Keynote Addresses

Prof. Brad Blitz, UCL Institute of Education
Freedom of Movement, Displacement and Diaspora: Implications for Internationalisation in Higher Education

Prof. Rachel Brooks & Dr. Johanna Waters, UCL Institute of Education & UCL
Student Mobilities and Migration

Open Discussion Panel

Chair: Prof. Fazal Rizvi, University of Melbourne

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-forum, again! Today’s discussions are facilitated by Ms. Malini Ghose, Founder member of Nirantar, India.

Malini Ghose has worked in the fields of literacy, education and women’s rights for over 20 years, in various capacities – as a grassroots practitioner, trainer, curriculum developer, researcher and advocate. She has provided technical assistance to government and NGO interventions and engaged with policy development on gender and education related issues, nationally and internationally. Malini is a founder-member of Nirantar, a resource centre for gender and education in New Delhi, India. SheÌýhas an M.A. in Political Science from the New School for Social Research, New York. She is presently a PhD scholar in Social Sciences at the Centre for Modern Indian Studies at the University of Göttingen, Germany.

Issues for Discussion

Recently there has been a growing interest in the use of ICTs in literacy programmes, in policy and practitioner circles.

ICTs are offered as the solution to several challenges facing adult literacy programmes – low quality, poor results, lack of learner motivation, and paucity of resources. ICT-based literacy packages claim to make people literate within very short timeframes and with minimal investments in teacher/facilitator training.

Then there are the sceptics who argue that a simple “technological fix” cannot address the complexities confronting adult literacy programmes or larger issues: of the digital divide, for instance.

What does the field reality look like? I would like to initiate the discussion by briefly sharing some observations from a meeting I attended with women learners in rural North India, organised by an NGO exploring the possibility of introducing a mobile based literacy programme (a donor had expressed interest).

As the facilitator waved and circulated her mobile phone the excitement in the group was palpable as few in the group had regular access to phones. Many were not ‘allowed’ to use phones of male family members or felt scared to (in case something went wrong). When I asked one of the women how she managed to navigate her way, as she couldn’t read, she said giggling, “I put a picture along with the names. My husband is a sheep.” Ìý“It’s a phone, I use it to speak. Why do I need to read?” complained another woman. Another countered her and said she had learnt the English numbers after getting her phone. (Excerpted from field report)

1. Is the optimism around ICTs overstated? Can ICTs offer a transformative learning experience or will they only serve to reinforce existing iniquitous social and economic relations?
2. The above field situation points to several complexities, including the exercise of power relations, as well as the possibilities. Do any of these observations resonate with your experiences or do you have different ones that you would like to share?
3. Being a relatively new area of enquiry, not much research is available. What kind of a research agenda do you think would be useful to strengthen literacy programmes or unravel some of the complexities being discussed?
4. The use of ICTs have changed people’s literacy, numeracy and communication practices yet these have not found their way into literacy classes, training or curricula. What kinds of collaborative research or other projects could support such efforts?
5. The focus of ICT interventions seems to be limited to improving teaching and learning or improving learners’ access to information. Shouldn’t greater efforts be made to ensure that the voices of adult learners are heard on social media or digital platforms?

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-forum, again! Today’s discussions are facilitated by Dr. M. Ehsanur Rahman,ÌýExecutive Director, Dhaka Ahsania Mission.

Ehsanur is currently the Executive Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission and chairperson of the Coalition for Urban Poor, the network of CSOs working with urban poor in Bangladesh. He has been active in the education sector for about three decades. At the national and international level, he contributed significantly in capacity development of non-formal primary education, adult education, early child education and development personnel including planners, managers, curriculum developers and field level implementers. In development of education resource packages, he closely worked with various national and international teams. His significant contribution includes mapping Asia-Pacific regional scenario of adult literacy as a tool for empowerment of the poor. At present he is working relentlessly for promoting Community Learning Centre and inclusive technical vocational education as sustainable strategies to reach the poor and marginalized people.

