Research Network 4: National Strategies for Lifelong Learning
Network Coordinator:
Michael Osborne is Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning at the University of Glasgow, and experienced in adult education, VET and Higher Education research, development and evaluation.He is Director of the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning within the Faculty of Education and Co-director of the PASCAL Observatory on Place Management, Social Capital and Lifelong Learning.
His research has included: Scottish Higher Education Funding Council/National Health Service (Scotland) funded projects concerned with selection of students in medicine and Veterinary Science (WHAP and WHAN); the development of audit tools for stakeholders within Learning Regions (Indicators project under the Network of Learning Regions (R3L) programme) and projects that develop related learning audits (Lilara), and a sustainable network of learning regions/cities (PENR3L); a major ESRC TLRP project on the Social and Organisation Mediation of University Learning (SOMUL).
He is involved in EC-funded LLL projects concerned with the quality of Grundtvig networks (GINCO) and of Learning Regions (R3L+), a KA4 project developing a reservoir of best practice in Learning Regions (Eurolocal) and a KA1 project concerned with tertiary lifelong learning in mid-life (THEMP). He is a member of the team managing the Tempus Project on Lifelong Learning in Palestine. He co-ordinates a study of universities and regional engagement (PURE) in 19 regions around the world, and is co-convenor of a collaborative group within the Universitas 21 group on research universities and their regions. In 2008 he completed two reviews within pan-European projects funded by the EC of training of adult educators in both the UK and Ireland, and of vocational education and training practitioners in these countries, and has since been involved in other projects concerned with the competencies of adult educators in Europe.
He advised the EC in relation to the development of the new integrated lifelong learning programme and was a senior evaluator for the interim review of that programme. He produced the UK report in 2011 on the country’s progress in relation to the EC Adult Learning Action Plan for its Budapest conference. Professor Osborne has a long track-record of developing and delivering qualifications in adult, vocational and lifelong learning. He was responsible at the University of Stirling for setting up and developing the world’s first online Masters programme in Lifelong Learning and later an online Masters in Technology-enhanced Learning. He also led the development of a collaborative European Masters programme in Lifelong Learning and Regional development with 6 other universities under the aegis of a Socrates Thematic Network in University Continuing Education (see below).
He was the foundation Director of the Teacher Qualification for Further Education at the University of Stirling, this being the largest programme of initial pre-service and in-service initial training programme for FE lecturers in Scotland. He has been involved in the continuing professional development of FE lecturers though the delivery of post-graduate management programmes. He has supervised numerous Masters and Doctoral theses in adult and lifelong learning, and has published a number of books and articles in the field of LLL, details of which are found at www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/staff/michaelosborne/.
European Network Coordinator:
Roberta Piazza, PhD in Education (University of Naples), is a researcher on adult education, lifelong learning and career guidance. She is an associate professor in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Catania, coordinator of University Postgraduate course in Expert in Job Placement Services, founded by European Social Founds (two editions) and key staff member of University J. Monnet Programme (2009-).
Her main research interests are focused on widening participation to education, lifelong guidance for work transition, teaching and learning in higher education. Her most recent work has been directed towards the field of learning cities and the role of the University in spreading the lifelong learning culture. He has taken part to many EU projects, that contributed to the development of her research interests: INDICATORS, (2004-2006); LILARA (2005-2007); PenR3L (2006-2008); EUROGUIDANCE (2008-2010); NICE2 (2012-2014).
Associate member of PASCAL Observatory (from 2008), member of the Advisory Council Board (2013-), Associate Director in Europe (2014-), she took part to the Apulia Consultative Development Group of the PASCAL PURE project.
She is linked internationally to specialist groups concerned with learning cities LearningCitiesNetwork (LCN Pascal Observatory).
