Speakers at the International Andragogical Symposium
Dr. Gerhard Bisovsky
Dr. Gerhard Bisovsky is general secretary of the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres. He has been working in Austrian adult education since 1985, from 1996-2012 he was director of the Volkshochschule Meidling (Adult Education Centre) which is one of the biggest centres in Vienna. Since 2009 he has been leader of the network «Education Guidance and Counselling in Vienna» (Bildungsberatung in Wien) in which the most important institutions of adult education are working together and realizing independent educational and career guidance. For many years he has been training adult educators (teachers, managers and counselors) and teaching adult education at the Universities of Graz, Vienna, Klagenfurt and Bielefeld. He is a member of many committees, for instance Grundtvig Working Group (Brussels, 2000-2001), preparation of the vocational matriculation examination (Berufsreifeprüfung) for the central school leaving examination (Zentralmatura), working group on the National Qualification Framework (Vienna, 2008-2010), member of many project teams in Vienna's adult education centres.
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Diana GhineaDiana Ghinea is an international development professional with an educational background in Philosophy and Political Sciences. She has extensive professional experience covering research, development cooperation, project and program development and evaluation, training and consultancy. Diana’s work in the field of adult education is mainly centred on career guidance and counselling (with focus on policies) and international cooperation. She has also published a number of papers and impact studies.
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prof. Dijana Vican, Ph.D.
Dijana Vican, Ph.D., is associate professor at Department of pedagogy at Faculty of philosophy in Zadar. She received her Ph.D. degree in anthropology of education at Faculty of philosophy in Zagreb. Her current position is vice-rector for science, technology, development and material resources. She teaches at the course Systemic pedagogy at the Department of pedagogy and at the course General pedagogy, part of common programme foundations of the University, and in realization of programme of Additional pedagogical-psychological education of teachers. She is a permanent associate of Teachers’ college in Zadar, and head and associate and Pilots' school in Zemunik at Croatian Air-force college at the programme of additional education of teachers and instructors of flying. She attended further education at University of Berkeley (USA). She has been researching anthropology of education, and moral education of teachers. She has published twenty scientific and professional papers. She has taken part in number of scientific and professional conferences in Croatia and abroad. She is a member of Croatian Pedagogical Society, American Anthropological Association and European Association for International Education. From 2008 to 2011 she was state secretary for elementary education in Ministry of science, education and sports.
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prof. Katarina Popović, Ph.D.
Katarina Popović is vice-president of European Association for the Education of Adults and coordinator of dvv-international for regional projects in southeast Europe. She has studied adult education at the University of Belgrade, with BA degree in adult education; she made her doctorate study at the University of Aachen in the same area, obtaining PhD degree. She is Professor at the Department for Adult Education, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade since 1989 and on and conduct researches in the area of adult education and lifelong learning in the last 15 years. She is also visiting professor for adult education on several European universities – in Austria, Germany, Denmark and UK - and editor of the magazine “Andragogical studies”.
Dr Popovic is also President of the Adult Education Society since 2000, which is national nongovernmental organization where the most important experts, young researchers and adult education students work on projects in adult education, offer the trainings, develop strategic papers. Special importance is given to the regional and international cooperation - Adult Education Society is very active in it - with its member, but also with numerous partners from various areas of learning, education, employment. European integration processes in adult education and via adult education are of special importance, so Adult Education Society and Dr Katarina Popovic work intensively to support these processes. They conducted projects with various international donors and partners: dvv international, KulturKontakt, Roma Education Fund, CIDA and with the variety of national and regional partner. |
prof. Mirjana Mavrak, Ph.D.
Prof Mirjana Mavrak, Ph.D. is an associate professor at the Department of pedagogy at the Faculty of philosophy in Sarajevo. She graduated at the Faculty of philosophy in Sarajevo, where she also received her master's degree in 1997. At the same institution in 2002 she received her Ph.D., with the topic „Quality of communication among socialization agents in pedagogical work with healthy and chronically ill children“. She teaches at courses Andragogy, Medical pedagogy, Pedagogy, Basic teaching skills and Communication in class. From 2006 to 2008, and since 2013 she has been main editor of the magazine „Adult education – key for 21st century“. Her professional development has been focused on adult education, training of future teachers, and psycho-pedagogical assistance for chronically ill children in hospital and in school.
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Dr. Elisabeth Brugger
Dr. Elisabeth Brugger is pedagogical director of Vienna Adult Education Centres (Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH). Since 1982 she has been working in adult education, she was responsible for the white book on programm planning (Weißbuch Programmplanung), the frame curriculum of the Vienna Adult Education Centres. Working in the field of training adult educators and teaching at universities.
