on campus and within easy walking distance of the conference venue.

If you wish to eat locally at alternative places in the evening, the following restaurants are all within two miles (3+ km) of the campus:

• The Flag Inn
• Bambu
• The Greyhound

The Campus Shop and Off License is situated in Square 4 on the university campus and is open Monday – Friday 08.00-18.00 and Saturday and Sunday 10.00-17.00. It sells groceries, frozen meals, over the counter medicine, alcohol, Newspapers and much more.

Booking and payment

Conference registration and booking is now closed.

Cancellation and refund policies

• Cancellations made prior to 1st June 2025: A full refund minus an administrative charge of £50.00.
• Cancellations made between 1st June and 21st July 2025: A fifty percent charge or refund of fifty percent.
• Cancellations made after 21st July 2025: No refund to be made.
• Registered delegates will be entitled to claim a full refund in the event of the conference being cancelled by the University of Essex.
• Registered participants with unsuccessful visa attempts will be entitled to claim a full refund.
• Extenuating circumstances will be considered at the organiser’s discretion.

The call for abstracts for OSE 2025 has now closed.