Asian Network Coordinator:
Zenaida Q. Reyes is presently the Dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences of the Philippine Normal University, the National Center for Teacher Education. Dr. Reyes is also a full professor of Social Sciences, trainer in women studies, women’s rights, human rights education, teaching social studies and social sciences, school leadership and educational management, assessment and evaluation, and qualitative research. She has also done researches and publications in the same areas.
She was editorial consultant in integrating gender core messages in teacher education, textbook evaluator, writer of Social Studies books and articles for Elementary and Secondary school students and teachers and reviewer for the Licensure Examination for Teachers. Occasionally, she was also invited by the Department of Education, teacher education institutions and publishing houses as consultant for content and instructional design in Social Studies for basic and tertiary education.
These academic achievements are strengthened by her active involvement in professional organizations such as: president of University Federation of Educators Linked to Deutschland (UNIFELD), former president of Women Studies Association of the Philippines, former board member of UGAT (Anthropological Association of the Philippines), member of Phi Kappa Pi Honor Society, Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society and PNU Honor Society.
Network Member:
Professor Bruce Wilson is Director of the European Union Centre at RMIT University. He provides insights to EU-Australian relations and academic studies on the European Union, encouraging mobility for staff and students, and builds partnerships between Australian universities, businesses and organisations and their European counterparts.
He also leads a major research program on comparative regional policy in Europe, Australia and Asia, looking at interventions to promote innovative economic development and human capability that improves the living and working conditions of people in metropolitan and rural city-regions.
He has had long experience in working with all levels of government on organisational and social change, and is committed to linking researchers and policy makers with city and regional governments in policy formation related to social and economic policy, innovation, lifelong learning and environment.
Insights from this work can be found in A new imperative: regions and higher education in difficult times, published by Manchester University Press in 2013 with Chris Duke and Mike Osborne. He was a founding Co-Director of Pascal International Observatory.
Jose Roberto ‘Robbie’ Guevara is Associate Professor and Program Manager of the Master of International Development at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) Melbourne, Australia. He is the Vice-President (Asia-Pacific) of the International Council of Adult Education (ICAE) and was President (2009-2016) of the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE).
Robbie was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame in October 2012 for his contribution to adult learning in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2016 he was awarded a CONFINTEA Research Scholarship by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning to conduct research on education and resilience.
Robbie is an educator with extensive experience in curriculum development, design, delivery, and evaluation of adult, community and popular education, particularly in the fields of education for sustainable development, environmental education, development education, and HIV-AIDS education, within the Asia and South Pacific regions. Education for him is a two-way learning process; hence he has a strong passion for participatory, creative and experiential learning methodologies that are grounded in the local context. He was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame in October 2012 for his contribution to adult learning and sustainability education in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2016 he was awarded a CONFINTEA Research Scholarship by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning to conduct research on education and resilience.
His skills are in facilitating experiential learning activities, designing curriculum; conducting study tours and workshops, writing and developing educational materials, evaluating educational programs and conducting on-line discussions in a wider range of contexts. These contexts have included non-governmental organisations, a government department, regional research centre, academic institutions, UN agencies and a media organisation in the Asia- Pacific region.
Current international education projects include: (1) Training of Master Trainers based on Curriculum globALE (Global Adult Learning and Education Curriculum) for the Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR with the support of the DVV-International (German Adult Education Association), ASPBAE and UNESCO; (2) ESD Integration in Pre-Service Teacher Education in 5 countries in Southeast Asia for UNESCO and SEAMEO; and (3) ESD for Non-formal Education curriculum development for UNESCO Bangkok.
He has previously completed the design, conduct and evaluation of the Programme for Education for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific for the Asia – Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) and UNESCO Bangkok (2005 – 2014). He was a Chief Investigator in two completed Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grants on “Youth-led Learning: Local Connections and Global Citizenship” with Plan International and the Australian Youth Research Centre at the University of Melbourne, and “School-Community Learning Partnerships for Sustainability” with Sustainability Victoria, Shire of Yarra Ranges, CERES, Foundation for Young Australians, Independent Schools Victoria and the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance.
