About

About the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues

The Jubilee Centre is a global pioneering interdisciplinary research centre focusing on character, virtues and values in the interest of human flourishing. The Centre is a leading informant in the UK and internationally on character education research, policy and practice. The Centre works with various audiences including schools, universities, community groups, teachers, young people, parents, policy makers and fellow researchers.

The Centre aims to strengthen character through:

• Undertaking internationally recognised and impactful research;
• The development of award-winning Frameworks that have underpinned research, policy and practice around the world.
• Deepening and extending knowledge and understanding about flourishing, character, virtues and character education through taught programmes, developing resources, conferences, presentations and consultations.
• Founding and helping to lead the Association for Character Education (ACE), European Character Virtues Association (ECVA) and the Global character Alliance (GCA).
• Running the world’s first distance-learning MA in Character Education and Leading Character Education in Schools – a certificated professional development online short course, as well as supervising PhD students.
• Collaborating with organisations and individuals who share an interest in promoting character-based policy, research and practice in the interest of human flourishing.

Contact us and Newsletter

Click here for to contact the Jubilee Centre or email jubileecentre@contacts.bham.ac.uk

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Sign up for the Global Character Alliance newsletter here.

Why Character and Character Education

The Centre defines character education as all explicit and implicit educational activities that help individuals develop positive personal strengths and qualities, often referred to as virtues. These include intellectual, moral, civic and performance virtues that enable individual and societal flushing.

There is growing consensus across the UK and internationally that virtues such as practical wisdom, compassion, honesty, courage, critical thinking, justice, and gratitude are essential in addressing many of the challenges facing society today — particularly in the age of artificial intelligence and rapid technological change.

Character education matters because everyone should have the opportunity to develop good character throughout their lives. Strong character helps individuals navigate complexity, build meaningful relationships, and contribute positively to society.

Good character is important because:

•  Virtues help individuals lead rewarding, resilient, and productive lives, especially in an increasingly digital world.
• Societies flourish when more people demonstrate integrity, responsibility, compassion, and respect for others.
• Individuals flourish and have improved wellbeing when they develop pro-social virtues including, forgiveness, gratitude, humility and service.
• Young people learn more effectively when character development is nurtured alongside academic achievement.
• In professional life, integrity and good character are just as important as knowledge, qualifications, and technical skills.
• We believe character education is not an optional addition to learning at all levels, but a vital foundation for individual wellbeing, responsible citizenship, and a thriving society.

Highlights of the significant impact the Jubilee Centre has achieved since it was formed include:

• Collaborated with international partners and individuals in all Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Oceania.
• Collaborations range from working with schools, local, and national charities and media organisations, universities, governments and policy makers.
• Established the world’s first distance-learning MA in Character Education.
• Published over 400 academics publications in top tier journals and books with global reach.
• Established the preeminent international annual conference in the field, held annually in Oxford, UK.
• Published the Framework for Character Education that in 2022 won the overall QS Reimagine Education award.
• Undertaken over 20 extensive research projects; the impact of which has been rated 4* in REF submissions.
• Founded and supported the leadership of Association for Character Education (ACE), European Character Virtues Association (ECVA) and the Global character Alliance (GCA).