Start: 2012-04-23 23:00:00 > End: 2012-04-24 23:00:00
Location: Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire, UK
Contact: John Rose-Adams
Contact link: Email John Rose-Adams
Bookings are now being taken for the Widening Participation Confernce 2012 'Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education'.
At a time when prevailing neo-liberal policy aims to position higher education as an economic venture and students as customers, discourses of inclusion are vital. Terms such as access, widening participation, equity, equality and diversity, and lifelong learning commonly feature in discourses of inclusion related to higher education. The shifting meanings and fluid uses of these terms serve as an indication of the increasing tensions between neo-liberal economic forces and the role of higher education in modern society.
Researchers and theorists, policy-makers and practitioners all have a voice in the diverse range of discourses of inclusion and much is still to be learned and understood from a sharing of their perspectives and experiences. As higher education systems across the world adapt to accommodate the needs of modern neoliberal society this international conference brings together these voices to consider the nature of inclusion.
The conference will examine and debate scholarly issues associated with inclusion and widening participation in higher education. It will map international perspectives on educational inclusion, report on important research findings, and develop new collaboration and joint working for the future.