People
鈥�
Prof. Peter Mayo invited to speak at University of Porto about Popular Education
On Friday 3 July 2026, Prof. Peter Mayo from the Department of Arts, Open Communities, and Adult Education within the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta, and UNESCO Chair in Global Adult Education, delivered a talk at the University of Porto titled Popular Education: A ‘Southern’ Perspective.
A seminar took place on 3 July 2026 under the theme ‘Professional Activism in Inland Regions: Voices, Experiences, and Collective Action of Professionals for Social Transformation’. It aimed to share and discuss reflections on activist engagement in Portugal’s inland regions and fostering dialogue between the professionals and researchers participating in the project.
The programme included the presentation of the research developed by the CIIE/FPCEUP team, a round-table discussion on the experience of co-creating a Professional Activism Community of Practice, and the lecture by Prof. Peter Mayo.
The talk provided an overview of popular education across regions, including Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Euro-Mediterranean area (notably Italy, Portugal, and Spain), arguing that Southern Europe, especially Republican Spain and early post-revolution Portugal, may have helped shape earlier foundations of Latin American practices.
It highlighted recurring global features of popular education such as intergenerational and community-led learning, adaptability to local conditions, emphasis on community strengths over deficits, and its close ties to democratic and social justice movements.
More information can be found .
