News

APCEIU hosted a three-day sub-regional workshop from 19 to 21 May in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to promote the implementation of the UNESCO 2023 Recommendation and the Asia-Pacific Regional Road Map. The workshop aimed to build the capacity of participating countries to effectively integrate these frameworks into their national education systems. Co-organized with the UNESCO Almaty Office, the workshop brought together over 30 education officials from seven countries — Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Key speakers from UNESCO Category 1 institutes, such as UNESCO MGIEP and UNESCO IITE, also joined, raising expectations for expanded future collaboration.

On the first day, participants shared country-specific challenges and opportunities, deepening mutual understanding of current educational contexts. This was followed by sessions that offering an in-depth overview of the UNESCO 2023 Recommendation and Asia-Pacific Road Map, as well as the theoretical foundations of GCED and related pedagogical strategies emphasizing democratic communication.

The second day featured presentations of regional case studies aligned with key action areas and themes highlighted in the UNESCO 2023 Recommendation, such as learning environments, teacher education, media and information literacy (MIL), social and emotional learning (SEL), and climate change. These sessions encouraged peer learning and cooperation among countries. Later, participants visited local schools to observe real-life examples, including school management models and student-led initiatives.

On the final day, based on the content covered in earlier sessions, participants worked collaboratively to develop and present a draft regional action plan focused on five priority areas: Curriculum and pedagogy, Assessment and evaluation, Learning environments, Development of teachers and education personnel, and Regional collaboration and partnership. The draft action plan, shaped through multiple rounds of group discussions, outlines actionable and contextually relevant strategies. It will undergo further review before being submitted to the respective Ministries of Education.

This workshop served as a valuable platform not only to deepen understanding of the UNESCO 2023 Recommendation, the Asia-Pacific Road Map, and GCED, while simultaneously fostering regional education cooperation and networks. In particular, it is significant not only from a regional perspective of Central Asia but also for APCEIU that this workshop laid the groundwork for the implementation and cooperation of GCED in Central Asia—a region that has had relatively limited opportunities for collaboration with APCEIU until now. Moving forward, APCEIU plans to continue providing tailored support and cooperation for Central Asia, Iran, and Pakistan, centered around the action plan developed through this workshop.

URL: https://www.unescoapceiu.org/post/5337