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Higher Education Research Centre
Call for papers
Call for papers - Lifelong Learning Policies and Adult Education Professionals, 16–17 February 2018, Julius-Maximilian University Würzburg/Germany

Call for Papers - Lifelong Policies and Adult Education Professionals

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International and comparative research in adult education still plays a rather small role in adult education research. From an international perspective, it has a focus on lifelong learning poli- cies, cultural and structural paradigms and the interrelations to professionalization in adult edu- cation.

In the European context, comparative research on lifelong learning is changing in a ground- breaking manner: contextualism—seen as an act of deterritorialization and transcultural con- struction—represents a major impetus for the analysis of policy as ideological, socially con- structed and subjective. Lifelong learning represents an on-going process of globalization in adult education, which decades ago was mainly a national issue (e.g. policies of supra and in- ternational organizations such as UNESCO, European Union, OECD, World Bank). Beyond the policy level, these processes of internationalization also target the meso and micro levels of adult education. This means that the contexts, structures, institutions, networks and offerings of providers and adult education professionals are progressively becoming more international. Initial comparative studies of Asia and Europe indicate that this also becomes valid in its own way in Asian countries and between policies not formally connected.

Whereas international educational policy research focuses mainly on the comparison of national policies as well as convergent and divergent developments, international research on profes- sionalization in adult education focuses rather on cross-contextual results towards professional- ization in adult education. The latter research focuses on transnational and cross-context results towards professionalization in adult education at the micro, meso and macro level of profes- sionalization in adult education. Adult education professionals are managing, planning, counsel- ling, teaching and transferring as an on-going process of cultivating learning throughout the life- time in various contexts. Context means more than the sum of external factors surrounding us – its emphasis is on the formative and interpretative ways of making lifelong learning a reality. Therefore, professionalization is linked to political decisions, frameworks, and convergent or divergent future challenges.

The objective of the conference is to analyse these two approaches (in terms of research ques- tion and research methodology): Therefore, the conference will take an international- comparative approach, focusing on a contextual comparison as well as on the analysis of cross- contextually valid results. The objective of the conference is to analyse

  1. the contextual and cross-contextual role of professionalization in adult education in national, international and transnational policies in lifelong learning;
  2. professionalization in adult education and its governance by educational policies towards lifelong learning (today and in historical perspective); and
  3. professionals in adult education and their identification in the context of national, internation- al and transnational policies in lifelong learning.

To those ends, the conference will focus on multi-methodological and multi-theoretical research, including empirical studies, discourse analysis, and an analysis of the history of approaches focusing on globalization, internationalization and transnationalization theories.

Proposals are invited for papers and posters. Abstracts should be sent until 2nd November 2017 to compall@uni-wuerzburg.de. They should not exceed 500 words.

Information on registration and travel arrangements will be provided by November 2017 on https://www.hw.uni-wuerzburg.de/compall/

Scientific Committee

Prof. Regina Egetenmeyer, Julius-Maximilian-University Würzburg Prof. Sabine Schmidt-Lauff, Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg

Prof. Mike Osborne, University of Glasgow, coordinator ASEM-LLL network 4

Prof. Ekkehard Nuissl, German Institute for Adult Education, coordinator ASEM-LLL network 3

The conference will be organized in collaboration with the ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning (ASEM LLL Hub). In particular, research network 4 on “National Strate- gies for Lifelong Learning“ and research network 3 on “Professionalization of Adult Teachers and Educators in ASEM Countries” are involved.

Draft Agenda

Friday, 16 February 2018, 9.00-18.30h 

Comparative Studies in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning (Multiplier Event)

 Dialogic Keynotes with Discussion 
 

Prof. Han SoongHee, Seoul National University 

Institutionalization and securing professionalism in East Asian lifelong learning


 
  

Prof. Maria Slowey, Dublin City University

Lifelong education centre stage: new forms of professional development for new forms of lifelong learning


Paper presentations

Franconia Evening

Saturday, 17 February 2018, 9.30-17.30h

Dialogic Keynotes with Discussion 

 

Dr. Lesley Doyle, University of Glasgow

International perspectives on professionalism

 

Prof. S.Y. Shah, International Institute for Lifelong Education, Delhi

Politics of professionalization of lifelong learning in India

Paper Presentations

Round Table Discussion

Cultural Evening

with financial support