Issues for discussion

Issue # 1: Roles of higher education institutions in professional development of literacy/adult learning educators and widening the vision of adult literacy/learning.

The scope of adult literacy and learning are often kept limited and programmes are designed with narrow vision. Women literacy/learning courses are, for example, confined to certain stereotype fields, having no scope for future journey or career ladder. There is absence of diverse and context specific literacy/adult learning programmes supported by wider goal of education suitable for the next decades.

Professional development of adult literacy/learning educators is a key to widen the vision of adult learning/ literacy education, as it can bring longer term insights in course planning. At present in most cases the scope for professional/career development of adult literacy/learning practitioners is either very limited or not available.

In many higher education institutions there are departments/programmes on adult literacy/learning offering academic courses and undertaking researches. On the contrast, we see very few of those courses are linked with practical adult literacy/learning programmes;the adult educators are seldom engaged in the studies.

The point of discussion is thus, how we can enhance the roles of higher education institutions for professional development of literacy/adult learning educators and widen the vision of adult literacy/learning.

Issue # 2: Providing convincing evidence to the financers on effectiveness of adult literacy and learning for increased investment

We often advocate for increased roles of donors and investors in promoting adult literacy/learning. Simultaneously we observe low key on the part of the adult educators to provide the investors convincing evidence on effectiveness of adult literacy.

There is difference in perceptions of the academics/researchers and the adult learning practitioners about effectiveness of literacy/adult learning. The objectives of research/study in adult learning/literacy education by these two groups often vary. Eventually the findings vary.

Over last few days in the e-Forum the issue of limited scope for dissemination of research findings/usage of literacy programme documents in the academic courses and vice versa came repeatedly.

I propose to bring the discussion again in the forefront to bring these two groups closer to bring synergy in this field to develop convincing evidences targeting the donors/financers for increased investment in adult learning/Literacy education.

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-forum, again! Today’s discussions are facilitated by Ms. Mari Yasunaga, Programme Specialist, Section for Youth, Literacy and Skills Development, UNESCO, Paris.

Mari is a Programme Specialist, currently working in the Section for Youth, Literacy and Skills Development in the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems of the UNESCO Education Sector. Within UNESCO, she has almost 20 years of experience in the field of education and international development, especially basic education, literacy and non-formal education.

Discussion Issue

Women’s literacy and sustainable development: bridging the gap for more integrated and coordinated efforts within the education sector and beyond Ìý

Today’s e-Forum discussion is framed by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit (New York, 25-27 September 2015) to stimulate and step up the efforts of the international community over the next 15 years. Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set, education is addressed as Goal 4 “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” with youth and adult literacy being focused as a specific target and featured by other targets.

This means the beginning of a 15 years process that is intended to connect, meaningfully, the global agenda with policies and practice on the ground. Although adults from across the world who need to benefit most may not feel the changes overnight, this global agenda offers an opportunity to revisit the interrelations between literacy and sustainable development in order to accelerate the pace of positive transformation for them, including women with limited literacy skills.

Indeed, “Literacy and sustainable societies” was the theme of International Literacy Day 2015 and the focus of a Global Meeting that was held on 8-9 September 2015 in Paris, during which a renewed focus was given to the notion of literacy as a continuum of skills that are acquired through different learning pathways.

As previously discussed in this e-Forum and elsewhere, literacy is a driver for sustainable development (e.g. poverty eradication, agriculture, health, inclusive economic growth and decent work). At the same time, progress in different areas of development does contribute to promoting literacy, generating a demand, opportunities and enabling environments for people to acquire, use and advance their literacy skills.

In enhancing this interrelation between literacy and sustainable development, generation, dissemination and use of relevant knowledge is a key. As the previous discussions highlighted, a body of knowledge is gradually expanding, including that related to the benefits of literacy for sustainable development, which however may be weaker than what we know about the benefit of education for sustainable development. The impacts of research on policies and practice, and ultimately on people’s lives, need to be greater.

