A conversation with Gabriel O. Adebayo

Gabriel O. Adebayo is a Nigerian, and he is currently a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Helsinki. His doctoral pursuit at the faculty is now at the finalization process. 

He has an interdisciplinary educational background cutting across the fields of theology, religious education, comparative and international education. This is evident in the degrees he obtained before now: Master of Theology (MTh) in the Religious Roots of Europe (2013, University of Helsinki, Finland), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Comparative and International Education (2009, University of Oslo, Norway), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Religious Education (2006, Norwegian Teacher Academy, Norway), and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theology (2002, Andrews University, USA).

Adebayo’s current and doctoral research deals with the complex relationship between citizenship, religion, education, and human security in view of increasing diversity and the present problem of radicalization in Finland and Europe (notably the UK and the EU). His research on citizenship emphasizes maximal citizenship (a critical model of citizenship), and the concept of human security that his research focuses on is the one promulgated by the United Nations. His doctoral research is policy-based whereby he engages selected public policy documents. His research focuses on basic education level.

His doctoral dissertation is article-based, and he has authored three peer-reviewed articles which have been published in three international peer-reviewed journals.

The significance and implications of Adebayo’s doctoral work include the following:

· Adebayo’s doctoral research opens a relatively new field of research, as treatment of human security is generally lacking hitherto in religious education (also known as religion in education), and in the studies relating to radicalization issues in education in general.

· The novelty that his doctoral work brought to bear is also evident in the fact that the issue of maximal citizenship is hardly addressed in any research endeavor addressing any problems in Finnish educational contexts prior to his research.

· His doctoral research reveals that the counter-radicalization strategy and policy in education and schools that the policymakers in Finland, the UK and the EU are promoting is a threat to human security of the students (and their parents), with Muslim students being the most affected. The most problematic of them all is that of the UK.

·  The policy approach that stigmatizes one religion (or the students belonging to one religion) in bids to counter radicalization in education or schools is potentially and evidently counter-productively.

·  His research shows that selected policies do not have adequate values to promote maximal citizenship among the students, and in effect the students are potentially ill prepared to engage in critical thinking and reasoning.

·   Adebayo’s research calls for amendments to public policies where shortcomings are identified.