2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Minister's Conference (APREMC-II)
🗓️ 5 to 7 June 2022 | By invitation only
📍 Shangri-la Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand (Hybrid Type)
OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
AGENDA
SPEAKERS
PARTNERS
THEMES
2022 BANGKOK STATEMENT
CSO STATEMENT
YOUTH STATEMENT
MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE
POLICY BRIEFS
TECHNICAL PAPERS
RESOURCES
PHOTO GALLERY
EXHIBITION
SIDE EVENTS
INFORMATION NOTE
FAQs
APREMC-II IN THE MEDIA
OVERVIEW
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented disruption to education globally and regionally and severely impacted education delivery, learning outcomes, student engagement and their health and well-being. This resulted in a significant setback in progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region, in particular SDG 4. Countries in the Asia and Pacific region were the first impacted by COVID-19, which disrupted access to education for 760 million children at the initial peak of the pandemic in 2020[i]. While the situation varies between countries, schools were closed for an extended period in many cases. The impact of school closures on learning loss and recovery will be dramatic. Early estimates suggest that the proportion of children around the world who cannot read or write a simple text by the age of ten, will increase from 53% in 2019 to 63% in 2021[1]. The World Bank projected that the interruptions in school participation and learning may result in losses valued at $15 trillion in terms of affected children’s future earnings, and in long-lasting consequences in terms of wellbeing and life prospects of this generation, in particular for the most disadvantaged learners[2].
The 5-Year Progress Review of SDG 4 – Education 2030 in Asia-Pacific released in September 2021 by UNESCO and UNICEF, shows that despite overall progress, most countries surveyed were not on track to achieving SDG 4 and that the Asia-Pacific region was facing a learning crisis well before the COVID-19 pandemic, one that has since been alarmingly exacerbated by the broader impact of COVID on societies and economies. The shocking headlines are that: 27 million children and adolescents in the region remain illiterate, 95% of who are in South Asia; and that in many of the region’s countries, 50% of children are unable to read and understand a simple sentence by age 10, despite completing their early grades.
To mitigate the effects of the pandemic, countries implemented diverse remote and on-line education modalities to ensure the continuity of learning. However, not all children and youth were equally reached by these measures, and the most vulnerable groups were the most affected due to a deep digital divide. In addition, there were significant challenges such as the inadequate quality of distance learning programmes, reduced learning content and insufficient teacher preparedness and support to effectively deliver online learning and support their students. Consequently, it is expected that the learning loss will be extensive, putting millions of children and adolescents at risk of not returning to school and thus compromising their future. Furthermore, there is evidence that extended school closures are impacting learner’s health and wellbeing, especially the most vulnerable children.
Overall, while the situation varies between and within countries of the region, the pandemic not only exacerbated pre-existing deep inequities in access to education and learning achievements, it has also exposed important weaknesses in terms of the quality and relevance of education and the overall fragility of current education systems.
The pandemic also revealed the urgent need to strengthen and prepare education systems for future crises. The risk of decreased funding in education, rather than the increases required to attain SDG4 targets, has also demonstrated the urgent need to rethink, innovate, and transform education systems so that they become more equitable, inclusive, relevant, responsive and resilient. While governments and donors must reprioritise education funding, innovative financing may also be required to address existing gaps.
The pre-existing weaknesses of current education systems, exposed by the pandemic on the one hand and creative responses to the crisis on the other, have also revealed the need to reimagine education in future. Concerted, innovative efforts are required to strengthen the resilience and effectiveness of education systems across all levels of education. This should be done through sector-wide responses that ensure sustainable education recovery as well as the transformation required beyond COVID-19 to accelerate progress towards SDG4. Addressing the learning crisis and ensuring the right of learning for all must be at the heart of education recovery and transformation in the Asia-Pacific region. The need for curriculum review and flexible learning for adolescents, so that they have the skills required to thrive and contribute to socio-economic recovery is also urgent. Flexible pathways can also be a key means to enabling the realisation of lifelong learning in practice.
Countries in the region will face similar challenges in adapting their education systems, policies and practices to these new challenges. Learning more from each other as members of the Asia-Pacific community will help improve and expedite their responses.
[1] https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/232501603286799234/learning-poverty-measures-and-simulations
[2] See World Education Blog, 5 October 2021, There will be no recovery without empowered, motivated and effective teachers | World Education Blog (wpcomstaging.com)
[i] UNESCO and UNICEF. (2021) Situation Analysis on the Effects of and Responses to COVID-19 on the Education Sector in Asia: Regional Synthesis Report. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/rosa/media/16436/file/Regional%20Situation%20Analysis%20Report.pdf
INTRODUCTION
High-level regional policy dialogues and exchanges are key opportunities to share good practices and deliberate on how to address common challenges. They are also an opportunity to commit to collective and coordinated efforts and expanding partnerships, as the COVID impact revealed that education is not only a domestic affair, but digital/online/distance education can be accessed beyond national boundaries and cross-border learning, student/teacher mobility can be facilitated. Such dialogues will effectively inform and facilitate educational transformations and policy reform, and support the acceleration of progress towards SDG4.
