Today I arrived in London’s Heathrow Airport to then make my way to Oxford for the 8th International Conference on Human Resource Development Research and Practice across Europe, sponsored by Oxford Brookes University and held at The Oxford Hotel. With the time change and all the travel, I missed the opening keynote since I collapsed in the room and caught up on a little sleep. At least I made it to the Welcome Reception where I had a nice chat with Ken Bartlett from the University of Minnesota and the editor of Advances in Development Human Resources (ADHR), one of the journals sponsored by the Academy of HRD. I also spoke briefly with Darlene Russ-Eft, a colleague and co-presenter with my research-partner Robin Yap, as well as with Gary McLean, whose work I have read but whom I had not previously met.

Another conference, another nice group of dedicated professionals.

Technorati Tags: ahrd, ahrdoxford2007, globalisation, glocalisation

I have cast my net wide, and have spoken with a number of colleagues about the options for investigating this liveblogging research from last week’s AERC2007. I have had people mention auto ethnography, grounded theory, methods involved in the New Learning Initiative and in computer-mediated communication (CMC), Add a little bit about power and poisitonality within a conference, and there are some  juicy and appealing options.

While I am still processing what happened at the conference, there is another one (the last conference I am planning to attend this year) next week where I will be presenting. More about that one later.

Technorati Tags: aerc, aerc2007, autoethnography, computer-mediated communication, grounded theory, New Learning Initiative, adult education research conference

I came across SPEP, the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, while looking for something completely different. This seems so akin to my area of personal interest and research, though I have never heard of it before. Critical theory, post-structuralism, existentialism, phenomenology. Refreshing, huh?

I wonder how many other associations and organizations are also out there that fit my interests but somehow have not appeared on my radar?

Technorati Tags: critical theory, existentialism, post-structuralism, Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, SPEP, phenomenology

I have become more interested in philosophy recently, and spent some free time today looking around online to see what is going on in the area of philosophical research and continental philosophy, when what a surprise but to find a reference on the APA Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in the Profession Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in the Profession webpage for John Corvino, a classmate of mine during our undergraduate study years ago at St. John’s University. It seems John is quite prolific in his work in and around ethical theory. Small world after so many years of no contact.

Congratulations, John, on your recent tenure!

Technorati Tags: American Philosophical Association, APA, John Corvino, St. John’s University

The Chronicle of Higher Education (the Chronicle does not provide a permalink to the full article to non-subscribers, so sorry for the abbreviated link) reports that Antioch College, the undergraduate portion of the larger Antioch University, will close next year as the Board rethinks and plans for a new state-of-the-art campus to open in 2012.

While any institution that has been around for 154 years and has contributed their share of progressive policies to higher education and society (Horace Mann was the first president, and graduates include Coretta Scott King, Stephen Jay Gould, Rod Serling, Robert Krinsky (my former Chairman at The Segal Company), Clifford Geertz, Mary Belenky, and Warren Bennis) will be missed, perhaps this strategic rethinking of their work will ultimately increase their value and contribution. 

Technorati Tags: Chronicle of Higher Education, Clifford Geertz, Horace Mann , Mary Belenky, Robert Krinsky, Rod Serling, Antioch College, Warren Bennis