Tackling speciesism and anthropocentrism in higher education

From institutional pressures to competing demands from students, teachers are increasingly having to navigate complex political, pedagogical, and ethical challenges. For anti-speciesist teachers in the context of anthropocentric societies, there are several further layers of difficulty: how should we approach the teaching of core subjects and the general “canon”, when those often replicate speciesist norms and assumptions? Is it necessary to balance “objectivity” and advocacy? Is pedagogical or academic rigour threatened by moves towards animal-friendly pedagogy? How should we  engage with students and colleagues who are resistant to non-anthropocentric perspectives? What specific pedagogical strategies or curriculum design choices (e.g., choice of texts, use of various media, interactive activities, assessment design) can anti-speciesist teachers effectively employ to introduce non-anthropocentric materials without alienating students or triggering a defensive backlash?

This online workshop aims to bring together academics working in politics, philosophy, and adjacent fields to consider the challenges and opportunities associated with tackling speciesism and anthropocentrism in higher education. It will be an opportunity to share ideas, research, and experience. We invite contributions from anyone involved in teaching in relevant fields. We're looking to provide a space to share reflections on experiences as well as formal paper-presentations. Keeping this in mind, we invite submissions of the following types:

1. Research papers discussing topics related to the workshop theme, including but not limited to:

1. Animal activism and teaching,

2. Teaching controversial topics related to animals,

3. Teaching the canon with animals in mind,

4. The intersection between non-anthropocentrism/anti-speciesism, decolonisation, and/or diversification of the curriculum,

5. The effectiveness of pedagogical interventions,

6. The role (or reaction) of the broader institution in (or to) animal-friendly pedagogy.

2. Case-studies, including but not limited to:

1. Experience of developing non-anthropocentric/anti-speciesist curricula.

2. Experience of teaching on topics such as non-anthropocentrism, animal rights, veganism, and so on.

3. Experience of non-traditional forms of assessment, such as reflective journals, campaign projects for animal-related issues, policy design or review addressing animal-related issues. 

Submissions must be suitable for approx. 15-20 minute presentations and Q&A/discussion. Please send anonymised submissions to sara.vangoozen [at] york.ac.uk

The deadline for submissions is 30 March 2026

For any further information, please contact Sara van Goozen.