Staff / Faculty

Nigel Glenny

Teaching & Learning with HECUA Students

A man from Guatemala once told me “You will always need to return home.  When you have a child you will want them to know the place that made you who you are.” 

I could understand why he thought Northern Ireland was important to me - we were attending an international conference and had just delivered ‘passionate’ presentations on issues relating to young people and Civic participation in our respective countries.   

But, I was not as sure ‘home’ meant so much to me - at the end of the conference I was flying back to Northern Ireland only to pack my bags and get as far away from the place as possible.  My entire life had been shaped by the conflict in Northern Ireland:  relationships, education and now work.  Having tried to ‘make a difference’, I wondered if it was time to ‘move on’.

Three years later, I am back ‘home’ having just completed my first semester as Programme Director for the ‘Northern Ireland:  Democracy and Social Change’ Programme.  So what happened?

Well I did ‘get away’.  My wife and I travelled around the world and experienced as much of it as we could.  Being away from Northern Ireland I embraced new spaces but I also gained something unexpected - many of these new places, people and events challenged my understanding of the issues presented at home. These experiences caused me to deeply reflect on a number of things for the first time.  I returned to Northern Ireland with more questions than ever.  I was also much more critical of some of the ‘answers’ I had been offering before I left.

To question is to be in good company - “Anyone who isn’t confused here doesn’t really understand what is going on” is a quote often used to illustrate the complexities of understanding life in Northern Ireland.

But understanding Northern Ireland, its violent past and the potential for a peaceful future is the incredible task HECUA students engage in.

‘Northern Ireland Democracy and Social Change’ like all HECUA programmes, is about ‘real world’ learning.  Students who come here engage in real problems and work in relationship with real people who are attempting to affect real social change.

The community is our classroom and it is here that we ‘develop knowledge together’.

So, as someone who came ‘home’ wanting to understand more, it is easy to see why I find working with HECUA students incredibly rewarding.  The students ‘teach’ those who work with them so much.  Their perspective and insight into life in Northern Ireland is exceptionally valuable.  The importance of this cannot be overstated, especially for the context in which I work.  Key to the success of attempts being made to move out of violent conflict and into peace, is learning how to listen to and value ‘the other’s’ view.

Have I any other motivations to stay here and ‘teach’?  One week after I was offered the position of Programme Director our first child was born – it would appear my Guatemalan friend was right after all!

My Research and Current Projects

In addition to my role as Programme Director for the Northern Ireland HECUA programme, I am Lecturer in International Education and Development with the UNESCO Centre, School of Education, University of Ulster. 

The UNESCO Centre undertakes research, teaching and development on Education for Pluralism, Human Rights and Democracy.  Core themes:

1. Formal Education, Integration and Segregation
2. Civic Responsibility and Citizenship
3. International Development
4. Education, Conflict and Reconciliation.

Work that I will be doing on these themes through teaching and research will contribute to the HECUA Programme in a number of ways.  I am currently working on projects that are deepening work with community partners and developing international connections. 

I am interested in civic engagement, understandings of this and initiatives designed facilitate it.  With particular reference to Northern Ireland, I am interested in the civic mission of universities, the public, community and faith sectors and how local-global connections could be utilized to facilitate civic engagement and good community relations.

Presentations and Publications

Resume / CV