Conference Program

This paper reconceptualises the relationship between Adult Learning and Education (ALE) and Global Citizenship Education (GCE), drawing on a selective reading of the academic literature, research papers and reports issued by supranational institutions, particularly UNESCO, as well as international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Adopting a conceptual and policy-analytical approach, the paper interrogates how these two educational fields have evolved in parallel yet largely disconnected trajectories.

While GCE has gained significant traction in global policy discourse—particularly through UNESCO initiatives and its inclusion in Sustainable Development Goal 4.7— scholarly debates have predominantly focused on its implementation in higher education (Horey et al., 2018) and in formal schooling for children and young people. Studies that connect ALE to GCE are still rare (cf. Larjanko, 2015; Dorio, 2017; Schreiber-Barsch, 2018). We contend that this separation is conceptually and strategically limiting, given the shared commitments of ALE and GCE to democratic participation, social justice, and lifelong transformative learning. This disconnect also reinforces policy silos that obscure ALE's transformative potential in addressing global challenges.

First, we discuss how diverse interpretations—from neoliberal, skills-oriented views to critical, social-justice-based perspectives—shape differing expectations of what it means to educate for global citizenship. This analysis underscores the importance of a critical vision that recognises global citizenship as an ethical and political stance oriented toward justice, inclusion, and mutual recognition across diverse contexts (Bourn, 2015; Tarozzi & Torres, 2016). We then demonstrate that ALE and GCE share structural and ethical affinities, including commitments to participatory learning, social justice, and lifelong engagement with global concerns.

By bridging conceptual frameworks from both policy and scholarly literature, we elucidate how ALE can be reconceived not merely as a site for GCE content delivery, but as a broader educational paradigm consistent with the aims of global citizenship. Building on this analysis, we advance a conceptual model that frames ALE as inherently constitutive of GCE. The model is organised around four interrelated dimensions: (1) Aims and Scope (What for?), which emphasises the pursuit of social justice, democratic participation, and sustainable futures; (2) Contents and Competences (What?), focusing on critical understanding of global issues, intercultural dialogue, and ethical reflexivity; (3) Processes and Pedagogies (How?), advocating participatory, dialogical, and transformative approaches consistent with critical adult education traditions; and (4) Actors and Learning Environments (Who and where?), recognising the multiplicity of stakeholders and spaces involved in adult learning, including civil society organisations, workplaces, communities, and digital platforms (Milana & Tarozzi, 2021).

By articulating this framework, we challenge prevailing hierarchies that prioritise formal schooling in global citizenship agendas and marginalise adult learners. We argue that positioning ALE as a central vehicle for GCE can strengthen policy coherence, enhance curriculum development, and support research that foregrounds adult agency in addressing global challenges such as migration, inequality, and climate change. Ultimately, we call for a paradigmatic shift: rather than viewing GCE as an optional add-on to adult education, ALE should be recognised as a critical and enduring site of global citizenship formation in an interconnected and unequal world.