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UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development rescheduled to 17-19 May 2021.
Creating dialogue between researchers and educational policy makers
The ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning (ASEM LLL Hub) is an official network for university cooperation in Lifelong Learning Research between Asia and Europe.
The ASEM LLL Hub’s operation is a part of the ASEM education process and it is a strong partner of the Asia Europe Foundation. The Hub brings together more than 100 researchers in its 5 research networks, senior representatives of 36 universities in its University Council and Senior Officials from 25 ministries of education and five flagship international organisations.
About us
ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning (ASEM LLL Hub)
The ASEM LLL Hub, established in 2005, is an official network of Asian and European higher education institutions, working and learning together to achieve excellence in comparative research on lifelong learning, to offer research-based education policy recommendation, and to develop mutual understanding between Asia and Europe. It also facilitates researcher and student mobility and exchange within and between the two world regions.
The ASEM LLL Hub provides a platform for dialogue between researchers, practitioners and policy makers in order to contribute to evidence-based educational reform and innovation. Its five research networks exchange knowledge, conduct comparative research and produce coordinated publications and reports. In parallel with five active research networks, the Hub has a Hub University Council composed of senior representatives from its partner universities (currently, 36 representatives from 36 universities in 28 ASEM countries) and a Hub Advisory Board that at present brings together 25 national ministries and 5 international organizations.
In cooperation with partner universities and ASEM governments, the ASEM LLL Hub together with its five research networks organizes seminars and conferences, publishes books and disseminates information on its website. At ASEM LLL conferences, the research results are presented to the public, representatives of ASEM ministries and academic communities.
Partnership organisation:
The Hub consists of 3 sub-groups:
1) Individual partnership: Academic researchers (normally university academics or researchers from national research institutes) are members of 5 Research networks.
2) Institutional partnership: University management representatives (mainly deans, Pro-rectors, rectors, heads of Dep/research programme, senior researchers, etc.): these senior representatives are members of the ASEM LLL Hub University Council. In practice, many of them are also senior researchers in the 5 networks. Leaders of partner universities sign a Letter of Intent to express their interest, commitment and support for their staff to join the ASEM LLL Hub, as well as host network events.
3) National partnership: Senior officials from Ministries (mainly Director General of a department or senior official at the Ministry in charge of LLL) and senior representatives of international organisations form an Advisory Board.
Five research networks:
- Development of ICT skills, e-learning and the culture of e-learning in LLL, Coordinator: Professor Bowon Kim, Korea National Open University, Korea
- Workplace learning, Coordinator: Professor Dr Karen Evans, University of London, Institute of Education, United Kingdom
- Professionalisation of Adult Teachers and Educators in ASEM countries, Coordinator: Professor Dr. Ekkehard Nuissl, Duisburg/Essen University, Germany
- National Strategies for lifelong learning with regard to citizens’ motivation and barriers to continuing education and training. Coordinators: Professor Michael Osborne, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom and Dr. Han Min, Deputy Director General, China National Institute of Education Research Development, China.
- Core Competences, Coordinator: Professor Dr. Saemah Rahman, Universiti of Kebangsaa, Malaysia
- Learning Cities, Coordinator: To be confirmed. This proposed research network is currently being formed, expressions of interest are invited via: asemlllhub@ucc.ie
Dr. Séamus Ó Tuama is the Director of ACE (Adult Continuing Education), University College Cork, Ireland, which has over 100 programmes and approximately 3,000 students. He was appointed as Chair of the ASEM-Lifelong Learning Hub in May 2019.
He is a member of the board/steering committee of several organisations including eucen (European University Continuing Education Network); Cork UNESCO learning city, which hosted the 3rd UNESCO Conference on Learning Cities; Cork Learning Neighbourhoods; Cork Lifelong Learning Festival; Skellig Centre for Research and Innovation; HELLIN (Higher Education Lifelong Learning Ireland Network); HERC (Higher Education Research Centre) hosted by Dublin City University. He is eucen Ambassador to the AAACE (American Association for Adult & Continuing Education). He is also active in ESREA; AAACE and PASCAL international.
He is part of the Cork based team that has led two global online learning projects for UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. He has been an expert evaluator for the European Commission since the 1990s. He has also served as an external evaluator for Polish, Norwegian, Cypriot and Romanian governmental education agencies. Themes within his research include adult education, identity, social and human capital, respect, dignity, and intergenerational learning. He has published, delivered papers and workshops on these and related topics internationally, including a UNESCO mission to Egypt and high level invitations to UNAM in México, Asia, Australasia, North America and Europe.
His doctoral research was on human rights under the Irish constitution, on which he has published and delivered workshops internationally. He trained as a journalist and has had a weekly column in the Irish Examiner for more than 30 years. He previously held the role of Manager of the Centre for European Social Research (CESR) and was a senior lecturer in the Department of Government & Politics at UCC. His current appointment is at professor level, with an academic link to the Department of Government & Politics.