About

Vladena is pursuing a PhD in Adult Education at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where she is a member of Brussels Research Centre for Innovation in Learning and Diversity. In her doctoral research, she explores an intersection of mobile learning with audio modality and the development of transferable skills in higher education context. Future endeavors should focus on scaling up competency development of integrative negotiation, conflict transformation, and collaborative problem-solving. Vladena works as a Researcher at the Sport and Cognition Department at the Sports Sciences Institute at Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. Her current projects integrate competency development (Disciplinary Discourse, Critical Thinking, Conflict Transformation and Integrative Negotiation) in Master and Bachelor courses. Whenever possible, she leverages Physically Active Learning and interventions fostering learners’ growth mindset. Teaching is an important source of motivation and learning for Vladena. At the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at VUB, Vladena contributed to instructional design and delivery of a flagship M.Ed. course - Educational Change and Innovation, and facilitated course modules targeting development of creativity, collaborative problem solving, and negotiation competencies. As a Community Teaching Assistant, Vladena supported teachers and school leaders in several MOOCs of Massachusetts Institute of Technology on edX, e.g. in 'Design Thinking for Leading and Learning', and 'Launching Innovation in Schools' - delivered by Teaching Systems Lab. As a guest Lecturer Vladena delivered a module ‘Management of Educational Change – Social Change’ for ICT in Education Program at Institute for Advanced Teacher Training (IOL) in Suriname. Vladena became passionate about Democratic Education, Citizenship and Inclusion while working on Teacher Professional Development with a Czech NGO - People in Need. Within the project ‘With Inquiry towards Democratic Values’ she collaborated with teachers of Civics and Social studies on design and implementation of learning games for primary and secondary school learners. Vladena is interested in social change via educational change and lifelong learning. She perceives development of negotiation and conflict transformation competency as key to supporting and fostering democracy, inclusion and sustainability - via skillset, mindset and actions of empowered individuals and communities.

Research Interests

Citizenship, Civil Society, Cleavages, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Democracy, Democratisation, Development, Gender, Political Participation, Political Psychology, Social Justice, Coalition, Methods, Negotiation, Qualitative, Quantitative, Education, Climate Change, Communication, Competence, Decision Making, Higher Education, Activism, Influence, Refugee, Youth

Current/Upcoming Events

Standing Groups and Research Networks

• Democratic Innovations
• Teaching and Learning Politics
• Critical Peace and Conflict Studies
• Political Communication
• Participation and Mobilisation
• Knowledge Politics and Policies
• Citizenship
• Affective Polarization
• Gender and Politics