At the start of the year, from January 3-7, 2026, IAFOR held The 11th IAFOR International Conference on Education in Hawaii (IICE2026) and The 6th IAFOR International Conference on Arts & Humanities in Hawaii (IICAH2026) at the Hawai'i Convention Center and the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. 366 delegates represented 46 countries and 272 institutions and organisations in this interdisciplinary conference that saw timely discussions around the environmental, social, and cultural impacts of AI on Indigenous communities, the defunding of education, and the relevance of the arts and humanities despite their ongoing defunding.
Read on to find out more about conference statistics, and what our delegates had to say about last year’s event.
(All data sourced from the 2026 Post-Conference Survey Results)
Over 90% of delegates hold postgraduate degrees, with over 60% employed as university faculty. The event boasts strong regional and global engagement, as seen in the diaspora of its delegates. Last year's largest delegate groups came from the United States (37%), Japan (15.5%), Canada (15%), Taiwan (5%), and South Korea (3%).
While delegates primarily attend IAFOR conferences to present their latest research, their conference feedback reveals a wide range of motivational aspects which encourage attendance in both the plenary and parallel sessions.
Participants reported being motivated by the opportunity to network with and receive feedback from scholars and industry professionals from diverse backgrounds, engaging with leading plenary speakers who are active in global research, and the ability to submit to open access publishing opportunities.
What to Expect at the Event
The event offers delegates the chance to exchange the latest ideas, attend panels and workshops, and interact with peers as well as some of the leading figures in the field of education.
What’s more, IAFOR conferences are organised in partnership with some of the world’s leading universities and academic associations.
"The conference provided an intellectually stimulating and professionally rewarding experience."
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Learn from leading experts
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Build a global network
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Present with impact
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Explore new perspectives
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Publish your work
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Experience new culture
Delegate Satisfaction at a Glance
Data in the following sections are based on the 2026 Post-Conference Survey Data that was collected from 55 respondents out of 366 delegates within 30 days of the conclusion of the event.
Our conferences are designed to deliver academic value, professional growth, and a welcoming international environment. Feedback consistently reflects high levels of overall satisfaction across programme quality, organisation, and networking opportunities.
“I always enjoy coming to IAFOR in Honolulu. I particularly like the multicultural/international focus on topics related to climate change and Indigenous cultural knowledge. Looking forward to the next one.”
Connect with Other Delegates
International, intercultural, and interdisciplinary dialogue lies at the heart of our Forum. IICAH provides multiple opportunities for academics to expand their personal and professional networks, as well as engage with local culture.
“I had a really great experience; everything was smooth and beautifully organized, in a wonderful location. I definitely won’t miss the next conferences.”
IAFOR serves as a platform for international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary collaborations. 94.55 percent of respondents found that connecting with fellow participants during the conference provided good networking opportunities. Delegates attending onsite found the networking experience to be a valuable opportunity to build connections, reporting over 80.00 percent satisfaction. The conference’s hospitality and ambience were described as pleasant and inviting, receiving a 4.04 out of 5 rating.
Learn from Experts in Your Field
The conference performed well in terms of academic content delivery, with an overall score of 82.91 percent. The plenary sessions and featured presentations were found to be acceptable, though they could be more dynamic, resulting in 78.91 percent overall satisfaction. Regarding delegates’ presentations, 98.18 percent of respondents found the parallel sessions to be well-prepared and informative.
Receive Support from Submission to Presentation
Delegates attending the event found the overall pre-conference support helpful. They received useful information from IAFOR prior to joining the conference, rating the information provided on the website at 4.31 out of 5. The submission system was found to be easy to use by about 87 percent of the respondents. Furthermore, our email communication was timely and clear, achieving an overall score of 88.00 percent. The registration system was seamless and effortless, with over 87 percent of the respondents rating it at 4.53 out of 5.
Would Delegates Recommend the Conference?
“The conference was excellent, and I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the high-quality organization and the professional atmosphere throughout the event. The choice of venue was outstanding and added real value to the overall experience.”
The diversity that can be seen at IAFOR conferences is always growing, thanks to a steady influx of new delegates attending each conference.
IICAH consistently ranks high in peer recommendation by delegates. 84% of delegates reported that they would recommend the conference to friends and colleagues, which makes the consistently growing number of delegates come as no surprise!Read Last Year's Conference Report
IAFOR produces conference reports that provide concise and coherent overviews of the ideas, conversations, and areas of research present. These include key themes and takeaways, referencing programme(s), speakers, and attendees, which are curated and archived for both those who attended the event and those who did not to stay abreast of many of the developments and insights provided by the conference and the collective intelligence of its participants. The reports are not meant to be, and indeed cannot be, exhaustive, and yet they aim to make a significant intellectual contribution drawn from the unique collaborative and contrastive space of IAFOR events.