Prof. Michael Osborne announced as keynote speaker for the MRER 20th anniversary

The Malta Review of Educational Research (MRER) is pleased to announce that Prof. Emeritus Michael Osborne will deliver the MRER 20th Anniversary Lecture, the flagship event that will bring the MRER 20x20 celebratory programme to a close on 10 December.

Prof. Osborne is Emeritus Professor and former Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning at the University of Glasgow. Until July 2024, he served as Director of the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning within the School of Education and as Co-Director of the PASCAL Observatory on Place Management, Social Capital and Lifelong Learning. He currently chairs the Executive Board of the PASCAL Observatory.

An internationally recognised scholar, Prof. Osborne's research spans a broad range of areas, including urban big data, universities’ engagement with communities, widening participation in higher education, teaching and learning in higher education, sustainable development, the interface between vocational and higher education, and the development of learning cities and regions.

His work has significantly shaped international debates on lifelong learning and the role of higher education institutions in fostering inclusive, sustainable, and knowledge-rich communities. He has maintained strong links with leading international networks and organisations, including UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), the Asia-Europe Meeting Forum for Lifelong Learning (ASEM LLL Hub), and the Universitas 21 network of research-intensive universities.

Prof. Osborne has played a leading role in major international research initiatives. He served as Co-Investigator and Associate Director of the ESRC-funded Urban Big Data Centre, a £10 million research centre focusing on the relationships between education, place, disadvantage, and learning city metrics. He was also Co-Investigator in the Global Centre for Sustainable, Healthy Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods, a £7 million initiative funded through the UK Research Councils’ Global Challenges Research Fund.

Among his many achievements, he was Principal Investigator of a British Academy-funded project on strengthening universities’ urban engagement in Asia and Africa, and has led numerous international collaborative studies. These include the influential PURE (PASCAL Universities and Regional Engagement) project, which examined the role of universities in regional development across nineteen cities and regions worldwide.

Prof. Osborne has also coordinated and contributed to several European Commission-funded projects, including DISCUSS, which explored learning communities of practice, and LETAE, which focused on university adult learning in mid-life.

The MRER 20th Anniversary Lecture will provide a fitting conclusion to a year-long programme celebrating two decades of scholarly publishing, critical inquiry, and educational dialogue through the Malta Review of Educational Research. Bringing together academics, educators, policymakers, and community leaders, the event promises to offer timely reflections on lifelong learning, community engagement, and the transformative role of education in addressing contemporary social challenges.