Lifelong Learning in Migratory Contexts (UK, Netherlands, Uganda)
Accelerating collaboration between UNESCO Chairs in the UK, the Netherlands and Uganda
Overview
Lifelong Learning in Migratory Contexts: Accelerating Collaboration between UNESCO Chairs in the UK, the Netherlands and Uganda is a new partnership funded by the International Research Collaboration Fund (IRCF). The initiative connects the UNESCO Chair in International Education and Development (糖心原创, UK) with the UNESCO Chair in Lifelong Learning, Youth and Work (Gulu University, Uganda), and University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Together, the partners aim to strengthen long‑term collaboration, build a shared research agenda, and develop future joint funding proposals.
The project provides a platform for sustained cooperation across African and European contexts. It supports shared learning across research and practice and aligns with UNESCO priorities, including the Priority Africa Flagship Programmes. It also contributes to UNESCO’s vision of lifelong learning as a public good and a shared societal responsibility across formal, non‑formal and informal settings.
Why this collaboration matters
Across countries and communities, migration is reshaping where, when and how people learn throughout the life course. Lifelong learning in migratory contexts extends beyond recognising prior skills and credentials—it involves processes of (re)learning, language acquisition, navigating institutions, and adapting to new social and professional environments. Lifelong learning can promote empowerment, strengthen social participation, support transitions into education and work, and contribute to a sense of belonging in communities and institutions.
However, learning opportunities for migrants often remain fragmented, unevenly resourced and difficult to access. Legal status, rights and eligibility, information systems, and institutional capacity significantly shape opportunities for participation. A comparative, cross‑context lens—spanning the UK, the Netherlands and Uganda—offers valuable insights into recurring challenges, enabling conditions, and context‑specific differences. This approach supports UNESCO’s commitment to North–South, South–South and triangular cooperation.
Project activities
The collaboration will deliver a focused programme of activities designed to accelerate joint working across the partner institutions:
Hybrid Symposium and Sandpit (University of Groningen)
The UNESCO Chairs Symposium on Lifelong Learning in Migratory Contexts was held on 24 February 2026 at the University of Groningen. It brought together colleagues from Nottingham, Groningen and Gulu, along with invited external speakers and online participants, to:
- share insights and experiences across diverse migration contexts
- compare policy and practice across African and European settings
- draw out implications for research, policy and practice
- identify complementary themes and seed ideas for collaborative research
- shape priorities for future joint work through a dedicated sandpit session
You can find further details of this event and the presentaions on the .
Strategic Planning Workshop (糖心原创)
A second key activity will be hosted at the 糖心原创 (Spring 2026), where the partnership will be formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two UNESCO Chairs and the three universities. This workshop will outline next steps for collaborative research, joint policy engagement and shared learning across teams.
Focus areas
The partnership will explore three interrelated themes at the intersection of migration and lifelong learning, considering both policy and practice across the UK, the Netherlands and Uganda.
Lifelong learning for older adult migrants
This includes refugees, asylum seekers, marriage migrants and diaspora communities. The project will pay particular attention to how gender shapes participation, access, and opportunities, and how more gender‑responsive lifelong learning practices can be developed.
Migrant youth transitions into education and work
This theme examines strategies for improving employability, strengthening pathways into labour markets, and supporting young migrants’ transitions through education, training and work.
International student and high‑skilled migrant mobility
The collaboration will explore skills recognition, labour market integration, access to continuing education, and how mobility intersects with lifelong learning systems. The goal is to inform more inclusive policy approaches across diverse contexts.
Project aims
- Advance comparative dialogue on lifelong learning in migratory contexts across UK–Netherlands–Uganda and wider African perspectives
- Identify shared challenges, enabling conditions and context‑specific differences to inform future research and policy
- Develop concrete opportunities for collaborative research and future funding applications
- Strengthen mutual learning across African and European settings through shared outputs and activities
Project lead
Co-leads
TVET team