Call for Papers
Arthur Acland Centenary Symposium: Community and Adult Education
at Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus
Friday 6 March 2026
To mark the centenary of the death of Arthur Acland—politician, educationalist, advocate for adult learning and cooperativism, and long-standing Trustee and benefactor of Imperial College London—we invite proposals for papers for a one-day symposium examining historical and contemporary issues in community and adult education.
We welcome proposals from scholars, practitioners, and policy specialists. Papers (20–30 minutes) may address any aspect of Acland’s legacy or engage with wider debates shaping adult and community education today.
Suggested themes include (but are not limited to):
- Historical explorations of Acland’s contribution to adult education, cooperativism, and liberal educational ideals.
- The development of community outreach and widening-participation practices in higher education.
- Tensions between vocational lifelong learning and broader forms of cultural, civic, or leisure education.
- The influence of current policy emphases—core skills, STEM focus, employability metrics—on the health of the adult education sector.
- Case studies of innovative adult or community education initiatives in the UK or internationally.
- The role of universities and cultural institutions in promoting lifelong learning and civic engagement.
- Reflections on the future of adult education in light of shifting social, economic, and cultural contexts.
Proposals of approximately 200–300 words, accompanied by a brief biographical note, should be submitted by 30 January 2026 to Dr Michael Paraskos at m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk
We particularly encourage contributions that bring fresh insights into Acland’s legacy or open new perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing adult and community education today.
