Learning, engagement, community, social change, citizenship, democracy, politics and power have been at the heart of the historic discourses of adult education throughout the world. The past 25 years have seen major shifts in the government funding of the education of adults towards market-oriented, vocational, professional and generally instrumental approaches. At the same time there are new discourses of ‘engagement’ emerging within higher education institutions and new discursive spaces for critique, study and reflection. This presentation looks at two distinct studies being undertaken by Budd and Darlene respectively.

Budd will report on a comparative and international study on Community-University Research Partnerships in the context of poverty alleviation and sustainability funded by the International Development Research Centre and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Darlene will share the findings of an international study on women’s non-formal and informal political education and learning in Canada and India.