Hope and education

There has always been – and still is – a hope attached to education. Hope is the heart of the normativity of pedagogy and didactics: We are educating for a potentially better future. The question is which hopes exist today, and which hopes can meaningfully be linked to today’s school and education?

On the one hand, we invest our believes in the next generation. On the other hand, we fear the self-same generation. ‘What if they do not do what we hope for?’ Therefore, another question is: How can education and teaching provide future generations with new forms of hope, dreams, and ideals? How can communities of hope, in which plurality, equality and democracy are valued, be supported on a day-to-day basis in education? What are the limits of hope in and beyond education?
How can education cope with and possibly change the current pressure to perform in economical, productive, and measurable ways? Can education support hopeful ways to conceptualize the ‘good life’ in a world with inequality, climate change, and human suffering? How can researchers and educators contribute to inclusive social communities without systematically excluding certain groups and individuals?

In Memoriam – Professor Emerita Katrin Hjort

It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Professor, Emerita Katrin Hjort. She died peacefully at home surrounded by her beloved family in Vanløse, Copenhagen, on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at the age of 70. Katrin will be remembered for her critical approach to educational issues and profession studies and for always finding new forms of hope where you least would expect it. She is much loved by her family, friends, colleagues, and students. She was a key force in ensuring that NERA 2021 was placed at the University of Southern Denmark where she worked as a defining force in advancing educational research. She has always embodied a strong Nordic ethos in her research, and many NERA colleagues from the different Nordic countries will remember her as a driving force in numerous inspiring collaborations. She has looked forward to this year’s conference as a keynote speaker. Instead, we want to celebrate her work and her positive spirit and dreams for an educational world full of curiosity, enrichment and playfullness.  

Dion Rüsselbæk Hansen, Convenor, NERA 2021, colleague, and friend.

John Benedicto Krejsler, President of NERA, colleague, and friend