2021 Asia-Pacific Regional Global Citizenship Education (GCED) Network Online Forum

Date and Time: 
25 September 2021, 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM (GMT +9/Eastern Indonesian Time)

Organizers: UNESCO Bangkok, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (UNESCO APCEIU), Korean Society of Education for International Understanding (KOSEIU), and Japan Association for International Education (JAIE)

Event Type: Online Forum

Where: Zoom 

REGISTER HERE

Background

As societies and economies undergo deep transformations and face new challenges, new forms of education are called for to foster the knowledge, skills, and values that learners need to thrive, prosper, and become resilient. Moreover, in today’s world, amidst the global health pandemic, the importance of building resilience in the education systems is underscored, as education is recognized to have an increasing role in building peace, sustainable development, greater justice, social equity and gender equality – in short about learning to live together on a planet under pressure. This humanistic vision of education guides all of UNESCO’s work in support of Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Education, and the Education 2030 Agenda as a whole, notably as concerns Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED).

With the growing attention and efforts to promote GCED policy and practice in the Asia-Pacific region, and to synergise the diverse regional efforts from partners who have been active in implementing GCED and GCED related programmes and activities, the Asia-Pacific Regional GCED Network was launched in May 2018 Jakarta, Indonesia. Hereinafter referred to as the Network. The Network brings various organisations committed to the realization of GCED towards Education 2030. It creates opportunities for GCED stakeholders (i.e. policymakers, researchers, educators) to gather and exchange information and research, share good practices, discuss challenges and identify gaps of GCED, suggest possible solutions and provide expertise.

Since 2018, The Network has been actively supporting the regional efforts in GCED promotion and implementation. Each year, various activities are designed and carried out by the collective efforts within the Network and in collaboration with other partners. In 2021, UNESCO Bangkok and the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) the co-chairs of the Network invited two Network core working group members, the Korean Society of Education for International Understanding (KOSEIU) and the Japan Association for International Education (JAIE) to host the first online forum for the Network, as a launch of the “member-hosted online forum” to further synergize the Network and its members. In this regard, we would like to encourage a series of joint/collaborative online forums to be hosted by the Network members.

The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to remind us that we, as common humanity, are strongly interconnected and yet vulnerable. Learning remains interrupted in many countries in the region. Many children and youth, who are at the heart of GCED, have been cut off from learning as well as the supportive and safe school environment. They may also have been exposed to misinformation, hate speech, violence etc. Therefore, more resilience shall be built in the minds of students, parents, educators and so on.

With the kind contributions from KOSEIU and JAIE to the Online Forum “Towards Building Resilience of Education Systems in Asia and the Pacific: Sharing Good Practices of GCED from Japan and Korea”, good practices of GCED in the classroom, examples of school curriculum with GCED integration from both Japan and the Republic of Korea will be shared. Furthermore, the presenters will also discuss about their experiences in making GCED teaching/learning more relevant and resilient in the face of current challenges.

Objectives

The online forum aspires to share good practices of GCED curriculum and pedagogy from Japan and Korea and stimulate dialogue on how GCED teaching and learning needs to be reviewed and adapted in facing the challenges brought by the COVID-19 global pandemic. To contribute towards building resilient education systems, the ultimate objective is to inspire and empower teachers/

Expected Results

• Enable knowledge exchange and dissemination of good practices to enhance the quality of GCED in Asia and the Pacific;
• Encourage teachers and education experts to engage in dialogue to promote GCED and utilize evidence to inform policy and practices;
• Improve curriculum and teacher training to contribute towards building resilience of education systems in the aftermath of the pandemic;
• Establish a community of practice and collaboration among participating countries.

Beneficiaries/Participants

The direct beneficiaries of this activity will be GCED network members, including officials from member states (i.e., Ministry of Education, National Committees for UNESCO), teaching professionals and research institutions. Other beneficiaries will be the greater GCED stakeholders, learners, teachers, school leaders and their families.

Agenda

Meeting Documents

• Concept Note