This year's edition of Fragments expands the theme of film and invites literature and theater to enter the stage. On November 28, 2025, at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Fragments will bring these three art practices together to explore how they can tickle critical thoughts, stir reflections, and invite dialogue into the classroom. We hope to see you there!
Sign up here.
This programme is still subject to minor changes, but we’re excited to share this diverse lineup of sessions with you.
You can read more about the contributions on our Blog!
Critical thinking is often named as a core goal of higher education, but how well are we really creating the conditions
it needs to flourish? In today’s higher education, space for questioning, reflection, and open-ended dialogue is under pressure. Performance metrics, tightly scripted curricula, and job-market logic narrow the scope of thinking to what’s measurable and marketable, leaving less room for doubt, nuance, and open-ended exploration. Add to this the influence of social media, political polarization, and the rise of AI tools that offer quick answers, and it’s clear that critical thinking is not something we can take for granted.
In this context, the arts offer something different: complexity without closure, ambiguity without paralysis, and imagination as a mode of inquiry. Whether through the layered narratives of literature, the embodied tension of performance and theatre, or the ethical dilemmas of cinema, the arts invite us to think again- critically, creatively,
and collectively.
Fragments offers professionals in higher education a space to raise questions, share insights, and experiment with how the arts can foster critical thinking in the classroom. Through open discussions and hands-on activities where theater, literature, and film meet teaching practice, participants will gain inspiration and practical ideas to bring back to their own classroom.
The Fragments 2025 Symposium is a gathering of peers — professionals who meet at the intersection of critical thinking, higher education, and the arts. The symposium is not a for-profit event. Registration is free of charge, and participation includes complimentary lunch and drinks.