UIL Exit Interview

Welcome to the class of 2017 of Honorary Fellows of the UIL and congratulations Professor Shah. How do you feel after joining the illustrious group of distinguished Honorary Fellows of UIL?

I feel honoured and humbled. In my wildest dream, I never expected to be honoured by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. In fact I consider the recognition by the UIL very important because it is the given by the UN organization specialising in lifelong learning. Iam extremely grateful to UIL and Dr. Arne Carlsen, Director for this honour.

Please tell us something about your association with UIL and its programmes.

I have been associated with different programmes of UIL for over a decade. I had a chance to work with the Head of Documentation - Ms. Lisa Krolak, on ALADIN-India project and later on the development of a learning package on Participatory Adult Learning Documentation and Information Network. Later I worked with the Senior Programme Specialist- Dr. Madhu Singh on a distance learning project and then with another Senior Specialist - Dr. Ulrike Hanemann on a Bangaladesh Literacy Project and Recognition,Validation and Accreditation of Prior Learning. I have known Dr. Arne Carlsen much before he joined UIL, when he was the head of the EU Masters Programme in Lifelong Learning at Danish School of Education in Copenhagen where I was a Visiting Scholar. My interactions with him increased after I joined the ASEM Network on Professionalization of Adult Education. Apart from working on different projects and interacting with UIL specialists, I have lectured on UIL and its role in the promotion of lifelong learning as a part of a Masters course on International Networks and Organizations in Lifelong Learning which I had taught at Julius Maximillian’s University, Germany in 2014 and 2016. As a part of the course, I escorted a group of students on a field visit to UIL which provided a rare chance to them to meet and listen to the presentations by UIL specialists and visit the library and documentation centre. I participated in several seminars, workshops and expert committee meetings organised by the UIL during the last decade. I have served as a review editor of the UIL journal - the International Review of Education. I have also published in the Journal. I continue to be the Member of the ALADIN Advisory Committee of the UIL.

What benefits did you or your country derive from the association with UIL?

Apart from deriving immense personal benefits in terms of enriching professional knowledge and networking with experts from different parts of the globe, I could work towards strengthening adult education as a professional field. UIL supported my initiative in developing a learning package for the professional development of adult educators which was adopted and expanded by the Indira Gandhi National Open University into a Post graduate Diploma programme. I could succeed in getting five UIL scholarships to Indian students with a view to promoting the Diploma programme. UIL being the only UN institution focussing on lifelong learning, its publications and researches have been a great help in my teaching and research work. UIL also gave me free access to the journal.

I understand that you are the founder Director of International Institute of Adult & Lifelong Education in New Delhi,India. What is the role of your Institute in the promotion of adult and lifelong learning?

IIALE has the potential to play a key role in the field of adult education not only in India but also in the entire South Asia since there is no such institution in the region. Although more than half of the illiterates belong to this region; and India and other countries have been implementing several literacy programmes, the problem of illiteracy has been continuing. As several researches and evaluation studies have traced the ineffectiveness of the literacy programme to the poor quality of programme staff, we have to focus on improving their professional qualification and competence. This implies the need to focus on the professionalization of adult education. Hence, the main thrust of IIALE has been in this area and with the support of UIL, we have developed a learning package for the professional development of adult educators which is hosted on the UIL website. This learning package has led to the development of Certificate, Diploma and Masters Programme by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Our Institute functions as the study centre of IGNOU. Over the last decade, IIALE has succeeded in getting the cooperation of a large number of distinguished scholars from India and abroad. Since we have MoUs with the universities of Wurzburg and British Columbia, the students and teachers from these institutions have been visiting IIALE and participating in several activities.

What is your current research interest ?

Since Iam the co-coordinator of the ASEM Network on Professionalization of Adult Education, I am keenly interested in research in this area. Being a historian, Iam currently researching and writing the history of the Indian Adult Education Association which has completed 75 years. Besides I am also interested in policy studies.