Josef Konvitz's blog

Connecting Urban and Rural Learning Initiatives - Opportunities and Challenges

Posted May 30, 2014 - 13:08 by Josef Konvitz

Urbanisation has been a powerful force for knowledge and growth since well before the industrial revolution. As cities have grown bigger, their relationships with rural areas have changed – as have the needs of rural areas. Historically, people in rural areas did not have the same educational opportunities as people in cities.

OECD Education at a Glance 2023

Posted September 24, 2023 - 12:58 by Josef Konvitz

The 2023 edition of Education at a Glance from the OECD has recently been published with a focus on vocational and technical education. For the convenience of subscribers, a copy is attached. A quote from the editorial gives a taste of the material to be found in this valuable publication:

Vocational education and training (VET) is vital. It offers an alternative to academic education, equips learners with practiceoriented and employability skills, eases the school-to-work transition, and meets economies’ demand for skilled workers.

UNESCO, the OECD and the World Bank: A Global Governance Perspective

Posted September 24, 2023 - 12:39 by Josef Konvitz

Maren Elfert, Senior Lecturer, International Education, Kings College London, and Christian Ydesen, Professor, Education Research and Internationalization, Aalborg University, have written Global Governance of Education: the historical and contemporary entanglements of UNESCO, OECD and the World Bank. It is will published in October 2023 by Springer. One chapter is available as open access.

Congratulations to Catherine Lido, Deputy Director of PASCAL in Europe

Posted July 7, 2020 - 12:22 by Josef Konvitz

We are delighted to announce that Catherine Lido, Deputy Director of PASCAL in Europe, has been promoted to a chair in Psychology and Adult Learning at the University of Glasgow. This is a thoroughly deserved recognition for Catherine’s excellent contributions over the years, not least her work in the field of learning cities for PASCAL.

PASCAL and Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA, are exploring the development of a PASCAL Center

Posted June 23, 2020 - 10:48 by Josef Konvitz

Rutgers, with the distinguished Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, is a major institution located strategically mid-way in the Boston-Washington corridor that the geographer Jean Gottmann named “Megaloplis” in his path-finding book of 1960. This effort includes pursuit of synergistic activities between PASCAL associates and Rutgers faculty and students.

Are We At A Turning Point? PASCAL and the Pandemic | Josef Konvitz

Posted June 9, 2020 - 07:34 by Josef Konvitz

Everybody wants to do something. Op-Ed pieces arrive daily, written by young and old alike, people who are world-famous and people you never heard of, embracing the pandemic for the opportunity it provides to bring about radical change. I have not made a list, but I would bet that most put global climate change and social justice as the most urgent priorities, ahead of the resolution of local crises in Africa or the Middle East with the potential to cause a world war. Some of us are more concerned to prevent bad things from happening – power grabs by authoritarians would be the top of my list, followed by another round of austerity cuts to education and health – rather than to make good things happen; perhaps I can be forgiven, being an historian.

Don't Waste A Crisis (Part Two) - Fondation pour l'Innovation Politique (FONDAPOL)

Posted April 28, 2020 - 13:41 by Josef Konvitz

Many are writing about what-comes-after, the post-pandemic era. Josef Konvitz has completed a two-part essay, “Don’t Waste a Crisis”, for the French Fondation pour l’innovation politique, or FONDAPOL. This final version, which includes the first part on infrastructure and education, focuses on cross-border risks and concludes with proposals for how Europe can reinforce its cohesion through the single market and at the same time, intervene more broadly in a globalised world. If you think that globalisation is a bad thing, his essay suggests that regulation, European-style, uses globalisation to make the world safer.

Don't Waste A Crisis (Part One) - Fondation pour l'Innovation Politique (FONDAPOL)

Posted April 9, 2020 - 14:54 by Josef Konvitz

The COVID-19 Pandemic is already generating proposals for government-led initiatives for a post-crisis recovery. Josef Konvitz, CHAIR of PASCAL, has written a note that looks at the question through the lens of infrastructure investment, drawing on the lessons of the post-2008 recovery, and drawing attention to the importance of education for the future.

Pécs is now formally a member of PASCAL’s Learning Cities Networks (LCN)

Posted January 14, 2020 - 18:37 by Josef Konvitz

We are very pleased to report that the city of Pécs, Hungary, is now formally a member of PASCAL’s Learning Cities Networks (LCN). It is one of the cities that we have worked with closely over a number of years, as is evident in the profile of Pécs written by Balazs Nemeth.

Prof Balazs Nemeth, Associate Director of PASCAL in Europe, elected President of EUCEN

Posted June 15, 2019 - 14:47 by Josef Konvitz

Many congratulations to Prof Balazs Nemeth, Associate Director of PASCAL in Europe, who has been elected to become president of the European Universities Continuing Education Network (EUCEN). This is a very well-deserved honour and PASCAL looks forward to continuing to work with EUCEN under the leadership of Professor Nemeth.