HTI Andragogy Research Seminar Series: Hope and Learning
We will invite to join in engaging seminar “HOPE AND LEARNING” on 29 April at 14:00 - 15.30 in EDUSPACE (M-340) with professor Carmel Borg and DR. Maria Brown who will explore themes such as hope, imagination, love, emancipatory education, healing justice, ethical and gender aspects of using AI in higher education programs.
Registreeru teadusseminarile Hope and Learning
29. aprillil toimub HTI andragoogika eriala teadusseminaride sarja seminar Hope and Learning. Seminaril teevad ettekandeid Malta Ülikooli haridusteaduskonna professor Carmel Borg ja Dr. Maria Brown.
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The seminar will delve into the following topics:
- Reclaiming Hope as Possibility: Transformative Adult Education in Challenging Times. Professor Carmel Borg
- AI-assisted learning: A double-edged sword for gender equality in education? Dr. Maria Brown
Carmel Borg: In an age marked by educational standardisation, social disconnection, and political uncertainty, reclaiming hope in adult education has become both a pedagogical and ethical imperative. The presentation, "Reclaiming Hope as Possibility: Transformative Adult Education in Challenging Times," explores the role of the hopeful educator as a transformative agent in the face of structural oppression, emotional fatigue, and educational disenchantment.
The presentation argues that hope is not sentimental optimism, but an act of resistance—a radical commitment to justice, equity, and relational care. Through a deep engagement with concepts such as imagination, love, emancipatory education, and healing justice, it posits that education can and must be reimagined as communities of learning, memory, and democratic engagement. Hopeful educators are portrayed as intellectuals and change-makers who, grounded in critical reflection and consistent ethical action, cultivate spaces where students are seen, valued, and empowered to act upon the world.
Maria Brown: This presentation based on the case study on AI-supported resources used in education programmes at the University of Malta. The rise in popularity of AI-assisted learning, with its promise of personalized educational experiences and adaptive learning technologies, is reshaping education, with positive prospects of safeguarding and fostering gender equality. However, as women make up only 35% of STEM graduates, and gender imbalance in STEM careers persists, AI-assisted learning risks ‘mansplain’, and (un)intended reproduction of patriarchy, gender stereotypes and disparities.
Seminar is organised by the staff from the field of andragogy, school of educational sciences.
More information: Larissa Jõgi, larj@tlu.ee
More information about the speakers:
Carmel Borg is a graduate of OISE – University of Toronto. He has taught and researched for over 35 years. His work centres on curriculum studies, critical pedagogy, social justice, and adult education. A former head of department and dean, Borg holds honorary academic positions in the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Scotland. He is widely published on education, democracy, and social justice. Borg is editor of MRER, ERMS, and co-editor of Postcolonial Directions in Education. He contributes regularly to national and international media on educational issues. In 2022, he received Malta’s National Order of Merit, and this year, he was awarded the Prize for Social Justice for his outstanding contribution to equity and inclusion.
Dr Maria Brown holds a Ph.D. in Education, a Master of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Italian. She lectures in adult education, community-based education and community development, research methods and social impact assessment at the University of Malta. She coordinates and contributes to various courses, particularly the Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education, Training and Development and the Master of Arts in Adult Education.
Dr Brown is Malta's Ambassador for the European Platform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE), Chief Editor of the Journal of Disruptive Technologies, Education, and Communications (JDTEC), and is a Book Reviews Editor of Convergence: An International Journal of Adult Education. Her experience includes work for the European Commission, Eurydice, the Council of Europe, the European Co-operation in Science & Technology (COST) and the Ministry for Education and Employment (Malta).