Department of Education - University of Bath

Research projects

ESRC Rising Powers - Global Challenges and Social Change Initiative Network

Research Team:

University of Bath, UK
Professor Harry Daniels
Professor Hugh Lauder

University of Cape Town, South Africa
Dr Joanne Hardman

Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo
Dr Angela Lessa

Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Russia
Prof Vitaly Rubtsov
Prof Arkady Margolis
Dr Anna Shvedovskaya

Funder: ESRC

Summary:
The emergence of the so-called "Rising Powers" - including but not limited to Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) - represents one of the key drivers of global economic and social change. Given the enormity of their potential impact on the global economy, they represent a priority challenge to social scientific understanding with outcomes likely to be of importance to government, business and citizens.

The aim of the network to be directed by Professor Harry Daniels of the Department of Education at The University of Bath is to explore the likely futures for education, well being and human security as new economic conditions emerge in Brazil, Russia and South Africa. This Network will focus on the reciprocal, and as yet not fully understood, relationships, between economic growth, education and well being which may well be understood differently in different economic and cultural contexts. The Network will organise seminars at each of these three sites to which relevant academics and policy makers will be invited. Visiting Fellows at each site will convene these seminars and take advice from colleagues in their own academic and professional networks as to who should be invited.

Participants will be chosen on the basis of their capacity to address some or all of the following questions:

What changes are envisaged in educational provision and its objects in both the rising powers and elsewhere in order to ensure economic sustainability of rapid growth?
What will be the likely educational consequences and responses to the social challenges of the urban-rural divide, social and economic inequality and access to education including Higher Education?
How will the lives of children be transformed and be made more or less secure as these changes are invoked?
What will be the challenges for Africa as a result of new development roles being taken by the Rising Powers with regard to education?
How are the relationships between economic growth, education and well being in general, and more specifically security, understood in each state?

ESRC Rising Powers - download pdf

Research Outputs:

Brazil:

Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Sao Paulo

South Africa:

University of Cape Town

From the Cape Town press

Russia:

Russian Psychology Review

Investing in Education - Contribution to the Future

General Project Materials:
Full-text materials and presentations dealing with Russian education and economy issues.