Eleftheria Atta is an Assistant Professor at the American University of Cyprus (AUCY) in Larnaka, Cyprus since September 2021. She has completed doctoral studies at UCL Institute of Education, University of London (Doctor of Education, 2017) in the field of Sociology of Education. She has been a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Higher Education since 2004. She has published in renowned academic journals and has presented her research in several conferences in Cyprus and abroad. She is an executive member of Gender and Education Association since 2018 in the capacity of regional representative and promotions person in Cyprus and region. She is a member of the ASEM Lifelong Learning Hub, an official network of Asian and European higher education institutions, working together to achieve excellence in comparative research on lifelong learning and she is actively involved in Research Network 4 ‘National strategies for lifelong learning’.
She also acts as a reviewer for journals of her field. Research interests include gender and Higher Education (HE), gendered subjectivities, HE policy in a global context, sustainability development and social innovation in Higher Education, feminist education and gender inequalities in schools, lifelong learning strategies/policies and gender. Her book titled ‘The Emergence of Postfeminist Identities in Higher Education: Neoliberal Dynamics and the Performance of Gendered Subjectivities’ was recently published with Routledge.
Henning Salling Olesen is professor at Roskilde University, affiliated with the doctoral program Learning, Work and Social Innovation, Dept of People and Technology. He was formerly in periods Pro-rector and acting Rector of the university, and founder and director of the Graduate School of Lifelong Learning. He was for 15 years the chair of European Society for Research in the Education of Adults (ESREA), and is now co-editor of the European Journal of Adult Learning and Education (RELA).
His research areas are adult learning with relation to the societal development of work, and the subjective significance of work. He coordinated with Keith Forrester, Leeds, an ESREA network from 1999-2007, which also published a series of books (Adult Education and the Labour Market 1-7), and is founding member of the Int Advisory board for the conference Researching Work and Learning.
He led a major methodological research project on life history approach to adult learning, and has developed methodology for psycho-societal empirical studies of learning in everyday life (Forum for Qualitative Social Research, 2012/3, thematic issue). His work on policy and implementation of lifelong learning is focusing on the transformation of local and national institutions and traditions in a modernization process perspective, and the interplay between global policy agendas and local socio-economic development.
Henning Salling Olesen holds a honorary doctorate at University of Tampere, Finland, and serves as advisory professor at East China Normal University, Shanghai. He is an honorary member of the Brazilian research network on Autobiographical research in education.
Pia Cort is Associate Professor at the Danish School of Education at Aarhus University. Her research areas include the role of transnational organizations in education policy, especially the EU and processes of Europeanization; the connections between education policy and practice; vocational education and training from a comparative perspective; and the policy of lifelong learning.
In recent projects, she has moved into the field of adult career guidance investigating the complex interplay between lifelong learning, career guidance and everyday life: ‘Left to your own devices’ – the missed potential of adult career guidance in Denmark’ in British Journal of Guidance and Counseling, vol. 43. Issue 3, 2015 and ‘Narratives about labour market transitions’ in Research in Comparative and International Education, vol. 9, no. 3, 2014.
Currently, she is looking into low skilled workers’ motivation for lifelong learning from the perspective of the self-determination (SDT) theory.
Alexandra Ioannidou is Head of the Internationalisation Unit at the German Institute of Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning (DIE) and Secretary and Board Member of the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA). She studied Philosophy, Psychology and Educational Studies in Thessaloniki (Greece), Adult Education and Intercultural Education in Hannover (Germany) and she holds a PhD from the University of Tuebingen. She served as an Advisor to the Greek Minister of Education, she was a member of the Cedefop Governing Board and member of the Advisory Group on the European Qualifications Framework of the European Commission.
Her research activities focus on international-comparative adult education research, educational governance, international policy analysis in lifelong learning, adult basic education and VET, and participation in adult education and training.
