Tomas Bata University in Zlín

The Research Centre of the FHS: On Its Way to Joining the Global Elite

Over the past six months, the Research Centre of the Faculty of Humanities in Zlín has made significant progress towards establishing itself among the global leaders in lifelong learning research.

Thanks to intensive international collaboration with the University of Glasgow and the German Institute for Adult Education in Bonn (DIE – Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung), the Research Centre has developed a project for the Horizon Europe grant programme under the Twinning call. Titled WATER: Widening Adult Training and Education Research, this three-year project has the potential to build scientific capacity comparable to leading research centres worldwide.

Additionally, the Centre has submitted a project proposal under the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidation Grants. Named The New World of Lifelong Learning, This five-year project focuses on innovations in measuring participation in lifelong learning across Europe. It includes an expert team from around the world, including the United States, South Korea, and Australia.

At the beginning of 2024, the Research Centre received support from the Norwegian Funds for a joint project with its partner institution, The Arctic University of Tromsø. This initiative aims to establish the first Norwegian Czech hub for studying educational inequalities within European educational systems. The Centre is also involved in preparing a project for the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council, led by the University of Glasgow, titled Understanding Key Trends in Skills Formation Through Adult Learning and Education. Beyond these initiatives, the Research Centre will lead a collaborative research effort in 2024 across Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Germany.

This project focuses on understanding the relationships between the characteristics of national adult education systems.

Furthermore, Associate Professor Jan Kalenda, alongside Professor Richard Desjardins, is co-editing a book for Palgrave Macmillan titled Adult Learning Systems in Context. The publication will feature contributions from members of the Research Centre, further solidifying the Centre’s position within the international academic community.

The Research Centre of the Faculty of Humanities demonstrates its growing influence and significance in the field of lifelong learning research through innovative projects, international collaborations, and contributions to academic literature. These activities not only support the Centre’s research excellence but also contribute to the development of educational systems and policies on a global scale.