Ken Spours 2026

Ken Spours (Dr) is Distinguished Visiting Professor at Capital Normal University, Beijing; Honorary Professor at Tianjin University of Education and Technology; Professor Emeritus at UCL Institute of Education. His current work focuses on socialised generative AI systems, neo-Gramscian theory, social ecosystem thinking and progressive societal transformation.

He is an Associate of the democratic left think tank and pressure group Compass, Building a Good Society and Chair of the UK charity Friends of Amani, Tanzania, that supports mentally disabled children and their families in Morogoro, Tanzania.

k.spours@ucl.ac.uk

(+44) 07940 544408

(+86)

Ken Spours TED Talk

'An English Education Revolution' (2011)

This TED talk focused on the 'revolutionary' idea that English education should be free from ministerial political interference. Delivered in the aftermath of the Gove/Cummings 2010 Tory Education Act and New Labour's top-down managerial governance approach, it suggested that treating education like a 'political football' should be replaced by a 'partnership covenant' between governments and the education profession. Only this kind of collaboration can usher in a new era of both policy stability and innovation. While this message was delivered 15 years ago it remains highly relevant today as we think about ways of rebuilding an education system undermined by Conservative government policy and austerity and, more recently, the Labour Government's policy hesitancy and lack of vision.

Check back soon

Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.

Ken Spours 2026

Marxist Political-Economy-Ecological Thinking

Recent publications (click on titles for downloads)

CNU GenAI Development Programme 2026

CNU GenAI Collaborative Critical Praxis 2025 University GenAI Innovation Ecosystems

Socialised Generative Artificial Intelligence ​ ​

2. Antonio Gramsci 2.0 - a 21st-century reinterpretation of the foundational theoretical work of 20th-century Italian Marxist and Communist in the Age of the Anthropocene.

​

3. Socio-Political Ecosystem Thinking - new connective ways of thinking about political organisation and transformation in support of sustainable, democratic and socially just futures.​​ Social Ecosystem Framework 2.0 45-Degree Socio-Political Framework 2.0 45-Degree Mediation

Just Transition Social Ecosystem ​

Progressive Ecosystemic Temporal Model

​​ ​4. 21st Century Vocational Education and Training (VET) - analysis of the problems of neoliberal models of VET and alternative progressive models of vocational learning in response to global mega trends and polycrisis.

UK Education and Skills Policy

The Decline of English VET

Chinese VET Reforms

Global mega trends - implications for VET

Africa VET 4.0

​ ​ ​ ​​

CNU GenAI Collaborative Critical Praxis 2025
University GenAI Innovation Ecosystems

Socialised Generative Artificial Intelligence

3. Socio-Political Ecosystem Thinking - new connective ways of thinking about political organisation and transformation in support of sustainable, democratic and socially just futures.

Social Ecosystem Framework 2.0
45-Degree Socio-Political Framework 2.0
45-Degree Mediation

Just Transition Social Ecosystem

4. 21st Century Vocational Education and Training (VET) - analysis of the problems of neoliberal models of VET and alternative progressive models of vocational learning in response to global mega trends and polycrisis.