Therefore, UNESCO Bangkok, in collaboration with UNICEF EAPRO and UNICEF ROSA, will organize the second Asia-Pacific Ministerial Education Ministers’ Conference (APREMC II), which is co-hosted by the Ministry of Education of Thailand and organized with the kind collaboration of the Ministry of Education, Cultures, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan. The meeting will be convened under the umbrella of the Asia-Pacific Learning and Education 2030+ (LE2030+) Network Group in June 2022. The meeting follows the 2014 high-level Asia-Pacific Education Conference (APREC) which discussed issues, challenges and priorities for education beyond 2015 from an Asia-Pacific perspective and developed a set of regional recommendations for the post-2015 global education agenda.
APREMC II is also partly positioned as a follow-up to the Global Education Meeting (GEM) 2021 debates, of which the July session’s outcome document invited UNESCO to strengthen the “linkages in the global-regional-country levels of coordination within the GCM and to take forward the commitments made in the Paris Declaration: Call for Action at the regional level”.
APREMC II will provide a platform for ministers of the 46 Member States of the region and other education stakeholders to take stock and analyse progress made in the region towards SDG4, against the backdrop of the impact and responses to COVID 19. It will identify, discuss and agree on priority actions and strategies for effective education/learning recovery and system transformation, for the acceleration of progress towards SDG4 in the region and generate recommendations for action. Its outcomes will also be one of the regional contribution to the SDG4 High-level Steering Committee (HLSC), which will be convened in July 2022.
AGENDA
Saturday, 4 June 2022 (DAY 0) | Venue | |
14:00 – 18:00 | Registration | Shangri-la Wing In front of Grand Ballroom, Lobby-level |
Technical Segment (5 June 2022) |
| |
Sunday, 5 June 2022 (DAY 1) | Venue | |
08:00 – 09:00 | Registration/Coffee | Outer Foyer
|
09:00 – 09:15 | OPENING SESSION
| Ballroom 1-2
|
09:15 – 09:40
| PLENARY I
| Ballroom 1-2
|
09:40 – 09:55 | Coffee break |
|
10:00 – 12:00
| PARALLEL SESSION I |
|
Session 1 – Learning Recovery and Addressing the Learning Crisis | Ballroom 1-2 | |
Session 2 – Equity, Inclusion and Gender Equality | Ballroom 3 | |
Session 3 – Digital Transformation | Next 2 Chao Phraya | |
Session 4 – Higher Education and Adult Learning | Corundum | |
Session 5 – Financing and Governance | The Study | |
12:00 – 12:30
| PLENARY II Moderator: Ms Mitsue Uemura, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF EAPRO Report of recommendations of the break-out sessions to plenary (30’) | Ballroom 1-2
|
12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch break and side events |
|
14:00 – 16:00
| PARALLEL SESSIONS II |
|
Session 6 – Transformative Education (ESD, GCED, Health and Wellbeing) | Ballroom 1-2 | |
Session 7 – Early Childhood Care and Education | Ballroom 3 | |
Session 8 – Adolescents and Youth Learning and Skills Development | Next 2 Chao Phraya | |
Session 9 – Teachers | Corundum | |
Session 10 – Data and Monitoring | The Study | |
16:00 – 16:15 | Coffee break |
|
16:15– 17:30 | PLENARY III Moderator: Mr Peter de Vries, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF ROSA Report of recommendations of the break-out sessions to plenary (25’) Plenary discussion | Ballroom 1-2
|
17:30 – 17:35 | Wrap-up of the Thematic Segment | Ballroom 1-2 |
17:35 – 19:30 | Registration | Outer Foyer |
18:00 – 19:00 | Side events |
|
High-level Segment (6-7 June 2022) |
| |
Monday, 6 June 2022 (DAY 2) | Venue | |
7:00 – 8:00 | Registration | Outer Foyer |
8:00 | All participants to be seated in the Ballroom |
|
9:00 – 10:15
| High-Level Opening Ceremony
| Ballroom 1–2-3
|
10:15 – 10:40 | Opening of the on-site Exhibition by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn |
|
10:40 – 11:00 | Coffee break |
|
11:00 – 12:30
| PLENARY IV
Moderator: Mr Akihiro Fushimi, Education Specialist, UNICEF EAPRO
· Presentation of the outcomes of thematic discussions (30’)
· Presentation of the sub-regional consultations (15’)
| Ballroom 1–2-3
|
12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch break and side events |
|
14:00– 14:45
| PLENARY V
Moderator: Ms Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa, Director, Division for Education 2030. UNESCO
| Ballroom 1-2-3
|
14:45 – 15:00 | Coffee break |
|
15:00 – 17:15 | Ministerial Roundtable Transforming education for our future in Asia and the Pacific
|
|
|
Two parallel break-out sessions (in-person – hybrid) (120’) Policy dialogue on:
1. Learning Recovery and Addressing the Learning Crisis Moderator: Ms Debora Comini, Director, UNICEF EAPRO
|
Ballroom 1
|
2. Transforming Education and its Systems Moderator: Mr Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, UNESCO Bangkok
| Ballroom 2-3
