A Lancaster University Senior Lecturer has been invited to take part in an international, high-profile event co-organised by UNESCO's Institute for Lifelong Learning and Shanghai Open University next week.
Dr Natasa Lackovic, from the Department of Educational Research, will attend the invitation-only workshop in Shanghai which aims to develop expertise in empowering global cities as key players for advancing lifelong learning.
She will speak about the role of universities in citizen learning and different citizen literacies, including the potential and challenges of new media, such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).
Participants include various country representatives in the field of education and lifelong learning, including ministries of education.
This builds on Dr Lackovic's world-leading work in this field, including her most recent book and her current project funded by the Futures Cities Research Institute, with Professor Malissa Maria Mahmud at Sunway University, Lancaster University's partner in Malaysia.
The project looks at how citizens and universities view and undertake community-university knowledge exchange. Dr Lackovic is also part of the project that will develop guidelines for mindful teaching with GenAI in higher education, funded by SEDA - UK Staff and Educational Development Association.
The event covers several themes, including lifelong learning policy and practice, learning cities, and digital competencies of adult educators.
She said: "I am honoured to be part of this globally important event, which only adds to the international significance and impact of educational research at Lancaster, and the fantastic global reach of Lancaster University as a whole."
Dr Lackovic's research focuses on education futures through developing a range of literacies, media methods and interactions for enhancing student and citizen experience, including new models of practice, evaluation and decision making in education, as well as creative and arts-informed approaches for educational and social change.
UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialised agency of the United Nations with the aim of promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture.