In this context, I would like to invite you to reflect on how to boost more integrated and coordinated efforts of researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and other actors for adult literacy, connecting literacy and sustainable development, especially on the following.

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing evidence base regarding the benefits of literacy for sustainable development? Do we know sufficiently about the impacts of women’s literacy on health, economic growth, environment and other areas of sustainable development?
• How could the evidence base be enhanced regarding how progress in different areas of sustainable development influence people’s motivation and readiness for literacy skills acquisition, as well as their learning and its outcomes?
• What are the kinds of partnership required to strengthen the evidence base on the interrelation between literacy and sustainable development and also to ensure that such evidence base is effectively used by policy-makers, practitioners and other actors?

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-forum, again! Today’s discussions are facilitated by Dr. Jan Eldred, Senior Research Fellow, National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE).

Jan has scores of years of interest in adult literacy in both the UK and in international development. She has been a literacy tutor organiser, FE officer and Head of Faculty for Community Education as well as Assistant Director of NIACE.Ìý She is currently looking at the impact of literacy and numeracy learning across the UK as part of the European Agenda for Adult Learning. Jan has chaired the UK Literacy Working Group since its inception in 2006 and worked with the group on publications, events and parliamentary representation, particularly related to women’s literacy development.Ìý She volunteers as a team leader with Habitat for Humanity, around the world, being particularly interested in the role of women in legal and financial literacy, related to home ownership.

Discussion Issue

As a practitioner, researcher and developer of adult literacy/literacies, through out my professional life I have spent many hours reflecting on why others don’t ‘get’ what all our Bridging the Gap discussions indicate. This is, that literacy makes a difference to people’s lives in so many diverse ways but quintessentially, by empowering them to be fulfilled human beings, whether in relation to personal development, family, work, community or politics. There is no doubt that literacy development is complex and challenging but so are many other areas of learning.

I agree with some contributors who decry the lack of institutions and infrastructures, which support continuing education. I recognise the dominance of schooling and formal education and equating them with the only form of valuable education as well as the lack of vision of learning as a lifelong, life-wide activity for everyone. I agree with those who believe that this reflects power and hegemony. I also agree with those who say that adult literacy learning is often a campaign or an initiative;both of these suggest that adult literacy is a ‘problem’ which can be addressed by throwing money at it for a limited period of time. An acceptance of the concept of and commitment to lifelong learning would support and sustain adult literacy as part of that life – long continuum. Literacy learning would then be seen as important as any other area of learning and development.

It seems to me that it is up to us, who firmly believe in the value of learning throughout life, for all adults, to pick up the cause and be judged by our actions.

As Anna indicates, there is a lot of research out there, so it’s not necessarily a lack of research, which stops adult literacy development. Participants in this forum agree that the gap is between research and practice. Much research stays within the research community. Yes, it is disseminated, but often, not applied and used. Practitioners are busy doing and don’t have time – or often access – to the documents, which might inform their development. This gap would be unthinkable in medicine, where huge amounts of investment in research lead to changes in practice. (Again, this reflects power;the rich get sick, so influential people find funds;few of them need to develop their literacies.) I suggest we should have research AND development much more closely linked.

Practitioner research, where academics work alongside and in partnership with practitioners, has been demonstrated to be effective. Changes happen in practice as well as in academic thinking, as a result of such partnerships.

• What if research proposals had to involve development partners?
• What if research proposals included post-research development phases with practitioners, as medicine includes clinical trials?
• What if such development phases had to produce materials, tools, guides and development for practitioners?
• What if evaluation studies encouraged and supported reflective practice in the field, in an on-going way, not just evaluation of an initiative or project?
• Would such approaches help researchers and practitioners to work more closely together, to bridge the gap and improve what we are all trying to do? Would such practices help us to demonstrate to those who don’t ‘get it’ the impact of lifelong learning and literacy learning in particular?

