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On November 1, 2024, the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) held an online webinar titled “Innovative Approaches to Global Citizenship Education in the Asia-Pacific: A Dialogue between Theory and Practice”. 

In the webinar, experts from the Asia-Pacific region discussed how to reimagine Global Citizenship Education (GCED) through local perspectives and contexts. 
The webinar opened with remarks from APCEIU Director LIM Hyun Mook, followed by presentations from six researchers and subsequent Q&A sessions. The event highlighted the outcomes of the research project entitled “Rethinking Global Citizenship Education from Asia-Pacific Perspectives” and facilitated a discussion of key insights with the researchers. 

The presentations were organized into two discussion sessions, each focusing on the following theme:

Discussion 1: “How is GCED Shaped by Local Contexts in Asia-Pacific Countries?”

• “Performing Global Citizenship through National Citizenship: Humanity, Politics, and Competency” – Sicong CHEN from Kyushu University, Japan, discussed the nature of citizenship education in China and Japan, exploring the concept of performative global citizenship. 
• “Exploring Global Citizenship Education in Central Asia” – Aigul KULNAZAROVA from Tama University, Japan, examined the historical context and distinct dynamics of Central Asia, proposing stronger connections with GCED. 
• “A Direction of Global Citizenship Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Beginning from Locality and Expanding to Universality” – SEOL Kyujoo from Gyeongin National University of Education, Korea, presented applying GCED with locality that expands toward universality, using Korea’s ‘Statue of Peace’ as an example. 

Discussion 2: “How Can GCED Be Reimagined through Asia-Pacific Cultural and Philosophical Perspectives?”

• “Home and the World: Rethinking Global Citizenship Education from Tagore’s Perspective” –Mousumi MUKHERJEE from O.P. Jindal Global University, India, reflected on Tagore’s ideas to offer a new approach to GCED. 
• “(Re)Imagining GCED through Pacific/Oceanic/Moana Perspectives” – Tanya SAMU from University of Auckland, New Zealand, introduced the conceptualisation of pacific-centric and oceanic-centric approach to GCED.
• “Tolerance, Interdependence, and Global Citizenship Education: A Buddhist Perspective” –Thippapan CHUOSAVASDI from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, shared the Buddhist perspective of tolerance and interdependence, linking them to GCED.

The webinar provided an invaluable platform for sharing diverse perspectives on global citizenship and GCED, drawing on traditions from across the Asia-Pacific region, including the Pacific, East Asia, India, and Central Asia. These perspectives were rooted in various cultural and religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Islam, and Confucianism. The results of the “Rethinking Global Citizenship Education from Asia-Pacific Perspectives” project will be published in book in November 2024.  

URL: https://www.unescoapceiu.org/post/5199