Balázs Németh, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty of Adult Education and HRD, Regional Lifelong Learning Centre
Balázs Németh is an Associate Professor, Vice-head of the Department of Adult Education and head of Regional Lifelong Learning Research Centre at the Faculty of Adult Education and HRD of the University of Pécs.
He has published several articles on adult education, lifelong learning and on the roles of HEIs in the development of learning cities and learning regions. He is responsible for the Project organizing a Learning Region in the South-west of Hungary with the coordination of the University of Pécs. Dr. Németh was an alternate member of the Committee of Regions in between 2005 and 2006, which gave him an inside knowledge of the needs of Local Governments.
He has published several articles on adult education, lifelong learning and on the roles of HEIs in the development of learning cities and learning regions. He is responsible for the Project organizing a Learning Region in the South-west of Hungary with the coordination of the University of Pécs. Dr. Németh was an alternate member of the Committee of Regions in between 2005 and 2006, which gave him an inside knowledge of the needs of Local Governments.
Also, Dr. Németh is representing the University of Pécs in the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), the European Universities Lifelong Learning Network (EUCEN) and in the Observatory PASCAL.
Recent publications:
Higher Education, lifelong learning and regional development. In: Doyle, L. - Adams, D. - Tibbitt, J. - Welsh, P. (eds.) (2008) Building Stronger Communities. Connecting research, policy and practice. NIACE, Leicester. Pp. 82-102.
Abstract
I agree with Jarvis (2004.) that globalization and Europeanization are strongly changing the nature of the nation state and of citizenship too. I do think that the role of higher education, within that context, changes and should determine the quality development of education towards both employability and active citizenship development through partnership building. In my presentation I will argue that ULLL should jointly refer to education, training, research within the organization, and - at the time of trying to build the learning society - local and regional extramural co-operations for citizenship and governance empowerment.
Local and regional identities strongly depend on organizations of adult learning. HEIs, within the European context, should continue their strong role to promote citizenship and identity development in three ways of learning:
- spreading knowledge upon citizenship and participation practices;
- opening up participation through experimental situations of group- and self-identities;
- promoting learning for citizenship. (Johnston, 2005.)