Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning

News

March 2023

Professor John Lee Reappointed as UNESCO Chair

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) announced today (13 March) that its Vice President (Academic) and Provost Professor John Lee Chi-kin had been reappointed as UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning for another four years, on completion of his first term in 2023.

The UNESCO Chairs Programme is a prestigious global network dedicated to promoting collaboration within academia to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work. The network covers over 850 universities and research institutions worldwide. The appointment – first awarded to EdUHK in 2011 – was renamed the UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning in 2018.

As a renowned education scholar of high international standing, Professor Lee aims to strengthen support for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the development of 21st century skills and positive values. In his second term as UNESCO Chair, Professor Lee will continue to make efforts in realising UNESCO’s priorities in areas such as life and values education, environmental education and intercultural education.

Welcoming the appointment, EdUHK President Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung said, “UNESCO Chair is of strategic importance to EdUHK as an education-focused university which strives to shape the educational agenda and future in the region. The renewal is testimony to the University’s unswerving commitment to addressing pressing educational challenges and issues, in collaboration with local, regional and global partners.”

Professor Lee thanked UNESCO for its unfailing support. “I am much honoured to be entrusted with this important role as a bridge-builder in fostering a vibrant scholarly community for the benefit of educational and social advancement. I look forward to working with other UNESCO Chairs, local and international higher education institutions as well as policymakers, to realise the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the region,” he said.

Apart from his role as UNESCO Chair, Professor Lee has served as the Changjiang Chair Professor, conferred by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, and a Research Fellow of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). He also led a team of experts appointed by the World Bank to serve as the Consultant for the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training’s Enhancing Teacher Education Program in 2017 and 2018.

October 2022

UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning: Forum on the Futures of Education

The UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning: Forum on the Futures of Education was concluded successfully on 30 September 2022. This online forum was organised by Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning at EdUHK with the support of UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office and UNESCO Headquarters, involving 25 experts from the UNESCO Offices and 18 universities on mainland China and Hong Kong.

In November 2021, the International Commission on the Futures of Education released a report, Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education and its executive summary. The UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning proposed to host this Forum on the Report soon after its release with a theme of “Schools, teachers and basic education in China: Looking to the future”. Taking this opportunity, the Chair would like to raise awareness and promote discussion of the themes contained in the Report within China and the region, building on and extending a previous university initiative that involved senior university managers from around the Pacific.

The occasion was honoured by the presence of Professor Shahbaz KHAN, Director of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Beijing, and Mr Sobhi TAWIL, Director of Future of Learning and Innovation at UNESCO, who delivered the welcoming remark and the introduction of the Forum.

Four renowned speakers presented insightful keynote speeches at the Forum. The keynote speakers, including Professor John Chi-Kin LEE, UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning of EdUHK, Professor Huan SONG, Director of Institute of Teacher Education Research at the Beijing Normal University, Professor Yuhua BU, Deputy Head of Institute of Schooling Reform and Development at the East China Normal University and Professor Zeyuan YU, Vice-Dean of Faculty of Teacher Education at the Southwest University, shared their invaluable views on future education in China.

Following the keynote speeches, four breakout sessions were arranged in parallel enabling invited participants to exchange ideas and make recommendations for future education in China with different foci on “Future Teachers”, “Future Schools and Schooling” and “Basic Education in China”.

The Forum attracted students and staff from EdUHK and other local, mainland China and overseas universities, as well as members of the UNESCO and SEAMEO networks. Positive feedback was received from participants via a post-event online survey. The stimulating breakout group discussion and the insights shared by the keynote speakers inspired the participants. They were in general very satisfied with the Forum and agreed that the Forum was useful for understanding the development of future education and for fostering potential collaborations. The conference presentations and discussions will be made available online for wider dissemination and future reference.

A booklet serving as a collection of the Forum is now available, with contributions from the Keynote Speakers, Coordinators of each Breakout Session on the conference theme, as well as their review for the Future of Education report “Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education”. Please click here to download the Forum booklet.

Please enjoy the recap of the UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning: Forum on the Futures of Education.

01 Opening
Professor Shahbaz KHAN
Director, UNESCO Cluster Office in Beijing

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=75240b26-9494-406a-adc2-af3f006ab2e1

02 Introduction
Professor John Chi-Kin LEE
UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning
The Education University of Hong Kong

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=ed364d83-c0f6-4b8f-84e0-af3f006ab343

03 Introductory Keynote
Futures of Education – A New Social Contract: UNESCO Looks Ahead
Mr Sobhi TAWIL
Director, Future of Learning and Innovation, UNESCO

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=9cfac27c-b40f-484d-a285-afbd00156ffd

04 Keynote Speech 1

Looking into the Future: Implications of UNESCO Futures of Education Report for Chinese Educational Development
Professor John Chi-Kin LEE
UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning
The Education University of Hong Kong

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=018a4708-bc72-4b22-b729-af3f006ad102

