UNESCO :: UNESCO Chair in Political Economy of Education, University of Nottingham (2005)

UNESCO Chair in Political Economy of Education, University of Nottingham (2005)

Chairholder
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Purpose/Objectives of the Chair

Education policy, like other aspects of public policy, is shaped by a complex set of economic, political and social factors. The critical analysis of this process is the function of political economy; a task made more urgent in the context of globalization and of rapid political, economic and social transition. The political economy of education uses data derived from positive economics and from other social sciences, such as sociology and political science, to analyse how education policy is determined and implemented. A specific focus is the financing of education and its relationship with the labour market.

The purpose of the Chair is to develop the political economy of education comparatively within the context of international development objectives. Its focus is on joint research and on staff and post-graduate student development at the higher education and advanced policy levels. The building of human resource capacity and the sharing of knowledge and expertise in these areas are crucial to international, regional and national development. The UNESCO Chair in Political Economy of Education contributes to such capacity building through the building of an international network of research and higher education institutions with a focus on the comparative political economy of education.

Chairholder Professor John Morgan

Address: Centre for Comparative Education Research, School of Education, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, UK
Email: John.Morgan [at] nottingham.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)115 951 3717
Fax: +44 (0)115 951 4397

Professor William John Morgan is Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Political Economy of Education, School of Education at the University of Nottingham. He has conducted research and evaluation studies for both national and international agencies, including a major 2006 study of international teacher mobility commissioned by the Department for International Development. Between 2002 and 2008 he was a member of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom and chaired the Commission’s Academic Staff Fellowships and Professional Fellowships committees. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO. He is also a member of the UNIVERSITAS 21 advisory group on Higher Education and the Millennium Development Goals. In December 2009 he was an invited member of the Higher Education panel of the Beijing Forum on Public Policy and the Economic and Financial Crisis.

Professor Morgan’s current research interests are in the comparative political economy of higher education and public policy, especially in states and societies in transition and in the context of globalization; and in anthropological theory, peace education and community conflict resolution. A fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and of the Royal Society of Arts, he has published numerous articles, reviews and books and supervised many doctoral students.

Selected Recent Publications

Normative Values in Adult Education and their Contemporary Relevance: The James A Draper Lecture, 2009, International Institute of Adult and Lifelong Education, Delhi, p. 22. ISBN: 0973-1601.
'Martin Buber's philosophy of education and its implications for non-formal education.' (With Alexandre Guilherme), International Journal of Lifelong Education. Vol. 28, No. 5, 2009, pp. 565-581. ISSN: 0260-1370.
'Student motivations, quality and status in adult higher education in China.' (With Wang Naixia) International Journal of Lifelong Education. Vol. 28, No. 4, 2009, pp. 473-491. ISSN: 0260-1370.
'Higher education and the starting wages of graduates in China' (with Li Fengliang and Ding Xiaohao): International Journal of Educational Development, 29, 4, 2009, pp. 374-81. ISSN: 0738 0593.
Guest Editor, (with Albert Tuijnman), European Journal of Education: Research, Development and Policy, Special Issue, 'Chinese-European Cooperation in Education', Vol.44, No.1, March, 2009. ISSN 0141 8211(print), 1465 3465 (online).
Editorial: 'Europe and China: a new era of cultural contact and cooperation in education.' (With A.C. Tuijnman), European Journal of Education: Research, Development and Policy, Vol.44, No.1, March, 2009, ISSN 0141 8211(print), 1465 3465 (online) pp.5-8.

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EVENT: ‘Global Citizenship Seminar Series - Seminar 3’ - Eleanor Brown & Raul Valdivia-Murgueytio, UCCER-MUNDI, University of Nottingham (University of Nottingham, 11 June 2009)

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: 21-22 May 2009 Prof. W. John Morgan was keynote speaker at the 19th General Assembly and Conference of the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) hosted by the University of Economics, Prague and organised under the Czech Presidency of the European Union (Prague, 21-22 May 2009)

EVENT: ‘The Changing Approaches of International Agencies to Support for Education’ - Terry Allsop, University of East Anglia (University of Nottingham, 5 May 2009)

PUBLICATION: Morgan, W. J. and A.C. Tuijnman, Guest Editors, European Journal of Education: Research, Development and Policy, Special Issue, 'Chinese-European Cooperation in Education', Vol.44, No.1, March, 2009.

For all events held in 2008 and 2009, visit the Centre for Comparative Education Research webpages.