Bonnie Slade

Professor Bonnie Slade is a Professor of Adult Education for Social Change at the University of Glasgow. Her work focuses on leveraging adult education as a tool for social justice and empowerment across workplace, higher education, and community contexts. She led the International Master in Adult Education for Social Change (2016–2024) and currently co-edits the Journal of Adult and Continuing Education. She sits on editorial boards for several journals including the International Journal of Lifelong Education and holds roles with organizations like the Universities Alliance on Lifelong Learning and PIMA (Promoting, Interrogating and Mobilising Adult Learning and Education).

Education:

• PhD in Adult Education, University of Toronto (2008)
• SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at York University (2008–2010)

Research Interests: Bonnie’s interdisciplinary research explores migration, labor market inclusion, gender/race intersections, and arts-informed methodologies. Her work critiques systemic barriers faced by racialized immigrants, particularly in professional sectors. Recent projects include studies on STEM student experiences in India/Rwanda and refugee integration through adult education.

Grants: Bonnie has secured funding for projects including the GCID Small Grants Fund (2023–2024), UKRI GCRF Gendered Journeys (2020–2023), and Leverhulme Trust projects on medical professional migration (2013–2016).

Supervision: Current PhD supervisees include Abimbola Abodunrin (Decolonizing HE) and Emily Thomson (Care Apprenticeships). Past students have pursued topics ranging from female engineering students in US evangelical contexts to training programs in Ontario’s nuclear sector.

Labs/Teams: Central to her work are collaborative initiatives like the Learner-Centred Education for Migrants project (2016–2020) and the interdisciplinary Gendered Journeys study.