Saul Carliner receiving his award from Tonette Rocco, Professor of Educational Policy Studies at Florida International University, former Board member of the Hall of Fame and a 2016 inductee.
Saul Carliner, a professor in the Department of Education at Concordia, has been inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony took place on Oct. 6 in Chattanooga, Tenn., as the organization marked its 30th anniversary. The Hall of Fame recognizes scholars, practitioners and leaders whose contributions have advanced adult and continuing education internationally. Its mission also includes preserving their achievements as a source of inspiration for future generations of educators.
“His induction recognizes a career dedicated to connecting research and practise and helping people develop the knowledge and skills they need throughout their working lives,” shares Pascale Sicotte, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science.
Carliner joins a distinguished group of past inductees that includes former United States first lady Barbara Bush, recognized for her advocacy of literacy education, and Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire, whose work helped shape critical approaches to adult learning.
Jack Mezirow, a leading figure in transformative learning theory, was also inducted for 2026.
Forty years of experience
A second-generation adult educator, Carliner has spent more than four decades working across academia, industry and consulting. Before beginning his academic career, he spent nearly 20 years in industry, including 12 years at IBM, where he worked in technical communication, instructional design and customer education.
At Concordia, his research focuses on designing instructional and informational materials for workplaces and higher education, as well as managing the teams that develop these resources. His work explores how people learn in professional settings, including through online and informal learning. He is a two-time past chair of the Department of Education and a past Provost’s Fellow for e-Learning.
Carliner has authored or co-authored numerous books and scholarly publications and has held leadership roles in professional organizations, including president of the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and international president of the Society for Technical Communication. His previous recognitions include Concordia’s President’s Award for Excellence in Innovation in Teaching and Provost’s Circle, and being elected a Fellow of the Institute for Performance and Learning and Society for Technical Communication.
Learn more about Concordia’s Department of Education.