5th International Conference on Philosophy of Education and Critical Pedagogy brought researchers together at PUCRS
Photos: Bruno Todeschini
PUCRS was home to the 5th International Conference on Philosophy of Education and Critical Pedagogy, promoted by the Graduate Program in Education (PPGE) in partnership with Brazilian and International institutions. This has been its first edition outside of the United Kingdom. Previous editions occurred in the cities of Liverpool and Winchester.
The event, held on June 27 – 28, congregated researchers to share experiences and insights in the area of Philosophy of Education and Critical Pedagogy. The congress has served to advance cooperation opportunities between peers. The program featured the following international guests: Judith Suissa, from University College London (UK), Professor Carl Safstrom, from National University of Ireland (Ireland), and Professor Sharon Todd, from Maynooth University (Ireland). The guests discussed education, politics and democracy in an effort to address modern contemporary issues and their impact on learning environments.
Education, democracy and conflict
Canadian professor Sharon Todd delivered the lecture Facing conflict educationally: Democracy, subjectification and the senses. She discussed pluralism in society and how cultural differences have created tensions in educational settings. In her view, conflicts are inevitable in the classrooms, but this should not be seen as something negative. “Conflicts involve experiences and realities, rather than just problems that need to be addressed,” she commented.
Sharon presented what is known as “dilemma” of education: to advance an educational environment where pluralism can flourish, but subjectivities can survive. The Canadian faculty also drew attention to how the basic senses are directly associated with our society and make us share the world in a unique way.
Lastly, she warned education professionals about the importance of facing conflicts in an educational way. “Pluralism means living with conflicts. We need to bear in mind that individuals should not tolerate others, but tolerate the fact that we may have disagreements with other people, ” she added.
Collaboration networks
Photo: Thais Gonçalves
The head coordinator of the event and PPGE professor Dr Alexandre Anselmo Guilherme was happy about the opportunity of having the event being held at PUCRS. “It was very important to bring this event to Brazil. It made it possible for us to share important practices with renowned international partners. We can strengthen our relationship with the Institute of Education, University College London and the Center for Public Education and Pedagogy, National University of Ireland – Maynooth, and bring our research and internationalization processes to a higher level, “he added.
International cooperation
Professors Judith Suissa, Carl Safstrom and Sharon Todd also had a meeting at the Office for International Cooperation. They had the chance to learn more about the efforts of internationalization of the University, and assessed future perspectives of research.