Dr. Alexandra Ioannidou | German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) (die-bonn.de)
Dr. Johann Heilmann is the Regional Director for South East Asia of the German Adult Education Association, DVV International. He is based in Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR since 2019. In this capacity he is overseeing country projects aiming at strengthening sustainable structures of adult education and lifelong learning in Lao PDR and Cambodia as well as regional cooperation with the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE). Dr. Heilmann started work with DVV International in 2017. His previous tasks included the development of projects for international public donors such as the European Union as well as being the focal point for South East Asia at DVV Headquarters in Bonn.
Before joining DVV International, Dr. Heilmann worked in the field of media development with the training institute of Germany´s international TV and radio broadcaster Deutsche Welle. He is a political scientist by profession who analysed the importance of Botswana in the Namibian liberation struggle against South African Apartheid occupation in his PhD thesis.
Since 2011 Steffi Robak is full Professor of Adult Education and head of the Center on Diversity, Migration and Education at the Institute for Vocational Education and Adult Education of Leibniz University Hanover, Germany. Besides adult education the main focus of her work are further education, human resource development, intercultural and international education.
Her research interests are: Educational management, professionalization in adult education, learning culture research and learning culture development in companies, cultural and trans-cultural education, transnational aspects of HRD, institutional and organizational change, the associated consequences for professional behavior and comparative research. Her doctor thesis considers educational management in different institutions of adult and further education by using an empirical approach.
Her post-doc thesis is a theoretical and empirical study on learning processes and conditions of German speaking expatriates in global enterprises in China. The study outlines consequences for designing transnational learning cultures in enterprises under the perspective of lifelong learning. Steffi Robak is a graduate of Humboldt-University in Berlin, Germany (Educational Sciences and Modern China Studies) and also holds a Dr. phil and a post-doctoral lecturing qualification (habilitation) from the same university.
Anikó Kálmán is recognized as a high standing expert in Europe and worldwide in the field of Andragogy. She got her PhD degree in 1999 in Educational Science and the Habilitated Doctor (Dr. habil.) qualification in 2007 in management and organizational sciences at the Kossuth Lajos University, Debrecen (Hungary). Anikó acted as Director at the Lifelong Learning Centre of Debrecen University.
She works now as Associate Professor of adult education and lifelong learning at the Institute of Applied Pedagogy and Psychology (Department of Technical Education) at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (www.mpt.bme.hu) Hungary. Holder of title „EU Ambassador of the University”. Dr Kálmán is academic staff member at the Doctoral School of the Faculty of Education and Psychology at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest and at the Doctoral School of Education at the University of Szeged.
Her latest significant scholarly work is the book titled “Learning – in the New Lifelong and Lifewide Perspectives” published by the Tampere University of Applied Sciences Press in 2016. In 2001, Anikó spent six months with Guest Researcher Grant at the University of Nottingham (UK). In 2015, she worked as Visiting Lecturer at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland for a year. Her international reputation is supported by posts held as Executive President of the Hungarian National University Lifelong Learning Network (www.mellearn.hu).
Member of the International Association for Continuing Engineering Education (IACEE) since 2008 and elected as Council member of IACEE in 2016. Member of the Board of Directors at the European Society for Engineering Education – SEFI (2O14). Team leader in international working groups of European projects and networks, with an outreach of over 30 countries. Executive President of the Hungarian National University Lifelong Learning Network (2002-2015).
Her current fields of research include the exchange and transfer of knowledge in the field of lifelong learning, development of new, relevant adult learning methodologies, enhanced understanding and implementation of comparative cross-sectoral educational research, deepening experience with the implementation of the knowledge triangle, assessment of innovation and creativity, and comparative analysis of multicultural learning and teaching environments.