05 Keynote Speech 2
Teacher Preparation in China: Main Achievements and Perspectives
Professor Huan SONG
Director, Institute of Teacher Education Research
Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=4d1c1dba-5d1a-4f38-bdaa-af3f006ae97e

06 Keynote Speech 3 (To be conducted in Chinese)
Current State, Potential Risks and Foresight Tasks of Future School Exploration in China
Professor Yuhua BU
Institute of Schooling Reform and Development
Department of Education
East China Normal University

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=fe7431b1-3d22-4366-9603-af3f006b0209

06 Keynote Speech 3 (To be conducted in English)
Current State, Potential Risks and Foresight Tasks of Future School Exploration in China
Professor Yuhua BU
Institute of Schooling Reform and Development
Department of Education
East China Normal University

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=93d2a983-1e81-40a0-a5b0-af3f006c59a0

07 Keynote Speech 4
New Curriculum Standards and the Future of Chinese Schools
Professor Zeyuan YU
Vice-Dean, Faculty of Teacher Education
Southwest University

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=c088d36b-d724-41d7-ad77-af3f006cca16

08 Breakout Session 1: Future Teachers

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=8cc43e73-b0eb-43e4-afaa-af3f006d7fc1

09 Breakout Session 2: Future Schools and Schooling

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=345bc2d1-d85f-4b86-ae1e-af3f006dff73

10 Breakout Session 3: Basic Education in China

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=b9599d80-d7d2-46fc-9c34-af3f006e3485

11 Breakout Session 4: Basic Education in China (To be conducted in English)

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=c1a25b5c-fb23-49d0-b178-af3f006e422b

12 Report back from Breakout Group 1
Professor May Hung CHENG
Chair Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The Education University of Hong Kong

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=0663c996-6d68-413c-aeba-af3f006ebe4e

13 Report back from Breakout Group 2
Dr Junjun CHEN
Associate Professor, Department of Education Policy and Leadership
The Education University of Hong Kong

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=ba37c424-26dd-4ba6-8693-af3f0070e091

14 Report back from Breakout Group 3
Dr Zi YAN
Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The Education University of Hong Kong

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=581b8f9d-dc2a-4c1f-9d8c-af3f0073a0de

15 Report back from Breakout Group 4
Professor Kerry KENNEDY
Emeritus Professor, Advisor (Academic Development)
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The Education University of Hong Kong

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=01f411f4-56fe-45f3-89d4-af3f007592ef

16 Concluding Remarks and Future direction
Professor John Chi-Kin LEE
UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning
The Education University of Hong Kong

https://eduhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=de5b2c25-38b9-4485-9517-af3f006ab2b7

September 2022

Futures of Education Hong Kong & GBA Forum 2022 - Survey

Dear All,

“Futures of Education” is UNESCO’s global initiative to re-imagine how knowledge and learning can shape the future of humanity and the planet. The initiative aims to ask what education might become and enable us to become. By leveraging the collective intelligence of a wide range of stakeholders, so we can think together and act together to make the futures we want.

The Education University of Hong Kong is proud to support the “Futures of Education Hong Kong & GBA Forum 2022” and its survey effort. In Hong Kong, this will be the third Forum hosted by the UNESCO HK Association Glocal Peace Centre. The survey is part of the Forum, views are now sought from the local community which will go into the debate at the Forum, to discuss how learning and knowledge generation could facilitate the capability and capacity building for Hong Kong’s future.

The survey is conducted by UNESCO HK Association Glocal Peace Centre and the global market research company Ipsos. This is an anonymous survey and takes around 10-15 minutes to complete. English and Traditional Chinese is available as language options.

You can access the survey via the below link, please complete the survey on or before 9 October 2022 (Sunday).

https://surveys.ipsosinteractive.com/surveys/?pid=S22032518&supplierid=10191&cultureinfo=en-US&idtype=real&Generic_link=6&id=&ci=non

The Futures of Education HK & GBA Forum will take place on 25 November 2022 (Friday), and is open for online registration here. You can also find out more about the Forum via the organiser’s website here.

If you have any question related to the survey, please email: peace@unesco.hk.

Yours sincerely,
Secretariat
UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning

About UNESCO Hong Kong Association and The Glocal Peace Centre
UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UNESCO HKA) is a member of Chinese National Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations. UNESCO HKA is dedicated to facilitating and achieving UNESCO’s mission, creating conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples based upon respect for commonly shared values. The Glocal Peace Centre (GPC or The Peace Centre) is a project of the UNESCO Hong Kong Association. This initiative was launched in 2012 and is supported by schools and educational institutions, diplomatic corps, international service organizations, community and business associations, and enterprises. Its annual Peacemakers Cultural Celebration event attracts peacemakers from Mainland China, Macau, India, Europe, and nationals from different countries living in Hong Kong. Find out more:http://peacecentre.unesco.org.hk/

Registration for UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning: Forum On The Futures of Education on 30 September 2022 (Fri) at 9:00 am

Dear All,

You are cordially invited to join the UNESCO CHAIR IN REGIONAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING: FORUM ON THE FUTURES OF EDUCATION jointly organised by Professor John Chi-Kin LEE, UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning at The Education University of Hong Kong and the UNESCO Offices.