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Ivan Šutalo, M.Eng.
Since 2010 he has been director of Agency for vocational educational and training and adult education, and from 2005 – 2010 he was director of Agency for vocational education and training. In his 15 years of experience in educational system especially valuable is part relating to direct work with students in vocational schools. On the basis of this experience and 10 years of work in various architectural and manufacturing companies he, together with his associates, set a vision and established mechanisms for development of contemporary systems of vocational education and training and adult education in Croatia. He took part in creation of many strategic, legal and implementing documents and definition of great number of projects whose function has been development of vocational education and training and adult education,.
Agency, under his leadership, has taken part in activities of European Commission’s Advisory Committee for VET (ACVT), meeting of directors responsible for vocational education and training in EU member and candidate countries (DGVT – Directors General for VET), activities of network for quality assurance in vocational education and training (EQAVET), working group for technical design of quality assurance reference framework for vocational education and training (EQARF, European Quality Assurance Reference Framework) and working group for development of credit system in vocational education and training (ECVET) A very close cooperation has been established with European Union's executive agencies ETF (European Training Foundation) and CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training). |
Andrej Sotošek, M. Sc.
Andrej Sotošek is director of Slovenian Institute for Adult Education, and has been head of this institute since 2008. He graduated at the Faculty of arts in Ljubljana in 1983, in history and sociology, and in 2000 he received a master of science degree at the Faculty of social sciences in Ljubljana. He worked as a teacher in Catering and Tourism Secondary School Celje and in Historical archive in Celje. From 1985 to 2001 he was working in Žalec Adult Education Centre, for first four years as a member of the professional staff, and then 12 years as a director. He also worked in the Regional Development Agency in Celje, where he was programme manager for human resources development, and from 2001 to 2008 he was secretary-general of the Association of Adult Education Centres of Slovenia. He is a member of number of professional associations and bodies, among others a member of a National commission for Lifelong learning programme (Grundtvig programme) and a member of executive board of The Slovenian Adult Education Association.
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prof. Jurica Pavičić, Ph.D.
He is a professor of marketing at Faculty of economics and business at University of Zagreb. His current position is vice dean for research and administration at Faculty of economics and business in Zagreb. He received his Ph.D. degree from Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria from the field of sociology (2009) and University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia from the field of marketing (2000). His primary field of scientific interest is: marketing strategy, marketing of non-profit organizations, marketing and social changes.
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Marija Pavkov, Ph.D.
She received her Ph.D. degree from the field of chemistry in 2002 at the Karl-Franzens University in Graz where she carried out science and research activities, and worked as university assistant. The same year she has finished education for licenced trainer at the Buzan centre in England, specialized for learning methods (Mind mapping), speed reading and memory techniques, and has started to organize and implement education programmes for all ages, with special focus on education of teachers and internal education in companies. After receiving her Ph.D. from the field of education, with specialization in adult education, in 2006 (Karl-Franzens University in Graz) she has published a book „Adult Education in Croatia – Globalisation, Europeanisation, Modernisation“, and in 2008 a book „Practice your mind's strength“. Since 2007 she has translated a dozen of books from the field of education, work with gifted children, young and adults, and work with children with learning difficulties. Since 2008, as an expert from field of education and adult education, she has worked with European commission's executive agencies (EACEA –The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency; EACI – Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) and ETF (European Training Foundation).
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Elena Rizova, Ph.D.
Elena Rizova, Ph.D., is assistant professor at Faculty of philosophy at University Ss. Cyril and Methodius - Skopje, Republic of Macedonia at the Institute of pedagogy. She defended her Ph.D. dissertation in 2012 at her home institution, on subject of adult literacy. Her master work was defended in 2008 on Key competences for lifelong learning. She is currently working on several projects that involve vocational education and training of adults and pedagogical competences of VET teachers. Her primary fields of scientific interest are: adult education and lifelong learning. She has published many scientific and professional papers and has participated in number of scientific and professional conferences in Macedonia and abroad.
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Nikša Alfirević, Ph.D
Nikša Alfirević, Ph.D., is a professor at Faculty of economics at University of Split, at the Department of management. He defended his Ph.D. dissertation in 2003 at his home institution, and his Ph.D. dissertation from the field of sociology at University of Klagenfurt, in Austria, in 2009. At the Faculty of philosophy at the University of Split, university study programme Sociology, he teaches at the course „Management of organizational behaviour“. His primary field of scientific interest is: management and strategic management, with special emphasis on public and non-profit sector and management in education, knowledge management and economic development based on knowledge, social structures and processes in local and virtual communities.
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