In the last two years, adult lives and learning have dramatically changed, individually and collectively. Face to face meetings have stopped for a long time and the fear of the other has increased. Educational and cultural agencies – schools, universities, museums, theatres – have significantly revised their practices. The Conference will have to deal with the experience of the pandemic, but we want to make it a positive reflexive moment to look at the future, to mobilize the best energies of adult education research and intervention, and interrogate the controversial, non-linear effects of the ongoing ecological, economic, and social changes. The ecological metaphor in the title is meant to suggest the relevance of climate justice and the need for adult education research around it. The material and social environments are not separated; outside and inside worlds are interconnected in human experience. New emerging landscapes – physically and metaphorically – are bringing more challenges to the humankind, especially for the vulnerable and dispossessed. Will they also bring new opportunities?

Are there any seeds for transformative resilience? What is the contribution of adult education and learning, and the role of research in it?

The conference will celebrate the 30th birthday of ESREA connecting older and newer generations of researchers, as well as ESREA’s research networks, to remember the past, reflect on the present, and re-design the future together.

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