Ferran Ferrer (1957 - 2013)

Short Biography & Significant Contribution

Ferran Ferrer was Professor of Comparative Education at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain. He was the university's coordinator for the Educational Policy Analysis and Training Unit and was a member of the Interdisciplinary Group of Educational Policy. From 2000 to 2002, he was Director of the Department of Systematic and Social Pedagogy of the university.

A central focus of Ferrer's research and teaching activities was the comparative and international dimensions of educational systems within Europe. This was salient in his publications which include the authorship/co-authorship of over 25 books and approximately 90 articles in specialist journals. Themes include financing of education, languages and minorities education, intercultural education and educational inequality. His contribution to comparative and international education research was enriched by his extensive collaboration with international organizations including UNESCO and its International Bureau of Education (IBE), the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI), the Centre européen pour le développement de la formation professionnelle (Cedefop), the United Nations' Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), and the Council of Europe. He had also participated as Visiting Professor in several European universities, including the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where he had been teaching biannually since 1999 until 2013.

Educational Background

B.A. Education (1980), Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

Ph.D. Educational Sciences (1985), Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

Professional Background

Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (1981 to 2013)
- Assistant Professor (1981-87)
- Professor of Comparative Education (1987-2002)
- Chair Professor of Comparative Education (2002 to 2013)

Affiliations (associations, organizations, institutions)

Sociedad Española de Educación Comparada, President (2002-06)

Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), Member

Comparative Education Society in Europe (CESE), Member

Selected Publications

Ferrer, F. (1998): 'L'Espagne des Communautés Autonomes et les droits linguistiques'. In S. Pérez (ed.): La mosaique linguistique: regards éducatifs sur les pays industrialises. Paris/ Montreal: Ed. L'Harmattan, pp.21-40.

Ferrer, F. (1998): 'Planificación del sistema educativo'. In L. Pereyra, F. Ferrer & S. Perez (eds.), Planificación, financiación y evaluación de los sistemas educativos iberoamericanos. Madrid: Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI), pp.38-60.

Ferrer, F. (1998): 'The system of university entrance: a European view'. Prospects, No.107, pp.455-466.

Ferrer, F. (2000): 'Languages, minorities and education in Spain: the case of Catalonia'. Comparative Education, Vol.36, No.2, pp.187-197. Groux, D.; Pérez, S. & Ferrer, F. (2000): 'Éducation comparée et éducation interculturelle: éléments de comparaison'. Raisons Éducatives, No.3., pp.49-65.

Ferrer, F. & Akkari, J. (2002) : 'L'éducation interculturelle en Espagne et la Suisse: une approche comparative'. Migration Themes, Vol.17, No.3, pp.239-264.

Ferrer, F. (2002): La educación comparada actual. Barcelona: Ed. Ariel. 221 pp.

Ferrer, F. (2003) : 'La formation des enseignants: l'apport des organismes internationaux'. Politiques d'éducation et de formation, analyses et comparaisons internationales, No.8, pp. 13-28.

Ferrer, F.; Naya, L.M. & Valle, J. (2004): La convergencia de la enseñanza secundaria en los sistemas educativos europeos. Madrid: Secretaria General de Educación, Centro de Investigación y Documentación Educativa [CIDE], Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia.

Ferrer, F. (guest editor) (2005): 'La REEC cumple 10 años. La Educación Comparada entre siglos (1995-2005). Revista Española de Educación Comparada, No.11 (Monograph) 282 pp.

Ferrer, F; Ferrer, G & Castel, J.L. (2006): 'Las desigualdades educativas en el proyecto PISA-2003: el caso de Cataluña'.Revista de Educación. Special issue, pp.399-428.

Ferrer, F.; Ferrer, G.; Castel, J.L. (2006): 'Equity and segregation in the Spanish education system'. Prospects, Vol.36, No.4, pp.547-571.

Naya, L.M. & Ferrer, F. (2007): 'The Spanish Comparative Education Society (SEEC)'. In V. Masemann, M. Bray & M. Manzon (eds.), Common Interests, Uncommon Goals: Histories of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies and its Members. Hong Kong & Dordrecht: Comparative Education Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong & Springer, pp.214-224.

Created: 3/16/2008

Updated: 7/30/2013

Contributed By: Maria Manzon, National Institute of Education, Singapore & Luis Naya, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea