George Koulaouzides
Hall of Fame Class of 2019
Known as a dedicated practitioner and scholar in Greece and Europe in the field of adult education, George A. Koulaouzides has contributed both to the practical development of the field and the advancement of the study and research of adult and continuing education.
Koulaouzides started his career as a mathematics lecturer and administrator at the Lifelong Learning Department of the American Farm School of Thessaloniki in 1993 where he became acquainted with extension education and community development. After graduating from the University of Surrey with an M.S. in Applied Professional Studies in Education and Training and from the University of Crete with a Ph.D. in Adult Education, Koulaouzides began working to revitalize adult education in his country and boost its further development when he assumed in 2001 a part-time post with the Hellenic Open University, which had recently started to offer courses in adult education. From that point, he dedicated his professional career to creating an open adult education community in Greece.
His efforts included translating internationally relevant books and articles in the field of adult education into Greek, creating awareness of the importance of the field. As a founding member of the Hellenic Adult Education Association, he organized international seminars and conferences and networking of the Hellenic Adult Education Association with major adult education organizations throughout Europe, significantly increasing the internationalization of adult education in Greece and the creation of networks of cooperation in Europe and the U.S.
As a member of the European Association for Adult Education, he has served as an important voice for adult education across southern Europe. His active engagement contributed to European networks, as well as southeastern European adult education partnerships. Through the Hellenic Adult Education Association, he has invited numerous prominent scholars in the field from Europe and the U.S. to lecture and share their views and experiences with the Greek audience.
He was the founding co-editor of the Greek Journal Εκπαίδευση Ενηλίκων(Adult Education) and served in that position for 12 years. In 2010, he was co-responsible for writing a report for the Office of the Prime Minister about lifelong learning in Greece and its development in the local administration level. That report led to the creation of the Municipal Centers of Lifelong Learning in Greece, with 200 centers for lifelong learning founded in Greece in 2011 as a result. That same year, he developed the Training of Trainers course for the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA) in Greece, through which he has taught thousands of adult educators and trainers.
Koulaouzides has been a tutor-counselor in adult education for the Hellenic Open University since 2001, a trainer of trainers for the Hellenic Adult Education Association since 2003, as well as Secretary General for the Municipality of Thermi. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Hellenic Adult Education Association and a member of the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults.