Young people are increasingly leaving the small or medium-size communities (SMC’s) in which they were born and attended basic school. They go to the big cities for education, jobs or lifestyles. This is in the long run devastating for the SMC’s as well as for the fast growing big cities – but also for the quality of the young people’s 21st century learning and capacity building.

We are living in an era characterized by intense global mobility of people, artefacts, and ideas. During the last few years, with the current refuge situation, many adult educators in the Nordic countries have experienced how global interconnectedness affects their daily practices. Global migration, in general, triggers challenges and opens up new opportunities for adult learning. In sharp contrast to forced migration stands the privilege of the type of travel enjoyed by many people living in the Nordic countries.