GSEP Community Comes Together in Switzerland for 10th Annual Symposium
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and distinguished guests from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) gathered in Switzerland, and online June 25–26 for the 10th Annual GSEP Research Symposium, celebrating a decade of scholarship, collaboration, and global engagement. Centered on the theme “Community Engagement: Local and Global,” the symposium explored how research, teaching, and service can strengthen communities and advance lives of purpose, service, and leadership.
Hosted at Pepperdine’s Château d’Hauteville campus overlooking Lake Geneva, the symposium welcomed 63 in-person attendees and 65 virtual participants. The event brought together a vibrant community of full-time and adjunct faculty, staff, master’s and doctoral students, alumni, and invited guests to share research, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and build meaningful connections across the University’s education and psychology programs.
Throughout the two-day symposium, participants presented 42 oral presentations, including 15 virtual presentations, along with six roundtable discussions, five in-person poster presentations, and five virtual poster presentations. The diverse program highlighted emerging scholarship spanning education, psychology, leadership, artificial intelligence, mental health, community engagement, and global learning.
The symposium’s keynote address was delivered by Frederique Covington Corbett, PhD, leadership professor and advisor to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Her presentation, “Connectivist Leadership as a Model for Transformative Community Engagement: Network Logic in an Era of Systemic Fragility,” examined how interconnected leadership models can help organizations and communities navigate today’s increasingly complex global challenges.
In his welcome message, Dean Farzin Madjidi, EdD, emphasized that the symposium reflects GSEP’s mission to elevate scholarship while fostering collaboration across disciplines. He noted that bringing together researchers, scholars, and practitioners in Switzerland creates opportunities to deepen academic partnerships and expand the University’s global impact through meaningful community engagement.
The symposium also offered participants opportunities to connect beyond the classroom. Thursday’s activities began with a guided mindfulness walk along the shores of Lake Geneva, led by Dr. Melissa Huy, assistant director of GSEP’s Online Psychology Program, providing attendees an opportunity for reflection before the day’s academic sessions.
Participants also enjoyed an exclusive tour of Pepperdine’s historic Château d’Hauteville, led by Vice Chancellor Marc Goodman. The 18th-century estate features beautifully preserved architecture, formal gardens, vineyards, a historic wine cellar, and expansive grounds that have been maintained by the same Swiss family for generations.
The symposium concluded with a scenic cruise on Lake Geneva departing from nearby Vevey, where attendees experienced panoramic views of the Swiss Riviera, the historic Chillon Castle, and the surrounding Swiss and French Alps—providing a memorable conclusion to two days of scholarship and community.
Now in its tenth year, the GSEP Research Symposium continues to serve as a hallmark event for the school, bringing together faculty, students, staff, alumni, and partners to exchange ideas, celebrate research, and strengthen Pepperdine’s commitment to global engagement. As participants returned home from Switzerland, they carried with them not only new research insights and professional connections, but also a renewed sense of community and shared purpose.
