Staff Profile

Chris Duke is an Anglo-Australian, born in London, who studied at Cambridge University (BA hons, MA, CertEd) and King’s College London (PhD) as a historian and sociologist.   He qualified in Education, History and Sociology, he has since in Britain, Australia and New Zealand been a Professor of Adult and Continuing Education, later in Lifelong Learning, and University President of UWS Nepean: in turn at Woolwich Polytechnic now the University of Greenwich 1961-66;  the University of Leeds 1966-69;  the Australian National University 1969-85; the University of Warwick 1985-96; University of Western Sydney 1996-2000; University of Auckland 2000-2002; RMIT University Melbourne 2002-2007. His main experience is in Asia and Europe, with shorter periods in other world regions. He was Director HE for the UK national adult education organisation NIACE.  He is an Honorary Life Member of ASPBAE and ICAE. His final salaried position was Director and Professor of Lifelong Learning and Community and Regional Partnership RMIT.  He is currently Honorary Professor at the University of Glasgow and RMIT University, and he is active in civil society organisations and periodic consultancy.

With eight grandchildren in Australia and one in Thailand he divides his time between these countries, with homes in France and England.  Comparing life, culture and values in different countries is good lifelong learning.  French village life teaches much about indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Each country shows how differently and fast things change, and how difficult governments find it to keep up. He grew up in rural England among farm and gypsy communities, with German prisoners-of-war as adult friends, so learned multiculturalism early. He has also been a keen and traditional gardener from childhood. At the University of Leeds he worked with South Asian and Caribbean immigrants of the ‘Windrush generation’ in action research, applied social science doing as well as studying applied social science, and published with the Institute for Race Relations.

He has always worked for civil society-based democracy in local and global non-governmental organisations (NGOs or CSOs), and has held honorary leadership positions in UK and Australian as well as regional and international non-governmental or civil society organisations including ICAE (1978-85) and ASPBAE (1972-85).

Selected Publications: 

Duke, C. (2019) How central is the “principal mission” of the university today? In: Archer, W. and Schuetze, H. G.(eds.) Preparing Students for Life and Work.Brill: Leiden, pp. 1-16. ISBN 9789004393066 (doi: 10.1163/9789004393073_001)

Duke, C. (2018) Achieving LLL with the Sustainable Development Goals: what is needed to get things done? Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 58(3), pp. 503-520.

Duke, C. (2017) Crossing higher education borders: academic leadership in the learning university. In: Su, F. and Wood, M.(eds.) Cosmopolitan Perspectives on Academic Leadership in Higher Education.Series: Perspectives on leadership in higher education. Bloomsbury: London. ISBN 9781474223034

Duke, C. (2015) Development: global-local – a critical view. In: Gartenschlaeger, U. and Hirsch, E. (eds.) Adult Education in an Interconnected World: Cooperation in Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development. Series: International perspectives in adult education. DVV International: Bonn, pp. 238-245. ISBN 9783942755238

Duke, C. (2015) Lost soul or new dawn? Lifelong learning lessons and prospects from East Asia. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 21(1), pp. 72-88.(doi: 10.7227/JACE.21.1.6)

Duke, C. (2015) Queensland’s PURE tortoise: why taking longer can be better.In: Carlot, C., Filloque, J.-M., Osborne, M.and Welsh, P. (eds.) The Role of Higher Education in Regional and Community Development and in the Time of Economic Crisis. NIACE: Leicester, pp. 239-259. ISBN 9781862018907

Osborne, M. , Duke, C., Kitigawa, F. and Cheng, M. (2014) The internationalisation strategy of the University of Nottingham (UK) and the establishment of campuses in Asia. In: Study on Innovation in Higher Education: Annexes. Publications Office of the European Union: Luxembourg, pp. 2-22. ISBN 9789279350825

Duke, C., Osborne, M. and Wilson, B.(2013) A New Imperative: Regions and Higher Education in Difficult Times. Series: Universities and lifelong learning. Manchester University Press: Manchester. ISBN 9780719088308

Duke, C. (2012) Lifelong learning and the autumn of Europeanization in Asia.International Journal of Continuing 

Duke, C. (2012) ’Networking and Partnerships: Another Road to Lifelong Learning’. In R. Bagnall (Ed), International Handbook of Lifelong Learning (Second Edition). Dordrecht: Kluwer.

Duke, C. (2011) The Impact Debate - Hazards of Discourse in the UK. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 17(1), pp. 115-129. (doi: 10.7227/JACE.17.1.9)

Duke, C. (2009) Please, No More 'Business as Usual': What the harsh new world means for adult and higher education.Adult Education and Development, 72, pp. 171-184.

Duke, C. and Hinzen, H. (2009)Background note: a new effort for new times - steps in the long march to Belem.Adult Education and Development, 73, pp. 31-52.

Duke, C. (2008) Lifelong Learning, Asia and 'the South'. KEDI Journal of Educational Policy,

Duke, C. (2008) Regionalisation and higher education. Journal of Access Policy and Practice, 5(2), pp. 99-115.

Duke, C., Osborne, M. and Wilson, B.(2005) Rebalancing the Social and Economic: Learning Partnership and Place.National Institute of Adult Continuing Education: Leicester. ISBN 9781862012707