Rob Mark

Main profile

Honorary Professor

School of Education

University of Glasgow

Glasgow

United Kingdom

Summary biography:

Rob Mark is an Honorary Professor of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Glasgow. He holds the post of Learning Cities Coordinator for the PASCAL Observatory which is focused on Place Management, Social Capital and Lifelong Learning within the School of Education. Learning City Networks (LCNs) are interactive policy-orientated groups of stakeholders within cities, sharing ideas and experience-directed and innovative responses to big issues confronting cities, and were first launched in May 2014. He has also recently been an Expert Adviser to two European-funded projects ( HORIZON & ERASMUS +) and is currently an Expert Adviser to the HORIZON META Museum Cultural Heritage Project. He is also a member of the ASEM - Asia Europe Education & Research Hub for Lifelong Learning and the Irish Higher Education and Lifelong Learning Network HELLIN, for which he is a founding member.

Previously, Rob was Head of the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Strathclyde, and Director of Education and Research at Queen’s University Belfast. He also worked in schools, further and higher education sectors and in community and voluntary provision.

He was formerly an Honorary Researcher at the Higher Education Research Centre (HERC) at Dublin City University and Vice Chair of the University Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) in the UK. He was for many years editor of the Adult Learner Journal, for the Adult and Community Learning Association (AONTAS) in Ireland and member of the Steering Committee of the European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN). He has held posts as Head of Lifelong Learning at the University of Strathclyde and Director of Research and Lifelong Learning at the Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Staff Profile

Dr Mark's research interests focus on the broad field of education and lifelong learning. He has contributed to research and teaching in the following areas: policy and practice in European and international contexts, access to higher education, teacher education and community learning, literacy and social justice. He has coordinated a range of European-funded projects including Adult Learning and Participating in Education (ALPINE) and Literacy & Equality in Irish Society (LEIS) and has contributed to projects on age-friendly university, inter-generational learning and older men’s learning.

Working in cooperation with the European Museum's Academy he has made input into European-funded research projects in the field of museums and heritage and as an invited Expert Adviser to several Lifelong learning projects.

Selected Publications:

Mark, R. & Dragomirova, I. (2023) Challenges and Opportunities for Lifelong Learning in Universities Resulting from Ukrainian Migration Chapter 18 p255-269 in ‘Adult Education and Social Justice: International Perspectives’, Slowey, M; Hinzen, H; Omolewa, M; & Osborne, M (eds).Firenze University Press ISSN 2704-596X (print)

Mark, R. (2021) Promoting age-friendly universities that engage new groups of adults p233-249 in ‘Learning for a Better Future: Perspectives on Higher Education, Cities, Business & Civil Society’ Venter, M. & Hattingh, S. (eds) Centre for Local Economic Development Vol.1. AOSIS Open Access. Book Publishing, South Africa Learning for a Better Future: Perspectives on Higher Education, Cities, Business & Civil Society | AOSIS Scholarly Books

Mark, R. (2020) Men’s Learning in Sheds – A new kind of study circle for those who might be excluded from learning p 40- 47 in Duke, C. & Hinzen, H. (Eds.) (2020) Voluntary-based study circles and related municipal policies: international best practices. CR&DALL WP701/2020, CR&DALL, Glasgow (UK).

Mark, R. (2018) Promoting age-friendly universities which are sustainable and open to all: a new challenge for the academy? Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 20(2), pp. 169-183. (doi: 10.5456/WPLL.20.2.169)

Mark, R., Bissland, V. and Hart, L. (2016) Unlocking potential for later-life learning: engaging adults in their own learning in a university setting. A case study from Scotland. In: Field, J., Schmidt-Hertha, B. and Waxenegger, A. (eds.) Universities and Engagement: International Perspectives on Higher Education and Lifelong Learning. Routledge. ISBN 9781138824430

Findsen, B. and Mark, R. (2016) Older adult education in two universities: a comparison in the New Zealand and Scottish contexts. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 22(1), pp. 6-28. (doi: 10.1177/1477971416630130)

Talmage, C. A., Mark, R., Slowey, M. and Knopf, R. C.(2016) Age friendly universities and engagement with older adults: moving from principles to practice.International Journal of Lifelong Education, 35(5), pp. 537-554. (doi: 10.1080/02601370.2016.1224040)

Golding, B., Mark, R. and Foley, A. (Eds.) (2014) Men Learning through Life. National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education: Leicester. ISBN 9781862010

Finn, J., Mark, R., Royo, C. and de Viron, F. (2014) Bridges between Research and Practice in University Lifelong Learning: Policy Report and Recommendations on behalf of the DIALOGUE Consortium. Other. European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN), Barcelona.

Mark, R. and Golding, B. (2012) Fostering social policies for engagement of older men in learning and improvement of their health and wellbeing.International Journal of Education and Ageing, 2(3),