Discussion Issue

After starting in literacy work ‘on the ground’ (mostly in Nepal), I have been based at a UK university and have engaged in research at a distance for many years now. As my role is often synthesising or analysing research studies for policy documents, I have been struck by how much powerful research evidence we now have on what literacy and literacy learning mean in people’s lives. However, as the comments and postings so far show, it is very difficult to see what impact such research is having on the direction of Government and INGO policy and programmes. I have also worked in a training capacity with NGOs and other institutions to introduce and support action-oriented research approaches. Usually this has been part of a short term project – a ‘one-off’ activity – and afterwards these organisations have found it difficult to find time, space and resources to integrate such research into their programme planning and evaluation.

From my perspective as an academic researcher, I would be interested in others’ experiences of these issues around dissemination of research findings and building research capacity:

• Is it realistic or appropriate to expect that NGOs and other literacy agencies conduct their own participatory and action research when they are busy implementing programmes? Or should that be only the role of academic researchers?
• How can we make sure that research findings (particularly of qualitative and participatory studies) are shared more widely with those who are implementing programmes or designing policy?
• How can we use existing research on adult literacy to advocate for more resources to be allocated to adult literacy and lifelong learning? What role can social media play?

Looking forward to discussing your views on some of these issues!

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-forum, again! Today’s discussions are facilitated by Dr. Sushan Acharya, Associate Professor, CentralÌýDepartmentÌýofÌýEducation, Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

​Sushan is an Associate Professor at the Central Department of Education Tribhuvan University (TU), Kirtipur. Sushan has undertaken a number of researches, evaluation, reviews and consultancy projects in the field of education (both formal and non-formal) particularly with focus on gender and social inclusion. For example she was involved in final evaluation of EFA in 2014 and SSRP mid-term evaluation in 2012.ÌýÌýShe has published a number of articles in education related areas in national and international publications.

Discussion Issue

Women learners come with different levels of literacy skills to literacy centres.Ìý Due to absence of non-formal continuing education opportunities non-literates have no choice than to come to the beginners’ class.Ìý Education donors and INGOs do not recognize the importance of adult literacy and non-formal education (NFE) for lifelong learning opportunities for all.Ìý Women’s literacy and NFE are obviously not the priority of most NGOs that are primarily operated through donor support.Ìý Bureaucrats don’t recognize the potentiality of NFE beyond basic literacy.Ìý In this situation research can hardly influence policy and thereby the system.Ìý Where and how this situation can be effectively intervened?

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-forum, again! Today’s discussions are facilitated by Ms. Cecilia (Thea) V. Soriano, Programmes and Operations Coordinator, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education.

Cecilia (Thea) works as Programmes and Operations Coordinator of ASPBAE and she is based in Manila. She assists education coalitions in India, Nepal and Indonesia in their education research, policy advocacy and campaigns. Thea has been active in education reforms since 2000 after the Dakar Declaration of Education for All and served as Executive Board Member of E-Net Philippines and then as National Coordinator. She had also been a popular educator facilitating learning sessions in trade unions, political movements and community education in indigenous communities before and after the “people power” in the Philippines.

Discussion Issue

For adults, literacy should go beyond numeracy and literacy. From the rich experiences of NGOs working with marginalized communities, relevant adult literacy programs are those that facilitate acquisition of literacies that are integrally linked to access to livelihoods, decent work, leadership and participation in community affairs.

In India, the Azad Foundation is helping women develop their literacies such as driving skills to enable them to do non-traditional work and importantly provide taxi service for women in India.

• How can such programs inform policy and program development of government so that more illiterate women can benefit from such programs?
• What kind of research can capture the complex aspects of such literacy programs where, beyond the curriculum, social mobilization and support systems as drivers of effective programs for women will be scrutinized?
• What are the requirements of such research that hopes to inform education reforms through the rich and intense experiences of NGOs that exist outside of the public education system?

]]> /bridging-the-gap-dr-rafat-nabi-2/ Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:00:09 +0000 /?p=3017

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-forum, again! Today’s discussions are facilitated by Dr. Rafat Nabi, Director of Education, Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan.

