#Chair
Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation
University of East Anglia – Professor Anna Robinson-Pant
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The team at UEA are working to understand how we might improve adult literacy and learning programmes in the Global South.
Universal primary education has led to remarkable improvements in literacy rates, making a real difference to the livelihoods and wellbeing of marginalised communities. Yet worldwide, 750+ million people have difficulty reading and writing. It is clear that there is still an urgent need to improve adult learning programmes, especially for women.
#ChairThemes
? Education
? Literacy
? Arts
#RelatedChair
UNESCO Chair on Adult Education
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
#SDG
QUOTE
“Over the years, I have wondered how we could ever shift the dominant development approach, where so-called ‘illiterate’ poor women are preached to about the benefits of reading and writing. But now I am optimistic that learning together through the UNESCO Chair, we can contribute new ways of doing literacy which are bottom-up, purposeful and relevant to people’s lives!”
Professor Anna Robinson-Pant
UNESCO Chairs are based within Institutes for Higher Education and specialise in specific research fields. They provide policy advice to the UK National Commission for UNESCO and HM government, as well as reviewing UNESCO applications.
ABOUT THE CHAIR
This UNESCO Chair aims to develop understanding about how adult
learning can help address inequalities in the poorest communities of
the world. Through investigating how or why adult literacy might
facilitate or respond to processes of social transformation, including
women’s empowerment, the Chair sets out to strengthen the
interaction between researchers, policy makers and programme
participants. The distinctive feature of this UNESCO Chair is sharing
experiences and insights across South-North and South-South.
The UEA UNESCO Chair is an international partnership with university
departments specialising in adult literacy and community learning in
Ethiopia (Bahir Dar University), Malawi (University of Malawi), Nepal
(Kathmandu University and Tribhuvan University Center for Educational
Innovation and Development) and the Philippines (University of Santo
Tomas). We share a commitment to developing innovative and
‘bottom-up’ approaches to adult literacy research, capacity
strengthening and policy initiatives.
ABOUT THE CHAIR’S RESEARCH
Whether in Norwich or Bahir Dar, Anna and her team carry out research projects that have responded to local agendas for change. As Anna further explains, “we take a participatory approach to developing research, engaging practitioners and policy makers in debate and action around adult literacy and intercultural learning.
The Chair has also taken forward theoretical understanding in the areas of
literacy, gender and indigenous learning.
Holding regular Literacy Day conferences to help to bridge the
gap between policy, research and practice, Amma and her team work to highlight ways in which universities can support adult literacy and learning. UNESCO Chair Literacy Days were held in Egypt (2017), Nepal (2018), Ethiopia (2019) and the Philippines (2019). As well as facilitating research collaboration, these events have led to new networks, such as establishment of the Ethiopian Association of Adult Education and TRANSFORMARE in the Philippines.
Professor Anna Robinson-Pant
Anna Robinson-Pant is a Professor of Education at the School of Education and Lifelong Learning, UEA and has dedicated her career to developing education tools for empowerment.
Further to her academic research, Anna acted as Editor for the Journal ‘Compare’ between 2004 and 2010. Here she worked to cross-examine learning experiences from different cultures in order to overcome the publication barriers that researchers from the global south are often subjected to. She also runs workshops based on an academic literacies approach, participatory research training, and symposia for journal editors to strengthen research capacity in the universities where chair members are based across the globe.
#Institution
University of East Anglia
Professor of Education
SINCE 2000
#Alma-Mater
University of East Anglia
PhD.
#Role at UNESCO
Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation
SINCE 2014
#Research&Events
LATEST EVENTS AND RESEARCH PROJECTS
Read about some of the many projects that Professor Robinson-Pant has been a part of during her career.
Family Literacy, Indigenous Learning and Sustainable Development.
#FamilyLearning
The Family Literacy sub-project is working with partners in four countries (Ethiopia, Nepal, Malawi and the Philippines) to develop a more sustainable, relevant and ‘bottom-up’ approach to family literacy.
Participatory Action Research on Sexual Health Among Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
#HealthEducation
Together with a team from New Routes Integration and Terrence Higgins Trust, Esther Priyadharshini, Anna Robinson-Pant, Catherine Jere, Burcu Evren and Chris Millora, organised a conference for NGOs, practitioners and activists working with refugees and asylum seekers.
UNESCO Chair Literacy Day
#Education
These conferences work to help bridge the gap between policy, research and practice by pointing to ways in which universities can support adult literacy and learning.
Publications
SELECTED PUBLISHED WORK
Read about the work of Anna and her team, within the adult literacy and lifelong learning sector, below.
‘Re-imagining futures, education and learning relations’
2020
#AdultLearning
Here, Esther Priyadharshini aims to formulate an agenda for global debate and action on the futures of education, learning and knowledge in a world of increasing complexity.
LATEST
QUOTE
“The UNESCO Chair has given way to new partnerships and collaborations with NGOs, government agencies, and other UNESCO partner institutions. This has opened the gates for the integration of adult literacy and learning in certificate programs, education curriculum and community engagement activities.”
Professor Robinson Pant
#MeetTheChairs
RELATED CHAIRS
#Education #LifelongLearning
Chair in Inclusive and Quality Education for All
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Prof. Leon Tikly #Education
The Chair is based in the Centre for International and Comparative Education (CIRE) at the University of Bristol, and their key objective is to undertake innovative research that will increase access to a good quality education.
Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
Prof. Alison Phipps #Education
Led by Professor Alison Phipps, the Chair’s team of six is pioneering a series of research projects, residencies and events which place language and the arts at the heart of refugee integration.
Chair in Globalising a Shared Education Model for Improving Relations in a Divided Society
QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Prof. Joanne Hughes #Education
The Centre for Shared education, led by Professor Joanne Hughes at Queen’s University, advocates shared education as a model for promoting collaboration and inter-relations through education.
ALL UK CHAIRS
Meet the rest of the UK Chairs.
The University of Sheffield’s Chair on Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity was established as a response to the urgent need to address attacks on journalism and journalists around the world.
The ICT4D Collective was set up by the current Chairholder, Tim Unwin, in 2004. They’re a group of people committed to undertaking the highest possible quality of research in the field of ICT4D and making the results of this available freely to the global community.
Led by Professor John Shawe-Taylor, the Chair’s team is developing a series of research projects delivering AI that can improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth
Access to an inclusive good quality education for all is crucial for realising sustainable livelihoods in prosperous, peaceful, diverse and democratic societies.
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RELATED ACCREDITED EXPERTS
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David Wilson
ACCREDITED EXPERT
#CreativeVoices
As an Expert advisor to the UKNC to UNESCO on the development of creative cities across the world, David Wilson works to drive sustainable development through culture and creativity.
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