University of Glasgow Emeritus Professor of Education Eric Wilkinson gave a keynote address at the 3rd International Conference on Gynaecology, Obstetrics, Paediatrics and Neonatology, held in Dubai, from 20-21 November 2023.

The lecture was entitled Post-modernism, the Education of Young Children and the Global Citizen, and the abstract is published below:

Academics and some administrators now acknowledge that the social and economic consequences that have emerged from the Age of Modernity, which emerged in the 18th century are now seriously affecting the well-being of Planet Earth. The potential catastrophic effects of global warming, pollution, species extinction, widening income inequality and ageing are of axiomatic importance for our future. The challenge to Education is enormous. A radical transformation of the curriculum and pedagogy for young children is now urgently needed to re-shape children’s mind-set in terms of their social attitudes and social behaviour. However, the adoption of postmodernist concepts in the teaching and learning in educational settings are still in their infancy, especially in early childhood education and care where many argue that the principles of postmodernism are most needed. The focus of educating young children should be shifted from a focus on the ‘individual self’ to one where children learn to be located in social contexts with an emphasis on greater critical awareness, social responsiveness, social responsibility and social justice at a global level. This can only be achieved through a multi-professional approach to our engagement with families and young children. Health professionals have an important role to play in this endeavour.

As well as his emeritus position within School of Education at the University of Glasgow, Eric is also Adjunct Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education in the University of Taipei, Taiwan. His main research, publications and teaching interests are in Early Childhood Education, Educational Theory and Social justice. His recently published work has focused on post-modernism and the education of young children. He is a former President of the Scottish Educational Research Association and has been listed in Who’s Who in the World since 2005. He now teaches graduate students in the University of Taipei, and we are very pleased that he continues to maintain his contribution to the field of Education on behalf of this school and university.

First published: 6 December 2023

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