Educating for freedom
Jonathan Sacks: to defend a nation you need an army; to defend a civilisation you need education. How can young citizens be educated to understand the place of virtues, values and vigilance to maintain freedoms based on human dignity and freedom of conscience? How can education in post-communist lands overcome the legacy of homo sovieticus? of homo consumus and of homo secularus in western countries?

Chair: tbc

16:00 – 17:15:
Introduction
Ernst van den Hemel : Educating homo secularis
Drs Paul de Kloe: The Relational School
Drs Cees Akerboom: (tbc)
Discussion
Conclusions and prayer

Ernst van den Hemel (NL) is a scholar of religious studies and literature. After completing his PhD on literary dimensions in the work of John Calvin in 2011, he became a research Fellow at the Centre for the Humanities at University of Utrecht, where he lectures at the Religious Studies department. He also teaches at the ‘We Are Here Academy’, an unoffical academy for undocumented migrants in the Netherlands.

Paul de Kloe (NL) has had a varied career in education after studies at Utrecht University, as primary school teacher, tertiary level lecturer,  management coach and educationalist. He plans to promote the concept of Relational Thinking in Dutch educational circles.