The digital dimension (big data, internet of things, virtual conferences, artificial intelligence, social media, and business on the Internet, among others) is taking on an increasingly important role in social, cultural and economic life, materialising in a smart society. This presentation, based on the author’s experience and research, discusses how Sociology of Education can shape new processes of initial and continuous training in the 21st century. It highlights its potentialities but also the numerous challenges that need to be faced from the outset. If the specialists in Sociology of Education do not meet these requirements, this scientific discipline is in danger of becoming residual in its scientific, but, mainly, social relevance.
Keywords: Sociology of Education, Digital Society, Digital Literacy, Digital Competences

Prof. Dr Sandro Serpa is assistant professor in the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the University of the Azores since 2013. He has been a higher education faculty member since 2000. He received his PhD in Education, with the speciality in Sociology of Education in 2013, from the University of the Azores. He has teaching experience in areas such as Research, Sociology of Education, Introduction to Sociology, General Sociology, Sociology of Organisations, Psycho-sociology of Educational Organisations, and Human Resources, among others.
He carries out research in the fields of the Teaching Sociology; Sociology of Education; Sociology of Organisations; Organisational Culture; Scientific Communication, Digital Society; Digital Literacy and Society 5.0. He has more than 260 publications in international journals, books and other scientific outlets (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4286-4440) in Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America.