Rafat works with the Aga Khan Foundation in Afghanistan as Director of Education. She is an educational development professional with over 30 years of extensive field and research based experience. The projects she has been involved in include teacher training, working nationally and internationally with governments, with civil society groups, with NGOs and donors particularly USAID, conducting research, monitoring and evaluation of the projects as well as documentation. She has conducted numerous evaluations and studies relating to schools, teachers’ training, assessment of students’ learning, reading and writing assessment in junior grades (Using and EGRA, EGMA and ASER techniques) and impact studies, etc. She co-authored a book with Professors Alan Rogers and Brian Street, which was published from the UK under the title “HIDDEN LITERACIES: Ethnographic studies of literacy and numeracy practices in Pakistan.” In recent years she has been attached to Cambridge University and Leeds University UK as a visiting fellow/scholar, conducting research on nomadic and marginalised groups of society in Afghanistan.

Questions for Discussion

Welcome to the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ e-Forum on research, policy and practice in women’s literacy!

The e-Forum is a virtual space where interested organisations and individuals can interact, network and exchange ideas around adult literacy issues in the global south/developing countries. This is one of the Bridging the Gap activities sponsored by the British Association for International and Comparative Education and organised by the UK Literacy Working Group and the Literacy and Development Group of the University of East Anglia.

The purpose of the Bridging the Gap activities is to focus on how researchers and practitioners in adult learning, particularly with women, in international development can learn collaboratively from each other to support more effective adult literacy learning in the global south/developing countries. Much of the interesting and valuable work which many development organisations do is not always recognised and evidenced and thus does not inform further practice and policy. We want to bridge this gap by bringing together those working in academic research and those working in NGO/INGOs and other agencies.

From 7^th to 14^th of November, issues will be raised and posted every day by a different facilitator, who has long experience in the area of adult learning, literacy and development. We are delighted that eight facilitators from around the world have agreed to join the E-Forum in this role: they work in a wide range of organisations (NGOs, INGOs, universities and UNESCO) and offer differing perspectives – policy, research and/or practitioner. You are invited to give your views and share your experiences through the forum. Participation in the e-forum discussions is free and available to anyone who wishes to take part.

Please, read the STIMULUS PAPER first before accessing the forum daily pages. To access the daily forum pages, select the appropriate day link below. You may also wish to review previous discussions and cross-reference the discussions.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Network Meeting 2

This event is the last in a series arising from observations about the limited collaboration between NGOs and academics working on women’s literacy. This is organised by the UK Literacy Working Group and the British Association for Literacy in Development (BALID) and will take place on 26 November 2015 to look at the question: How can the practical activities of NGOs/INGOs and other agencies in adult learning/women’s literacy, along with their ‘grey literature’, inform the academic research community?

For further information and to register for a place, please contact the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Support Officer at ku.ca.eciabobfsctd-8d1e56@reciffotroppus

To view or download the brochure for this event, click here.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Bridging the gap: research, policy and practice in women’s literacy is a ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½-Funded Building Capacity and Networks Project organised by the UK Literacy Working Group and the Literacy and Development Group at the University of East Anglia. It comprises a series of events, two of which have already taken place.

The Quick-fire Event

The quick-fire event, “Bridging the gap: research, policy and practice in women’s literacy” was part of the UKFIET 13^th International Conference on Education and Development held at the University of Oxford on the 15^th of September 2015. Academic researchers, policy makers and practitioners in education and development attended the quick-fire session which was chaired by Dr. Ian Cheffy from SIL International. Presenters were Prof. Anna Robinson, Professor of Education, at the University of East Anglia, Dr. Katy Newell-Jones, Chair of the British Association for Literacy in Development (BALID), Dr. Gina Lontoc, a Visiting Fellow at the University of East Anglia, Dr. Clare Meade, Senior Associate at the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE), Dr. Juliet McCaffery, Secretary of BALID, and Mr. Fusheng Jia, a postgraduate researcher from the University of East Anglia. Each presenter shared their thoughts on issues surrounding women’s literacy learning and the gaps between the works carried out by academic researchers and practitioners in order to improve the construction of knowledge and the framing, dissemination and application of research findings outside academia. To view or download a full report of this event, click here.

