Conference theme:  What does quality mean, and how can it be assessed in the context of educating the adult educator and trainer in Europe today? This is the main theme of the inaugural network meeting. Quality is considered as a prerequisite for sustainable development in our societies, because it upholds and conveys the ideals of a sustainable world, by taking into consideration the social, economic and environmental context. In the European context quality in adult and continuing education and training may be defined as locally relevant but also culturally appropriate. It would be impossible however to discuss quality in adult and continuing education and training in Europe without considering the quality of the teaching and training staff involved, considering that the scope of adult and continuing education as it is prescribed in Europe today is to provide education for people to be better individuals, family members, community members, employees and citizens. Quality in this respect should include outcomes -occasionally measurable- that encompass knowledge, skills and attitudes that are linked to the adult educator’s profile, tasks, roles and practices. Definitions of quality nonetheless must be open to change and evolution, based on information, changing contexts, and new understandings of the nature of the challenges faced by the adult educator. Research on the quality of the education and training provided for adult educators and trainers in Europe, as well as policy research and assessment of quality of professional practices in our field -ranging from national, multinational or comparative to action research at the field level- may contribute to this redefinition.

Aim of the conference: The network’s inaugural meeting is planned to be a forum for exchanging theoretical considerations and empirical evidence, between researchers studying the different roles and tasks of the adult educator and trainer and the ways that these are assessed, as well as issues relating to the quality of their training (initial and continuing) and their professional development. The meeting aims to bring together participants from different disciplines and countries who are interested in these topics. The conference is also open to practitioners who are working in adult training organizations or educational structures that provide for adults including universities. Thus, the conference will bring insights from different parts of the academia together with insights from the field. The conference itself will therefore be a site of cross-disciplinary learning.

1. What does quality provision mean in adult educators’ education and training?
2. Who are qualified to educate and train adult teachers and trainers, and what assures their quality?
3. What are the skills and competences that need to be developed by the adult educator, so to provide a high quality end-product?
4. How can quality in adult teaching staff’s provision be monitored, assessed or measured, and by whom?
5. What is the role of the adult teacher in this respect?
6. What is the role of the universities in providing quality education and training for adult educators and trainers?
7. What does ‘quality control’ mean in our narrow setting and who is qualified to control quality?
8. Does quality assurance make the adult educators’ profession more appealing or attractive?
9. What do our systems or policy makers prescribe -if at all- for assuring quality of the people who work in our sector?
10. How do we respond when our systems are dysfunctional or aren’t working?