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The 2024 SSAEM Conference, marking the conclusion of this year’s ‘Asia-Pacific Teacher Exchange for Global Education(APTE)’, was successfully held on November 21 at Suwon Convention Center. Hosted by the Ministry of Education of Korea and organized by APCEIU, the event provided a platform to review the achievements of the APTE programme and discuss its future directions. Over 200 participants, including officials of the Ministries of Education and embassies and teachers from  Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand, and the Philippines attended the conference.

The opening ceremony began with opening speech from Ms. SHIN Meekyung, Director at the Korean Ministry of Education, followed by a welcoming remark by Dr. LIM Hyun-mook, Director of APCEIU. Congratulatory addresses were delivered by Ambassador Tanee Sangrat of the Royal Thai Embassy, Minister-Counsellor Alounkone Boulommavong of the Lao PDR Embassy, Second Secretary Eung Saravuth of the Cambodian Embassy, and Director Rohayati binti Abd Hamed from the Malaysian Ministry of Education.

During the panel discussion, representatives from the Ministries of Education of the eight partner countries explored the significance and impact of the Programme amidst changing social dynamics. The session also highlighted the unique characteristics of each country’s implementation and outcomes, fostering a meaningful exchange of insights.

Notably, students from Seoul Youngil Elementary School, one of the participating schools in the newly launched hybrid online-offline teacher exchange programme this year, took the stage as presenters. Their active participation exemplified the role of students as key stakeholders in the programme, alongside teachers.

In the afternoon, parallel sessions were held, reflecting UNESCO’s Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights, International Understanding, Cooperation, Freedom, Global Citizenship, and Sustainable Development, adopted at the 2023 General Conference. The sessions were divided into three themes: enhancing digital and media literacy as global citizens, understanding cultural diversity and global citizenship, and fostering solidarity for a sustainable environment. Participants shared diverse approaches and practical educational activities under these themes.

A distinctive feature of the APTE is its emphasis on collaborative efforts between participants and their assigned schools to achieve shared goals. The session featuring presentations by matched schools highlighted the active cooperation and engagement between Korean schools and their counterparts in participating countries, showcasing firsthand reactions from teachers and students alike.

The conference concluded with a dialogue session featuring six former participants, including teachers who joined the APTE programme as early as 2013. They shared their ongoing initiatives and follow-up activities, ensuring that the educational exchange extends beyond a one-time event. The discussion also sparked great interest as they proposed actionable ideas for follow-up activities tailored to participants, countries, and specific fields of collaboration.

URL: https://www.unescoapceiu.org/post/5220