Network Meeting 1

This event built on the first Bridging the Gap event. It was held at the University of East Anglia on 23^rd of October 2015. This meeting focused on the question: How can academic research help and support agencies (NGO/INGO and government) in the field of adult learning/women’s literacy in international development? This one day event was attended by participants comprising representatives from NGOs and INGOs, donors, academics, and research students. Presentations and group discussions explored issues and gaps between academic research community and practice in the field of literacy learning and development, particularly women’s literacy learning. To view or download a full report of this event, click here.

This ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Thematic Forum has been put together by Dr Lizzi Milligan (University of Bath), Professor Qing Gu &Professor Simon McGrath (University of Nottingham), Professor Michael Crossley &Professor Leon Tikly (University of Bristol) and Dr Nidhi Singal (University of Cambridge).

The ethics of working in cross-cultural contexts is at the heart of the work that international and comparative educational (ICE) researchers conduct. A recent Compare Special Issue (Robinson-Pant and Singal, 2013) has highlighted theoretical developments and areas of potential ethical concerns in the field. At the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ conference 2014, a panel/workshop was held with panellists highlighting some key issues which started lively discussions about individuals’ experiences of cross-cultural educational research. These included the dynamics of reaching a consensus about the meaning and implementation process of research ethics in North-South partnerships and transnational teams;the possibility of a postcolonial research ethics;the ethical issues related to research dissemination;and the potential role for ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in supporting researchers in international and comparative education related to ethics. A key conclusion from this event was the need for more time and space for ethics to be discussed among ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ members.

In the light of this, our BTF has been developed with the following three specific aims:

1. To offer a forum for researchers in ICE to discuss, debate and challenge existing assumptions about ‘good ethical practice’ through a number of workshop events and writing opportunities;and

2. To develop ‘ethical guidelines’, or equivalent, for within ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½;

3. To strengthen the links between ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ and other WCCES partners through collaboration on ethical issues and potential guidelines.

The first planned event is a day workshop that will take place 10.30am-3.30pm on Friday 22^nd May 2015 at the University of Nottingham where the suitability of existing ethical frameworks for researchers in ICE will be discussed and some potential alternatives explored. A key note speaker will be announced soon.

This event will be in collaboration with the Academy of Social Sciences and the Centre of International Education Research at the University of Nottingham.

For more details of this event or to join the BTF mailing list, please email ku.ca.eciabobfsctd-497e4d@FTBscihtE

Challenging Deficit Discourses in International Education and Development is a newly launched ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Thematic Forum. ÌýInformation about this Forum’s aims and objectives can be found on the description page.

The first of two seminars, titled ‘Flourishing in the margins? Challenging discourses of group-based deficit’ will be held on 22 April at the University of Leeds. ÌýFull details are available on our events page.

The second seminar, titled, ‘Invisible or hidden? Challenging discourses around ‘skills deficit’ will be held on 6 May at the University of East Anglia.Ìý Full details are available on our events page.

Registration for both seminars is free to ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ members and now open by emailing Miriam on ku.ca.eciabobfsctd-6148d5@reciffOtroppuS. ÌýRegistration deadline is 20 March.

This ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Thematic Forum is organised by the University of East Anglia Literacy and Development Group and Leeds School of Politics and International Studies.

It aims to deepen understanding around how deficit discourses have shaped the questions and objectives of international educational research. As well as deconstructing and gaining greater knowledge into why and how these dominant deficit discourses have influenced the research agenda, we will also investigate and propose alternative conceptual models through the two linked seminars. In some respects, this ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Thematic Forum has similar objectives to the earlier ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ ‘Insider-Outsider’ Thematic Forum (convened by University of Bristol and The Open University): we are reflecting, critiquing and offering alternatives to a longstanding and familiar discourse, which has shaped much research and policy in the field of international education and development.

