Lifelong Learning in Migratory Contexts

The ‘Lifelong Learning in Migratory Contexts’ research project connects the UNESCO Chair in International Education and Development at the University of Nottingham with the UNESCO Chair in Lifelong Learning, Youth and Work at Gulu University and the University of Groningen in order to examine how lifelong learning can better support migrants across the life course, recognising that migration is a transnational issue that requires comparative, cross-country understanding to inform stronger policy and practice.

Why this collaboration matters

Lifelong learning in migratory contexts is not only about the recognition of skills, credentials and experience; it also involves processes of (re)learning, including language acquisition, orientation to institutional norms, and professional learning across the life course. Lifelong learning can support empowerment, facilitate social participation and inclusion, and contribute to belonging in communities and institutions. Where learning opportunities are accessible and meaningful, lifelong learning can strengthen people’s capacity to navigate institutions, build social ties, and pursue work and civic participation.

Across countries and communities, migration is reshaping where and how people learn across the life course, including older migrants, migrant youth transitions and international/high-skilled mobility. At the same time, migration is governed in increasingly politicised ways, shaping priorities, funding and access to provision. Learning opportunities remain fragmented, unevenly resourced, and difficult to navigate, and access is structured by legal status, rights and eligibility, information and guidance infrastructures, and institutional capacity.

UNESCO frames lifelong learning as a public good and a shared societal responsibility across formal, non-formal and informal settings. In migratory contexts, this raises questions about participation, equity, recognition, and the conditions that enable empowerment and belonging. These questions provide a framework for comparative dialogue across UK–Netherlands–Uganda (and wider African) perspectives, helping identify recurring challenges and enabling factors alongside context-specific differences. A cross-context lens can also help distinguish approaches that may be adaptable across settings from those shaped by local policy, institutions and migration patterns, reflecting UNESCO’s emphasis on North–South, South–South and North–South–South cooperation.

Aims

The project aims to build on complementary strengths across the two UNESCO Chairs and develop a shared agenda for joint research, policy engagement, and shared learning across research and practice, aligned with UNESCO priorities including the Priority Africa Flagship Programmes.

Advance comparative dialogue on lifelong learning in migratory contexts across UK–Netherlands–Uganda and wider African perspectives.
Identify recurring challenges, enabling conditions, and context-specific differences to inform research, policy, and practice.
Develop concrete opportunities for collaboration towards a joint research proposal and future funding.
Strengthen mutual learning across African and European settings through shared activities and outputs

Thematic Areas

Our work explores three interconnected themes at the intersection of lifelong learning and migration:

Theme 1: Lifelong learning for older adult migrants and diasporic engagement
This theme explores how lifelong learning may support older adult migrants and diaspora communities, with attention to inclusion, gender, and community participation across different national contexts.

Theme 2: Migrant youth transitions into education and work
This theme examines how education, training, and skills development shape young migrants’ transitions into employment and wider social participation.

Theme 3: International student and high-skilled migrant mobility
This theme considers how international students and high-skilled migrants experience and negotiate education, skills recognition, and labour market integration.

Questions?

For further information about the project, please contact Dr Alicia Bowman, Project Lead (University of Nottingham), at Alicia.Bowman@nottingham.ac.uk