• International Research Projects
• Partners

International Research Projects

Some of our current or recently completed international research projects, evaluation and consultancy work are here listed by topic:

Children as Decision Makers
Staff: Michele Schweisfurth, Chris Williams
Funding Agency: ESRC

Sustaining Democracy through the Professional Development of Teachers in the Gambia
Staff: Michele Schweisfurth, Clive Harber, Lynn Davies
Funding Agency: CfBT
Guidebook available from Sue Gallagher, CIER
Email: S.Gallagher@bham.ac.uk

Exploring Partnerships for Education for Democracy in Rwanda
Staff: Clive Harber, Michele Schweisfurth
Funding Agency: CfBT

Evaluation of Education for All (EFA) in Lebanon and Palestine
Staff: Chris Williams
Funding Agency: CfBT

Global Citizenship: the needs of teachers and learners
Staff: Lynn Davies, Clive Harber, Hiromi Yamashita
Funding Agency: DFID
Report and Keyfindings are available as downloads or from Sue Gallagher, CIER,
Email: S.Gallagher@bham.ac.uk

Education for Global Citizenship: case studies of good practice in Canadian Schools
Staff: Michele Schweisfurth
Funded/commissioned by: Government of Canada FRP

Information Technology in Education Management
Staff: Ian Selwood
Funding Agency: IFIP

Comparative Study of International Students' Intercultural Experiences
Staff: Michele Schweisfurth
Funding Agency: ESRC

Participation of Pupils in Decision-Making in School and Community
Staff: Lynn Davies, Chris Williams, Hiromi Yamashita
Funding Agency: Carnegie Foundation
Reports available on www.carnegieuktrust.og.uk
Inspiring Schools: Impact and outcomes
Inspiring schools: A Literature Review
Inspiring Schools: Case Studies for Change

Base-line study of Primary Education in Post-Conflict Angola
Staff: Lynn Davies
Funding Agency: Education Action International/CfBT

Evaluation of Street-working Children in Afghanistan
Staff: Chris Williams
Funding Agency: European Commission

Critical Teacher Education and Citizenship Education in England and South Africa
Staff: Clive Harber
Funding Agency: DEC

Global Review of UNESCO Associated schools
Staff: Lynn Davies, Clive Harber, Michele Schweisfurth
Funding Agency: UNESCO
Report available on UNESCO website: www.unesco.org  (go to networks, ASPnet, Global Review)

Research into the Inclusion of Children with Visual Impairment in Developing Countries
Staff: Steve McCall, Paul Lynch

Evaluation of programmes for Vulnerable Children, Liberia
Staff: Chris Williams
Funding Agency: OXFAM

Partners

The School of Education is an Associated School of UNESCO. Members of the Associated Schools Network (ASPnet) engage in projects to promote the UNESCO ideals peace, democracy, human rights and sustainable development. Our post-graduate initial teacher trainees are working in schools on UNESCO-related projects with the students, and in the School of Education we organize a UNESCO Film and Seminar series, where we discuss UNESCO themes through the medium of relevant films.

www: http://www.cewc.org/aspnet/profile

The School of Education has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Asia-Pacific Centre for International Understanding (APCIEU). This Centre is supported by UNESCO and is based in Seoul, South Korea. The MOU enables joint research and exchanges around the theme of international understanding and peace. APCIEU has a magazine Sangsaeng (mutual life, or living together) and the journal Education for International Understanding.

www: http://www.unescoapceiu.org

CIER also works with a number of different organisations in the international field:

The British Association for International & Comparative Education (BAICE)
The Centre has played a leading role in the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE), providing both Chairs and Secretaries. BAICE promotes teaching, research, policy and development in all aspects of international and comparative education. It is the British affiliate of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies but membership is open to all interested in international and comparative education, regardless of nationality or institutional affiliation.

www: http://www.baice.ac.uk

British Council
The British Council connects people worldwide with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK and builds lasting relationships between the UK and other countries. With the British Council, core staff collaborate on management training and act in an advisory capacity on issues such as citizenship education and human rights education.

www: http://www.britishcouncil.org/

British University in Dubai
The British University in Dubai (BUiD) was established in 2004 in partnership with leading UK universities. It is the Middle East region’s first research based, postgraduate university. The School of Education and the Centre for English Language Studies at Birmingham were selected to help develop BUiD’s Institute of Education, and have provided support in establishing the framework for its postgraduate degrees and its curriculum. Our formal association enables staff exchanges as well as quality assurance, and we are developing joint research in a number of education areas.

www: http://www.buid.ac.ae

CfBT
CfBT provides education for the public good and to promote a pro education culture. The needs of learners are our central concern. The work of teachers and how they relate to learners has been at the heart of CfBT's work for almost thirty five years. CIER collaborate with CfBT, who have funded some of the Centre's research on democracy and post-conflict and who also engage staff for consultancy work.

www: http://www.cfbt.com

College for International Citizenship
This College, based in Birmingham, provides short courses in citizenship for future young leaders from all over the world.  It aims to promote the fundamental values of human rights, peace, justice and responsible freedom, so that all people within a given society feel safe, secure, valued and equal. When the College first opened, a team from the School of Education wrote the curriculum for their modules, and we are still involved in being on their Board and providing inputs to courses.

www: http://www.cfic.org.uk

Department for International Development (DFID)
DFID is a UK Government department, working to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty. With Department for International Development (DFID), CIER staff engage in research and in consultancy work (for example on global citizenship, decentralisation, on gender planning and on development awareness).

www: http://www.dfid.gov.uk

Development Education Centre
With the Development Education Centre, Birmingham, we are collaborating on global citizenship education, and have been part of the West Midlands Commission on Global Citizenship - which seeks to raise awareness in the region of global responsibilities and rights, and to stimulate debate about the role of education. Their Teachers in Development Education (TIDE) network arranges study visits to developing countries and produces a range of school resources for development

www: http://www.tidec.org

InTrec
The School of Education is a member of InTREC (International Training, Research and Consultancy Consortium) , a consortium of six institutions in UK to provide training and consultancy internationally. Through InTREC, the School has been involved in study visits for educational administrators from Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and is currently participating in the upgrading of the teacher training college in Honaria, Solomon Islands.

www: http://www.intrec.co.uk

Sightsavers
Staff working in the field of visual impairment work closely with Sightsavers, who have funded a number of projects in developing countries. The International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) also act as partners in some of this research.

World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES)
This umbrella organization brings together all the international and comparative education societies globally, and hosts a major Congress every three years.  Lynn Davies is currently Chair of the Congress Standing committee for the next Congress, which will be held in Sarajevo in September 3-7 2007.  The theme of the Congress is ‘Living Together, Education and Intercultural Dialogue’.

www: http://www.wcces2007.ba