The Thematic Forum will consist of two linked seminars, intended to explore and challenge dominant deficit discourses that have shaped the way researchers/policy makers look at specific groups in development and thematic policy areas.

1. Flourishing in the margins? Challenging discourses of group-based deficit, University of Leeds, 22 April 2015ÌýRegistration deadline 20 March. Seminar 1_22April_Poster
2. Invisible or hidden? Challenging discourses around ‘skills deficit’,ÌýUniversity of East Anglia, 6 May 2015 Registration deadline 20 March. Seminar 2_6May_Poster

ÌýOur purpose in these seminars is to explore how deficit discourses are perpetuated and communicated today and what they mean for researchers, policy makers and the wider public. We will further explore how researchers today are challenging such discourses and providing alternative lenses for analysis, in order to promote new insights and understandings into questions of marginalisation – with regard to specific groups and to how certain educational themes are framed.

For further information and registration, please contact Miriam at ku.ca.eciabobfsctd-97615f@reciffOtroppuS.

ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Thematic Forum Poster FINAL

The Education, Disability and Development ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Thematic Forum announces its next seminar:

“Education for social justice: framing an agenda for disability research and action in the Global South”

To be held on 6th (Friday) June 2014 at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.

Our three keynote presenters

• Professor Pauline Rose, Chair in International Education and Development, University of Cambridge. Pauline will provide insights from her experience as Chair of the UNESCO Global Monitoring Reports highlighting gaps and opportunities in disability research from a mainstream perspective.
• Professor Richard Rose, University of Northampton. The focus of Richard’s talk will be: Researchers as Learners: Seeking Respectful Partnerships in International Contexts.
• Professor Helen Penn, University of East London. The focus of Helen’s talk will be: The role of INGOs in contributing to inclusion and exclusion policies.

Call for presentations and posters

In addition to the above we are also inviting presentations for a panel session (these will be short 10 minute presentations) and posters (paper or electronic ones). If you would like to present in either of these two formats then please get in touch with the title of the presentation or poster- please note that these should respond to the theme of the seminar. The deadline for submissions is 1st of May.

Registration

We look forward to welcoming you to this event. As always, this is a free event, but registration in essential. Please let us know if you would like to attend by the 15th of May 2014.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any additional information: Nidhi—sn241@cam.ac.uk and Paul—p.lynch@bham.ac.uk

The ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Thematic Forum (BTF) Revisiting Insider/Outsider Perspectives in International and Comparative Education announces a Day Conference and Book Publication Workshop in conjunction with the , University of Bristol.

Day Conference and Book Publication Workshop

Monday 24^th February 2014

Room 410, Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol

35 Berkeley Square, Bristol, BS8 1JA

This day builds on an initial workshop held at the University of Bristol in February 2011 and a subsequent Symposium of related work presented at the 2012 ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ conference in Cambridge. Since the launch of the BTF, those involved have also been engaged in various presentations held at the Universities of Durham, Sussex, Bristol and the Institute of Education in London to publicise the Forum and engage fellow researchers in its work.

The Day Conference in February will be in two parts. The morning session will consist of an update on activities of the BTF and a keynote presentation from Professor Anna Robinson-Pant, Centre for Applied Research in Education, University of East Anglia, entitled Exploring the concept of outsider/insider in international and comparative research: essentialising culture or culturally essential?

The afternoon will give us the opportunity to focus on the major output of the Forum which will be an edited book addressing contemporary themes of insider/outsiderness in comparative education studies. Chapters in the book could include perspectives from a theoretical, methodological, biographical, cultural, linguistic, sociological or philosophical point of view and we would encourage participants to give some thought to possible contributions.Ìý It would be helpful if you could bring a title and short abstract (approx. 200 words) of proposed contributions with you, so that we can discuss them at the Roundtable session. The book will be peer reviewed and a timeline for deadlines for those wishing to contribute, together with an expected publication date will be discussed at the end of the afternoon.

Full event details and online registration.