George K. Zarifis
Professor of Continuing Education, School of Philosophy and Education, Faculty of Philo, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
George K. Zarifis is an Assistant Professor of Continuing Education in the Department of Pedagogy (School of Philosophy & Pedagogy, Faculty of Philosophy), of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He received his first degree from the Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology in the same University (1993). After he was awarded a grant from the Greek State, he continued his studies in the University of Warwick, Department of Continuing Education, where he received his MA in International and Comparative Studies in Continuing Education (1995) and his PhD in Continuing Education (2000). His area of expertise is Continuing Education with specific interest in the development of educational methodologies for accommodating adult learning. His research interests focus on the study of adult participation in organised educational and training activities, and the comparative examination of NVAE, VET and CPD policies and practices in South-Eastern Europe and the Balkans. He is an elected member of the ESREA (European Society for Research on the Education of Adults) Steering Committee, and he is the convenor of the ESREA Research Network on Adult Educators, Trainers and their Professional Development (ReNAdET) that is entirely devoted to the adult educator and trainer in Europe. The scope of the network (http://www.esrearenadet.net ) is to provide an ongoing forum for adult educators, trainers and practitioners from a range of disciplines and professional settings whether formal or non-formal (such as further education, VET and adult learning settings, counselling & guidance authorities, higher education and other academic settings, learning organizations and working environments), to contemplate, discuss, reflect and debate issues in relation to their education & training, professional development, roles & effective practices, recruitment, employment situation and working conditions. He is participating in the ECVET National Team of Experts and he is a member of the scientific committee for the establishment and operation of LLL centres in Greece. He has published extensively in major academic journals. His latest book published by Springer is an edited volume with the title “Challenging the ‘European Area of Lifelong Learning’: a critical response”.