TOR107: InZone with Barbara Moser-Mercer

For most of us, a critical factor in creating a sustainable and satisfying career is the formal education we acquire. In the in development and aid space, a master's degree from a credible institution is really the minimum bar for even an entry level position at any top shelf organization. Access to this type of education, and its benefits, are things many of us simply take for granted. But what if your community were caught in the grips of conflict? Or what if you find yourself growing up in camp for displaced people? Or what if higher education infrastructure just simply doesn't exist in your neck of the woods? My guest today for the 107th episode of the Terms of Reference Podcast is Barbara Moser-Mercer. She is the founder and Director of InZone, an initiative that pioneers innovative approaches to multilingual communication and higher education in communities affected by conflict and crisis by designing, developing and scientifically validating learner-centered and technology-supported pedagogical models. Barbara is also a Professor of conference interpreting at the University of Geneva where her research focuses on cognitive neuro-science aspects of the interpreting process, the human performance dimension of skill development and expertise, and on pedagogical approaches to digital learning in fragile contexts. Barbara also co-developed the Virtualinstitute, which is a virtual learning environment specifically designed for the acquisition of complex skills, which has been used by ICRC, ILO, UNHCR, and UNAMA for enhancing interpreting skills of interpreters working in conflict zones and to advance formal and non-formal higher education in emergencies (HEiE).