The King’s International Education Research Network (KIERN) explores key areas of international education.

The aim of the network is to bring together academics, researchers and research students across and beyond King’s to discuss critical questions about international education by means of an annual network meeting, a lecture series and a PhD programme. The network is based in the School of Education, Communication and Society (ECS), which is at the forefront of global research agendas in international education and runs a highly successful MA in international education.

Interdisciplinary research on international education at King’s considers historical, sociological, philosophical and psychological perspectives on education policy and practice in a global context. Researchers in the network address questions of culture, communication, cognition, social justice, governance and ethics. Specific research interests include:

• comparative studies of assessment and teacher development
• national and supranational education policies in the context of globalisation
• the influence of national and international organisations on global education ideologies
• postcolonial perspectives and hegemonic discourses in education
• global citizenship education
• global language planning and policy, including the linguistic, social and political implications of English as a global lingua franca
• critical perspectives on the internationalisation of higher education and staff and student mobility
• education in the anthropocene
• digital technologies and international education
• professional and vocational education
• education policy and practice in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

KIERN is a growing network of researchers with members from across King’s as well as from the School of Advanced Study (University of London), University College London, University of Oxford, University of Worcester and University of York working close to policy and practice. The network is always open to new members. Please get in touch with Dr Maren Elfert or Dr David Pepper if you would like to join.