Elected as a replacement for Beate Gferer at the GA 2012.
Dr. Gerhard Bisovsky
Born in 1956, Studies in Political Science, Dissertation on state adult education policy in Austria.
Working in Austrian adult education since 1985, from 1996-2012 director of the newly founded Volkshochschule Meidling (Adult Education Centre) which is one of the biggest centres in Vienna. Since April 2012 general secretary of the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres (Verband Österreichischer Volkshochschulen). Since 2009 Leader of the network «Education Guidance and Counselling in Vienna» (Bildungsberatung in Wien) in which the most important institutions of adult education are working together and realizing independant educational and career guidance.
Training of adult educators (teachers, managers and counseillors) since many years, teaching adult education at the Universities of Graz, Vienna, Klagenfurt and Bielefeld.
Member of many committees, for instance Grundtvig Working Group (Brussels, 2000-2001), reform of access courses (Zweiter Bildungsweg) (Vienna, 2007-2010), preparation of the vocational matriculation examination (Berufsreifeprüfung) for the central school leaving examination (Zentralmatura), working group on the National Qualification Framework (Vienna, 2008-2010), member of many project teams in Vienna´s adult education centres.
Since 1995 realization of European projects, partner in many European projects, lastly promotor of QuADEC (Quality Assurement and Development in Educational Counselling) and U.N.I.C. (Understanding the Needs of older people, Improving methods and Creating new ones).
Competences
Profound knowledge of practice of adult education
Themes and activities: participation in adult education, equality and inequality, inclusion, methodology and didactics e-learning, theory of adult education Access Courses (to Higher Education), implementation of didactical innovation, European Qualification Framework.