The Forum is now open for registration!

Please find the details in below:

Theme:	*Schools, Teachers and Basic Education in China: Looking to the Future*
Date:	30 September 2022 (Fri)
Time:	9:00 am – 12:30 pm (GMT+8)
Venue:	ZOOM (Link will be provided with registered participants in due course)
Language:	English and Mandarin (with bilingual subtitles)
Speaker:	Introductory Keynote: *Futures of Education – A New Social Contract; UNESCO Looks Ahead* Mr. SOBHI TAWIL Director, Future of Learning and Innovation, UNESCO 2^nd Keynote: *Looking into the Future: Implications of UNESCO Futures of Education Report for Chinese Educational Development* Professor JOHN CHI-KIN LEE UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development & Lifelong Learning 3^rd Keynote: *Teacher preparation in China: Main achievements and perspectives* Professor HUAN SONG Director, Institute of Teacher Education Research, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University 4^th Keynote: *Current state, potential risks and foresight tasks of future school exploration in China* Professor YUHUA BU Vice Director, National Institute of Schooling Reform and Development, East China Normal University 5^th Keynote: *New Curriculum Standards and the Future of Chinese Schools* Professor ZEYUAN YU Vice-Dean, Faculty of Teacher Education, Southwest University
Background:	The International Commission on the Futures of Education released a report in November 2021, Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education (一起重新构想我们的未来：为教育打造新的社会契约, 执行摘要). The UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development & Lifelong Learning will host a forum on the Report with an audience largely focused on Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. It is now important to raise awareness and promote discussion of the themes contained in the Report within China, building on and extending a previous university initiative that involved senior university managers from around the Pacific.
Four Breakout Groups:	Breakout Room #1 (Chinese) - Future Teachers Co-ordinators: Professor TAISHENG CAO, Nanjing University Professor MAY CHENG, EdUHK Breakout Room #2 (Chinese) - Future Schools and Schooling Co-ordinators: Dr JUNJUN CHEN, EdUHK Professor CHENZI LI, Shenzhen University Breakout Room #3 (Chinese) - Basic Education in China Co-ordinators: Professor SHUHAN YANG, Yunnan Normal University Dr ZI YAN, EdUHK Breakout Room #4 (English) - Basic Education in China Co-ordinators: Professor KERRY KENNEDY, EdUHK Professor JOHN CHI-KIN LEE, EdUHK
Registration:	https://forms.gle/TTpfTumnMHvHqjTQ7 or *CLOSE OF REGISTRATION: 16 September 2022 (Fri)

For enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Hilton Cheung or Ms Sharon Siu at unescochair@eduhk.hk.

We hope to see you at the Forum!

Yours sincerely,
Secretariat

UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning

March 2022

UNESCO Chair Online Seminar Series 2021/22 - Second Seminar

Due to the latest pandemic development, the UNESCO Chair Online Seminar Series 2021/22 - Second Seminar organised by Professor John Lee, UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning at EdUHK, is rescheduled for 31 March 2022. The theme of the Series is Asian Perspectives on Education for the Future. It is our great honour to have Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela as the keynote speaker of this seminar.

Dr Valenzuela is presently the Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, the first female Director since SEAMEO was organised in 1965. She served as the first female Deputy Director for Programme and Development of SEAMEO Secretariat from July 2015 to March 2019 and led the Educational Research and Innovation Office of SEAMEO INNOTECH, from 2006 to June 2015. Her expertise is on internationalisation of higher education and transnational education, teacher education, alternative learning and secondary education. She has published international and local articles, journals, technical reports and guidelines for some SEAMEO and other international organisations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, CHED and DepEd.

In this seminar, Dr Valenzuela will discuss the present trends, challenges and Education 2050 aspirations for countries in Southeast Asia so that every learner will have the chance to go school, to learn and have relevant lifelong learning enabling countries to build back better.

The panelist members comprise scholars from EdUHK, including Professor John Lee Chi Kin, Vice President (Academic) and Provost and UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development & Lifelong Learning; Professor Kerry Kennedy, Advisor (Academic Development) of Department of Curriculum and Instruction; Professor John Trent, Associate Dean (Quality Assurance & Enhancement) of Graduate School; Professor Liz Jackson, Acting Head of Department of International Education; Mr Relmasira Stefanus Christian; Ms Tang Foong Yee Vivien; and Ms Saamong Charla Rochella Santiago, PhD students from Southeast Asia/ Belt and Road countries of EdUHK.

The UNESCO Chair Online Seminar Series 2021/22 - Second Seminar is now open for registration. If you are interested in the seminar, please register now: https://forms.gle/q5jGifpSCKuLrXYi7.

For enquiries, please contact Ms Sharon Siu at unescochair@eduhk.hk or +852 2948 7586.