Sengaloun is a lecturer on the subject of Public International Law, and the subject of Legal Consultation and Legal Aid at the Faculty of Law and Political Science, National University of Laos (FLP NUoL). Currently, Sengaloun has been appointed as the Deputy Head of Clinical Legal Education Program (CLE), FLP NUoL. At the CLE program, He’s also been supervising and leading a team of volunteer lecturers, and students doing community teaching as a practical method. In addition, Sengaloun has been designated for supervising the team on the implementation of the project on ‘Empowering Ethnic Minorities of Laos to become Agents of Change in Protecting Land Rights in Their Communities’. He has over 9 years of work experience in empowering legal students of the Clinical Legal Education Program in Laos.
He began to be a lecturer profession in 2009 after he had finished a bachelor’s degree of law in Hanoi Law University in Vietnam in 2008. Since 2013, Sengaloun has been committed to Clinical Legal Education Program and served as volunteer lecturer to strengthen legal aid, and leading law students doing a community teaching.
Sengaloun also upgraded himself to study a master of International Cooperation Studies in Japan for two years in between 2017-2019.
He was born in Champasak Province, which is the Southern part of Laos. He is an eager lecturer to learn new concept in order to obtain his experience to contribute to his students and university.
Ineta Luka is Professor, Doctor of Pedagogy (Dr.paed.), former researcher of the Scientific Institute of Pedagogy, the Faculty of Education, Psychology and Arts, the University of Latvia (2008-2014), currently Professor in pedagogy, Head of the Department of Languages of Turiba University, the vice-chairperson of the Doctoral Council for Management Science at Turiba University, Latvia; an expert of the Latvian Council of Science, the Turiba University representative at the University Network of European Capitals of Culture (UNeECC), a member of the Editorial Board of the interdisciplinary scientific journal Journal of Education Culture and Society issued by Wroclaw University, Poland. Her research interests comprise lifelong learning, English language teaching/learning, competence development, development of employability skills, quality of higher education.
Irina Maslo is Habilitated Doctor of Pedagogy (Dr.habil.paed.), a Professor of the Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art of the University of Latvia. Former Director of the Scientific Institute of Pedagogy of the Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art of the University of Latvia (2008 -2015), and since 2015 the Head of the Scientific Council of the same Institute.
She is an expert of the Latvian Council of Science. She leads the Doctoral school Human Capacity and Life Wide Learning in Inclusive Contexts of Diversity and Master’s degree programme of Educational Treatment of Diversity.
The directions of her scientific research are: LLL strategies for improving of motivation of 18- 24 aged early school leavers and 25-36 aged gifted adults to participate in LLL in diverse inclusive contexts in Asia and Europe wide.
Ms. Soo Kheng Sim is currently the Director of the Innovation Centre at the Institute for Adult Learning, an autonomous institute of the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Her key role is developing the local learning innovation ecosystem by pushing for an active dynamic learning technology scene and co-development of innovative learning solutions that could be adopted by adult educators, adult learning institutions, training organisations and enterprises with their own learning and development units. This involves strategizing, conceptualising and implementing new initiatives to enable the development of an innovation culture and innovative practices that could lead to better and more effective learning and corresponding outcomes, as well as better and higher quality training and adult education (TAE) related practices and programme design. To support these efforts, they conduct research to provide an evidence informed basis for policy making and industry development programmes in these areas. Areas of their research include looking into the efficacy of policies and government programmes to promote adoption of learning technology, the innovation and adoption process, as well as monitoring the state of learning innovation in enterprises and the broader learning environment.
She is a critical friend to the researchers at IAL, providing inputs and reviews, as well as editing, to their reports and papers.
In her previous role as the Director for Research and Innovation, she worked with researchers to conduct research and produce reports and other outputs in adult learning and skills related research, developing good collaborative working relationships with key government agencies that are also the consumers of IAL research. New research ideas that she seeded and/or contributed to included the concept of skills utilization, benchmarking of the training and adult education sector study, the setting up of the learning innovation lab at IAL and measuring of lifelong learning.
