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From 6 to 8 August, 2024, the Global Citizenship Education Cooperation Centre (GCC) Malaysia at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) hosted the 2nd GCC International Conference on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) alongside the GCC Directors’ Meeting 2024, in Penang, Malaysia. The event was co-organised with the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) and drew over 200 participants from around the world, the GCC Programme and the GCED Curriculum Development & Integration Project (CDI) Partners.

GCC-Malaysia, established at USM in 2021 through a MOU with APCEIU, began as one of APCEIU’s first GCC Programme partners and has been playing an active role since its establishment. This year is particularly special for GCC-Malaysia, as they were hosting the GCC Directors’ Meeting 2024, the 2nd GCC International Conference on GCED, and the GCED CDI Partners’ Meeting 2024 all together right here in Penang.

The first day of the event kicked off with the GCC Directors’ Meeting 2024. Despite the early morning start, the atmosphere was vibrant as participants from around the world eagerly shared their GCC’s activities and engaged in meaningful discussions. The meeting began with welcoming remarks from Dr. Hyun Mook Lim, Director of APCEIU, followed by congratulatory remarks from Dr. Rohizani Yaakub, Director of GCC-Malaysia.

In the first session, representatives from GCCs in Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Lao PDR presented their achievements and challenges from the past year. Dr. Athapol Anunthavorasakul, Director of GCC-Thailand at Chulalongkorn University, shared insights on their GCED Teacher Educator Training workshops, which involved 270 teachers across 90 schools. Dr. Neau Vira, Vice-Director of GCC-Cambodia at the National Institute of Education, discussed their capacity building workshops and the ongoing monitoring and onsite visits at teacher training centres. And Dr. Rowena Hibanada, Director of GCC-Philippines at Philippine Normal University, highlighted the establishment of GCC Regional Hubs in 23 higher education institutions, while Dr. Kiengkay Ounmany, Director of GCC-Lao PDR and Dr. Soubin Sisavath, Visiting Lecturer, Faculty of Language Education, National University of Laos, presented their activities including the result of the GCED Need Assessment at teacher training centres in Laos PDR they conducted in 2023.

The second session featured presentations from GCC representatives in Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Bangladesh. Dr. Ace Suryadi, Deputy Director of GCC-Indonesia at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, shared their activities including the online learning platform and webinar series. Dr. Rohizani Yaakub, Director of GCC-Malaysia shared their activities including face-to-face workshops for teachers, school principals, and counsellors in Malaysia. Representing GCC-Nepal, a new member of the GCC Programme, Mr. Jayaram Adhikari, Deputy Director General of the Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD), outlined GCC-Nepal’s future goals and strategies. And lastly, on behalf of representatives from GCC-Bangladesh at National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM) who could not attend the meeting due to the recent national unrest in Bangladesh, Mr. Raju Das, National Programme officer at UNESCO Dhaka Office, delivered a presentation on GCC-Bangladesh’s expected outcomes and key strategies for this year.

Following the GCC Directors’ Meeting, representatives from across the globe had the opportunity to visit GCC-Malaysia, situated on the campus of USM. During the visit, Dr. Rohizani Yaakub, Director of GCC-Malaysia, led a tour of the centre. As part of the tour, she also took the time to introduce APCEIU’s GCED materials, which were thoughtfully displayed for the participants.

In the afternoon of the same day, the 2nd GCC International Conference on GCED commenced with an official Opening Ceremony. The event began with an inspiring speech by Professor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed, Vice-Chancellor of USM, followed by congratulatory remarks from Dr. Hyun Mook Lim. The ceremony was graced by the presence of distinguished guests, including Associate Professor Dr. Rahimi Che Aman, Dean of the School of Educational Studies and Dr. Rohizani Yaakub, Director of GCC-Malaysia, along with other esteemed academicians, research officers, and representatives from GCCs and the GCED CDI Project. Concurrently, multiple poster presentations showcasing GCCs from various countries were on display outside the ceremony hall. The first day concluded with a delightful conference dinner organised by GCC-Malaysia, where participants had the opportunity to experience Malaysia’s traditional cuisine and enjoy cultural performances, deepening their appreciation of Penang's rich history and culture.

On the second day of the Conference, the first keynote session, titled "Focus of GCED in Today’s World," was delivered by Dr. Hyun Mook Lim. This was followed by the second keynote session, "The Need for Global Citizenship Education to Address Current Global Challenges," presented by Professor Dato’ Dr. Sivamurugan Pandian from USM's School of Social Sciences.

After the keynote addresses, a series of paper presentations on GCED were held across various lecture rooms at USM, featuring contributions from academics from Malaysia and around the globe. Representatives from GCC-Thailand, GCC-Philippines, GCC-Indonesia, Arts-ED (GCED CDI Project in Malaysia), and NaCCA (GCED CDI Project in Ghana) also shared their project experiences and research findings. This provided participants with a rich opportunity to present their insights and exchange knowledge on GCED with fellow passionate attendees.

In the afternoon, Arts-ED, APCEIU’s GCED CDI Project partner in Malaysia, based in Penang, conducted a community-based learning workshop for all GCC and GCED CDI Project partners. Renowned for its approach to GCED through community-based learning, Arts-ED has been a key promoter of cultural sustainability in the region. They began with an introduction to the concept of community-based learning, followed by hands-on activities typically conducted with students, enabling participants to gain a deeper understanding of the concept. The day concluded with a guided walk through George Town, the capital of Penang and a UNESCO World Heritage site, where diverse cultures coexist in harmony. There, participants engaged in real-life community-based learning activities while experiencing the vibrant streets of George Town.

On the last day of the Conference, participants had another opportunity to present their findings across multiple lecture rooms. The Conference concluded with a Closing Ceremony, present were Dr. Hyun Mook Lim, Director of APCEIU, Associate Professor Dr. Rahimi Che Aman, Dean of the School of Educational Studies, Dr. Rohizani Yaakub, Director of GCC-Malaysia, along with other academicians, research officers, and representatives of GCCs and GCED CDI Project.

During the entire Conference, more than 80 papers were presented by participants. It offered a vibrant platform for individuals passionate about GCED to connect, exchange ideas, and share their latest research. As highlighted during the event, the Conference served as a gathering place for GCED advocates from different countries to learn from one another and recognise that they are part of a larger, supportive community.

URL: https://www.unescoapceiu.org/post/5151