Report - International Conference on LIFE LONG LEARNING (25th-27th March, 2017)

The International conference on Life long learning was  organized by Directorate of Distance Education  and Department of  Education &  Training MANUU, Hyderabad in collaboration with All India Association of Educational Research (AIAER) from 25th March to 27th March 2017. Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) is a Central University established at National Level in 1998 by an act of Parliament to promote and develop the Urdu language and to impart vocational and technical Education in Urdu medium through conventional and distance modes. The All India Association for Educational Research (AIAER) addresses itself to the problems of research in education in general but more attention is given to such problems from Indian perspective. 

The Vice Chancellor and the Pro-Vice Chancellor, MANUU were the Chief Patron and Patron of the Conference respectively. The Core Committee of the conference consisted of senior professors from Directorate of Distance Education and Department of Education and Training, lead by Prof. K. R. Iqbal, as Chairman and Prof. Mushtaq Ahmed I. Patel as Organising Secretary. An Organizing Secretariat was formed, to look after and conduct of the conference smoothly, which consisted of a Joint team of the University viz., Prof. Mushtaq Ahmed I. Patel as Organising Secretary, Dr. Shaheen Shaikh as  Conference Secretary,  Dr. Sameena Basu , Dr. V. S. Sumi and Mr. Sayyad Aman Ubed as Members.  This conference was the result of collective and tedious efforts of AIAER, Organizing committee members and various committee members of DDE and Department of Education and Training. 

Based on the objectives of AIAER the conference was meant to develop and promote educational research, to provide a forum for discussion of problems related to educational research, to conduct seminars, conferences etc. on educational research, to disseminate findings on educational research, to publish monographs and other types of literature on educational research and to co-operate with organizations engaged in educational research. 

The conference was designed into various sections such as introductory session, 2 plenary sessions, 1 virtual mode presentation, 10 technical sessions and a valedictory session. The conference started with Inaugural function presided over by Honorable vice chancellor of MANUU Dr. Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz and the Chief Guest Professor V. Sudhakar from English and Foreign languages University, Hyderabad. Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors of various Departments of MANUU along with delegates from various pats of the country have participated in this conference.

Prof. Sudhakar the chief guest in his keynote address said that the theme of the conference Life long education and lifelong learning has to be linked with globalization. Throwing light on the theme he told that capitalist countries have hegimonized the concept in different ways. He also added at present learning and education is beyond school and digital spaces are affecting lifelong learning and he emphasized to critically evaluate values in educational spaces to built human society.

Dr. Aslam Parvaiz, Honorable, Vice chancellor of MANUU in his presidential remarks said that sensitive person is against individualism and pro-humanistic. He insisted teacher educators to teach what to learn and what to unlearn and delink education with job.  He said the aim of education should be to make man sensitive to the surroundings and think for others. Hence, there is a need to reconstruct curriculum.

Approximately 74 papers were presented in the Conference which is broadly classified into seven subthemes, Dynamics of Education and Learning in Contemporary India, Gender, Education and Empowerment: Colonial and Post Colonial Patterns, Perspectives and Practices, Sky is Not the Limit: Exploring New Horizons through Open Distance Learning, Science, Arts and Language Education: Measuring Competencies and Outcomes, Aspects of Teacher Education: Current Practices and Future Prospects, Catching up with the Tides of Time: Application of Technology in Educational Practice and Emerging Trends in Education System with special reference to School Education in Modern South Asia. Delegates of the Conference comprise of Academicians, Teaching faculty and Research Scholars from Canada, Nepal, Bangladesh, United States of America, United Arab Emirates and from various states across India. From AIAER Prof. Mushtaq Ahmed I. Patel (Vice President), Dr. A. Ranganath (Vice President)  and  Dr. V. S. Sumi (Joint Secretary) also participated in the Conference in addition to large number of life members of the association.

There were chairpersons invited from various parts of the country. There was a virtual presentation by Sandra Poirier and Dr. D. Wooldridge from Middle Tennessee State University, USA on Assuring quality in Online Course delivery.  Rapporteurs of various technical sessions have coordinated with the chair persons in conduction of technical sessions smoothly. Among 74 presenters -68 have presented papers on ten themes. All the chairpersons after long deliberations reflected on the presentations, gave worthy suggestions to the participants.

Eminent educationists like Dr. Avulla Ranganath, Registrar, ICFAI,Tripura, Prof. Taruna Chaudhary, Principal, University College of Education, Kurukshetra University, Haryana, Prof. Jahitha Begum, Gandhigram Rurual University, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, Dr. Fiayaz, Regional Director, Regional Centre, IGNOU, Hyderabad and Prof, Ravindar Nath, Dean Academics, MANUU were also part of conference as resource persons and chairpersons of various sessions.

Valedictory session was presided over by Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, Pro Vice Chancellor, MANUU, Hyderabad and Chief Guest was Prof. Matiul Alam, former Professor at University of British Columbia.

Even though the conference was registration fee free, accommodation was provided to the delegates along with breakfast, working lunch and dinner in addition to tea and snacks. As a whole, from the deliberations it is seen that the three days conference has ignited the minds of the participants, gave opportunity to share their educational experiences, and re think about the concept of life long learning.