Global Issues Forum (GIF)

The Global Issues Forum, one of the central components of AIEA, focuses on cross-disciplinary discussion, debate, and study of issues that affect educators of adults internationally.

Global Issues Forum I was initiated in 1998 with “Agenda for the Future of Adult Education.” That forum focused on issues affecting educators of adults globally, as identified at the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (Confintea V). Dr. Paul Belanger, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Education, delivered the keynote presentation, which was followed by a panel of Syracuse University faculty addressing four themes laid out in Confintea V. The panel discussion was followed by a dialogue on the implications of the themes for higher education, academic study, and the professional development of adults. The forum was attended by faculty from seven Syracuse University schools and colleges, as well as administrators representing continuing education, the library, the business community, and central administration.

Global Issues Forum II took place in 2002, with “International Migration and Integration: Findings, Tendencies, and Solutions” the focal area of study. The keynote was presented by Joachim H. Knoll, professor of education, University of Bochum, Germany, and a member of the German UNESCO Commission and the New York Academy of Sciences. His address focused on multiculturalism, interculturalism, migrants, child labor, and migrant education. Professor Knoll then participated in two panel presentations and discussions. The first, “Integration or Assimilation: Cultural, Linguistic, and Ethnic Issues,” explored the roles of the state, private agencies, and the community in integration, financial support for immigrants, the consequences of relocation for immigrants, similar subcultures, and retention of immigrants. It was moderated by Tom Hadlick, executive director of the CNY WorkKeys Center. Panelists included Pinyoun (sic), coordinator of the refugee resettlement service for Catholic Charities; Robert Didio, director of human resources for L. & J. G. Stickley, Inc.; Michael Smithee, associate director of the Slutzker Center for International Services; and Mara Sapon-Shevin, professor of teaching and leadership in the School of Education. View and print a copy of the forum proceedings.

Information on future forums will be posted on this web site when available.

Proceedings from previous Global Issues Forums have been published and will soon be available in print and online through Syracuse University Publications in Continuing Education (SUPCE).