Educational Research at BTU gains International Recognition

The invitation by the German Educational Research Association (DGfE) and the strong interest shown by international experts highlight the growing international significance of educational research from Brandenburg and the BTU.

The conference took place from 26 to 30 October 2025 on the campus of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), in cooperation with the 42nd National Conference of ANPEd. Its theme was “Neoconservatism in the World and Education in the Face of Sociopolitical-Ecological Violence.”

The graduate programme, funded by the European Union and the State of Brandenburg, was established at BTU in February 2025 and acquired by Prof. Dr. Juliane Noack Napoles, who leads it academically. Under her coordination, the doctoral researchers Annegret Martin, Iris Pamp, and Renata Shamsutdinova travelled to Brazil to present their research. The trip was supported by gender equality funds.

A central contribution of the programme was the accepted symposium “Rethinking Adult Literacy: Beyond Stigmatization.” It addressed how basic education and literacy can be understood as social, cultural, and emotional practices. Normative educational discourses, such as those reflected in the 2023 PIAAC study, were critically examined.

The research team demonstrated how linguistic constructions of “sufficient” literacy shape societal expectations and may foster experiences of shame. The eudaimogenetic perspective provided the theoretical framework, placing flourishing life and sustainability at the centre.

The President-Elect of the World Education Research Association (WERA), Professor Dr. Joe O’Hara (Dublin City University), praised BTU’s contribution:
“I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Enabling Flourishing Life through Basic Education and Literacy symposium organised by the BTU group at the WERA conference in João Pessoa. It was original, challenging and led me to rethink not only my understanding of literacy but also to engage with the powerful concept of flourishing. I hope to stay in touch with the research emerging from this study and look forward to attending sessions at future WERA conferences.”

Prof. Dr. Juliane Noack Napoles emphasises the importance of international exchange:
“Our presence at the WERA Focal Meeting 2025 demonstrated that educational research from Brandenburg is gaining international visibility. For the doctoral researchers in particular, the exchange with experts from around the world was an enriching experience that opened up new perspectives and collaborations.”

Doctoral researcher Iris Pamp also reflects enthusiastically:
“This research trip was an incredibly intense and enriching experience. The international exchange has inspired me to rethink my perspectives on education and inclusion and has shown how essential it is to critically reflect on pedagogical assumptions. Being part of this scientific community is both a great honour and a strong motivation.”

The exchange with researchers from Latin America, particularly in connection with Paulo Freire’s emancipatory understanding of education, opened up new perspectives on educational inequality, participation, and justice. The participation of the GrAl graduate programme in the WERA Focal Meeting 2025 represents an important step toward increasing the international visibility of educational research at BTU.

For further information on GrAl and its research projects, Prof. Dr. Juliane Noack Napoles is available.