Testimonials

Luis Carro brings over 35 years of distinguished experience as a professor specializing in research methodology in education and career guidance. His work primarily focuses on initial teacher training and adult education, where he has demonstrated profound expertise and commitment. He has a strong track record in managing the research group on “Professional Qualifications, Employability, and Social Entrepreneurship.” His leadership in this area highlights his capacity for handling complex research initiatives and fostering academic excellence. In 2008, Luis founded the Spanish Observatory of Validation of Professional Competences, a pioneering institution in Spain. Since its inception, he has been an active participant in numerous conferences and has successfully supervised over 15 doctoral theses and numerous other final dissertations focused on the validation processes of prior learning. Luis is member of the EBSN EC since 2024.

Damian Fäh is a certified education and training manager with seven years of experience in various fields of adult education. He is currently an innovation manager and product developer for Flying Teachers in the fields of basic skills provision, German as a second language and teacher-training. In this function, he is involved, as a consultant, in the modernization of the fide teacher-training modules, the subject of his presentation at this year’s conference. He is also an active teacher-trainer in EUROLTA, SVEB and fide certificate courses, and in basic skills trainings focusing on digital literacy. Before his current position, he managed an integration program for adult refugees, where he developed content, curricula and quality management processes for German, intercultural competence and job-application training and also worked as a trainer in these subjects. Damian is member of the EBSN EC since 2023.

Cäcilia Märki has been working for the Swiss Association for Continuing Education (SVEB) since 2012. She is responsible for the SVEB’s basic skills department. Workplace basic skills is an important focus of her activities, along with the support of professional networks and policy development, the professionalisation of trainers and international cooperation in the area of basic skills. Cäcilia is member of the EBSN EC since 2017.

Sam Duncan is currently an Associate Professor in Adult Education and Literacies at the UCL Institute of Education in London, where is she also Co-Director of the International Literacy Centre, Co-Director of the Centre for Post-14 Education and Work and Academic Head of Learning and Teaching for the Department of Education, Practice and Society. Sam’s background is as an adult literacies and language teacher, and since 2005, she has been working in teacher education and literacies research. She is the author of Reading Circles, Novels and Adult Reading Development (Bloomsbury/Continuum, 2012) and Reading for Pleasure and Reading Circles for Adult Emergent Readers (NIACE, 2014). Her most recent research project has been published in the Routledge Literacies series as the book Oral Literacies: When Adults Read Aloud (2021), and Sam is currently exploring the nature and development of the expertise of adult literacies practitioners. Sam is member of the EBSN EC since 2021.

Alex Stevenson is a Head of Programme at Learning and Work Institute (L&W), leading the organisation’s research and development work on adult basic skills and learning in communities.  Alex has worked on a range of projects for clients including the Department for Education, the Home Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Greater London Authority.  Alex’s recent basic skills projects include advising the Government on the feasibility of an online basic skills checker, producing new ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teaching and learning resources for refugees with limited literacy skills, and resources to support volunteers with the delivery of non-formal English language conversation clubs.  He led L&W’s development work on the Citizens’ Curriculum, and currently leads a project in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, which explores how the Citizens’ Curriculum can benefit residents with long-term health conditions. Before joining L&W, Alex taught, managed and developed adult basic skills and ESOL provision for over 13 years. Alex is an executive board member at the European Association for the Education of Adults and an executive committee member at the European Basic Skills Network. Alex is member of the EBSN EC since 2020.

Pedagogue and capacity building trainer, working on Lifelong Learning and ERASMUS Programs. Specialised in crimial correctional justice, with targetted interventions in the role of practitioners delivering learning contexts. Since 2006 working in the CPIP Team as project developer and fund raise. Active advocate for the adult education sector and for the recognition of educational sciences in the sector. Daiana is member of the EBSN EC since 2023.

Luis Carro brings over 35 years of distinguished experience as a professor specializing in research methodology in education and career guidance. His work primarily focuses on initial teacher training and adult education, where he has demonstrated profound expertise and commitment. He has a strong track record in managing the research group on “Professional Qualifications, Employability, and Social Entrepreneurship.” His leadership in this area highlights his capacity for handling complex research initiatives and fostering academic excellence. In 2008, Luis founded the Spanish Observatory of Validation of Professional Competences, a pioneering institution in Spain. Since its inception, he has been an active participant in numerous conferences and has successfully supervised over 15 doctoral theses and numerous other final dissertations focused on the validation processes of prior learning. Luis is member of the EBSN EC since 2024.

Damian Fäh is a certified education and training manager with seven years of experience in various fields of adult education. He is currently an innovation manager and product developer for Flying Teachers in the fields of basic skills provision, German as a second language and teacher-training. In this function, he is involved, as a consultant, in the modernization of the fide teacher-training modules, the subject of his presentation at this year’s conference. He is also an active teacher-trainer in EUROLTA, SVEB and fide certificate courses, and in basic skills trainings focusing on digital literacy. Before his current position, he managed an integration program for adult refugees, where he developed content, curricula and quality management processes for German, intercultural competence and job-application training and also worked as a trainer in these subjects. Damian is member of the EBSN EC since 2023.

Cäcilia Märki has been working for the Swiss Association for Continuing Education (SVEB) since 2012. She is responsible for the SVEB’s basic skills department. Workplace basic skills is an important focus of her activities, along with the support of professional networks and policy development, the professionalisation of trainers and international cooperation in the area of basic skills. Cäcilia is member of the EBSN EC since 2017.

Sam Duncan is currently an Associate Professor in Adult Education and Literacies at the UCL Institute of Education in London, where is she also Co-Director of the International Literacy Centre, Co-Director of the Centre for Post-14 Education and Work and Academic Head of Learning and Teaching for the Department of Education, Practice and Society. Sam’s background is as an adult literacies and language teacher, and since 2005, she has been working in teacher education and literacies research. She is the author of Reading Circles, Novels and Adult Reading Development (Bloomsbury/Continuum, 2012) and Reading for Pleasure and Reading Circles for Adult Emergent Readers (NIACE, 2014). Her most recent research project has been published in the Routledge Literacies series as the book Oral Literacies: When Adults Read Aloud (2021), and Sam is currently exploring the nature and development of the expertise of adult literacies practitioners. Sam is member of the EBSN EC since 2021.

Alex Stevenson is a Head of Programme at Learning and Work Institute (L&W), leading the organisation’s research and development work on adult basic skills and learning in communities.  Alex has worked on a range of projects for clients including the Department for Education, the Home Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Greater London Authority.  Alex’s recent basic skills projects include advising the Government on the feasibility of an online basic skills checker, producing new ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teaching and learning resources for refugees with limited literacy skills, and resources to support volunteers with the delivery of non-formal English language conversation clubs.  He led L&W’s development work on the Citizens’ Curriculum, and currently leads a project in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, which explores how the Citizens’ Curriculum can benefit residents with long-term health conditions. Before joining L&W, Alex taught, managed and developed adult basic skills and ESOL provision for over 13 years. Alex is an executive board member at the European Association for the Education of Adults and an executive committee member at the European Basic Skills Network. Alex is member of the EBSN EC since 2020.

Pedagogue and capacity building trainer, working on Lifelong Learning and ERASMUS Programs. Specialised in crimial correctional justice, with targetted interventions in the role of practitioners delivering learning contexts. Since 2006 working in the CPIP Team as project developer and fund raise. Active advocate for the adult education sector and for the recognition of educational sciences in the sector. Daiana is member of the EBSN EC since 2023.