This has led to her being invited to participate in East China Normal University (ECNU) Think Tank Meeting on Lifelong Learning in 2019, contributing to the final report that was produced from the discussions. In 2017, in response to an invitation from KRIVET (Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training), she led a delegation that participated in presentations and discussions on the SkillsFuture Movement and its related initiatives/programmes with Korean education and labour ministry and Krivet officials.
In 2019/2020, she proactively led and contributed to the shaping and development of the Future of Adult Learning Research (FOALR) agenda that culminated in an international symposium attended by experts in Europe, US and Asia, as well as a report which was well received by policy makers, such that a request was made to IAL to produce another two papers on the science of learning research agenda and a concept paper on translation of adult learning research. For these two papers, she was also instrumental in contributing ideas and shaping of the concepts and papers.
In 2014, she contributed to the conceptualisation of IAL’s flagship publication, Skills Strategies for an Inclusive Society, including as co-writer of one of its articles, entitled Enhancing the Singaporean Continuing Education and Training (CET) System and Job Quality for an Inclusive Society. Specifically, her proactive contributions have led to growing acceptance of key concepts relating to skills utilisation and its connection to workplace performance, lifelong learning and the need and accepted approach of monitoring and tracking, and the role of job quality in the new labour market environment.
She is appointed by the Singapore Ministry of Education as a Governing Board Member of the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Lifelong Learning (SEAMEO CELLL) hosted by Vietnam since 2015.
She is appointed by Enterprise Singapore (ESG) as a member of the StartupSGTech Final Evaluation Panel for one year from Jul 2021. This is a grant to fast-track the development of proprietary technology solutions, and catalyses the growth of start-ups based on proprietary technology and a scalable business model.
Chusak Prescott is an associate professor in the Faculty of Administration, Chalermkarnchana University, Thailand. Currently, he is also serving as Vice President for Administration. Chusak is a graduate of Arizona State University and holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. His teaching experience has been in areas of in art, educational technology, communication, information technology, and public health.
Chusak’s interest in research work covers areas such as educational technology, communication, art and culture, public health, and lifelong learning. In addition, Chusak’s work experience has also involved media development and production, computer-assisted instruction, and e-Learning.
He has delivered and published numerous papers, course books and texts throughout his career while serving at several institutions of higher learning in Thailand. His pioneer in developing computer-assisted instruction authoring program and courseware at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University made it possible for the university to utilize the media as a supporting delivery tool in a distance learning setting benefitting learners in all sectors of the country.
Sumalee Sungsri is a professor at the School of Educational Studies, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand. She graduated from Monash University, Australia. She used to work at the Department of Non-formal Education, Ministry of Education for about 10 years before moving to Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
At the university, apart from academic work, she used to take administrative work such as the Assistance of the President and the Director of Office of Educational Services. At present she is responsible for bachelor’s degree, master degree and doctoral degree programmes in Non-formal and Informal education and also a doctoral degree programme in distance education.
She has published a number of books, text-books and papers in the field of adult education, non-formal education, literacy, lifelong education and distance education.
She also conducted a number of research in the field of lifelong education for various target groups such as young adults, labour force, elderly people, women, and people in rural areas.
Professor Tom Schuller is currently writing a book on the Paula Principle – why most women work below their level of competence, see www.paulaprinciple.com – and is the lead author for the forthcoming Unesco Global Report on Adult Learning (GRALEIII). From 2008-10 Tom directed the independent Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning, sponsored by the UK’s National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education.
He co-authored with Sir David Watson the Inquiry’s main report, Learning Through Life, published in September 2009.
From 2003-2008 he was Head of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) at OECD, the Paris-based international think tank, with responsibility for CERI’s projects relating to some 30 countries.
Prior to that Tom was Dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education and Professor of Lifelong Learning at Birkbeck, University of London; and co-director of the Research Centre on the Wider Benefits of Learning. He is an Academician of the UK Academy of Social Sciences and an inducted member of the US AE Hall of Fame.