| |
19:30 – 21.30 | Dinner hosted by the Ministry of Education Thailand | Ballroom 1-2-3 |
Tuesday, 7 June 2022 (DAY 3) | Venue | |
09:00 – 09:20
| PLENARY VII Presentation of the recommendations from the ministerial roundtables
Moderator: Ms Mitsue Uemura, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF EAPRO
| Ballroom 1-2-3
|
09:20 – 09:35 | Coffee break |
|
09:35 – 11:00 | PLENARY VIII
Moderator: Mr Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, UNESCO Bangkok
| Ballroom 1-2-3
|
11:00– 12:00
| PLENARY IX
Moderator: Mr Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, UNESCO Bangkok
Towards the Transforming Education Summit (TES) (30’)
The Way Forward – Follow-up to APREMC II (20’) Co-chairs of the LE2030+ Networking Group
CLOSING SESSION
| Ballroom 1-2-3
|
12:00– 13:30 | Lunch |
|
End of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Minister’s Conference (APREMC II) |
Back-to-back Meetings | ||
Tuesday, 7 June 2022 (DAY 3) | Venue | |
13:30 – 15:00
| Regional launch of 2021/2 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report-Non-state actors in Education: Who chooses? Who loses? | Ballroom 3
|
14:00 – 18:00 | Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation Meeting in preparation for the 2nd World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (WCECCE) | Next 2 Chao Phraya
|
Wednesday, 8 June 2022 |
| |
09:00 – 17:00 | The 4th Meeting of the Regional Network of the SDG 4 National Coordinators
| Ballroom 3
|
SPEAKERS
H.E. Ms Treenuch Thienthong, Minister of Education, Thailand
H.E. Ms Thienthong currently serves as Thailand 55th Minister of Education. Prior to this, she served five terms as a Member of Parliament of Sa Kaeo province. She was also a Spokesperson for the Standing Committee on Tourism, a Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, and a Treasurer for the Executive Directors of the Thai National Group to the Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APPU). She also held a position as an Advisor to former Minister Agriculture and Cooperatives, former Minister of Social Development and Human Security, and former Deputy Minister of Education. In addition, she was appointed as Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Commerce and Vice Chairperson of the Steering Committee on Foreign Affairs. Between 2002-2008, H.E. Ms Thienthong was awarded two Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) and two Knight Grand Cross (First Class) for her outstanding services to the Kingdom of Thailand.
Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok
Mr Aoyagi has been associated with UNESCO since 1984 through educational and cultural programmes of the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO in Tokyo. He joined UNESCO in 2002 as Chief of the Literacy and Non-Formal Education in Paris. Mr Aoyagi was Director of the UNESCO Office in Kabul and Representative to Afghanistan. He initiated the largest literacy project in the history of UNESCO, “Empowerment of Literacy in Afghanistan” in 2006. In 2012, Mr Aoyagi took up the post of Director of the UNESCO Office in New Delhi, and Representative to India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. He led the development of SAARC Framework for Action for SDG4: Education 2030.
Debora Comini, Director, UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO)
Joining EAPRO in November 2021, Ms Comini is responsible for programme coherence and advocacy for UNICEF across the 14 country offices in the East Asia and the Pacific region. Ms Comini started her UNICEF career in 1991 in UNICEF Headquarter, New York, and held several senior positions including UNICEF Representative in Indonesia, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Latin America & Caribbean, UNICEF Representative in Nicaragua, UNICEF Representative in North Macedonia, UNICEF Representative in Venezuela, and Regional Chief of Planning for Latin America & Caribbean. On secondment to the Resident Coordinator system, she also held the UNRC and UNDP Resident Representative position in Mongolia.
H.E. Mr Shinsuke Suematsu, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan
Mr Suematsu is a Japanese politician and current member of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. He has represented the Hyogo at-large district as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party since 2004. Before entering politics in 1983, Mr Suematsu graduated from the School of Law and Politics, Kwansei Gakuin University in 1979 and worked for All Nippon Airways. He is Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Minister in charge of Education Rebuilding (Kishida Cabinet) since October 2021.
Ms Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General Envoy on Youth
Ms Wickramanayake was appointed as the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth in June 2017 at the age of 26. In this role, she works to expand the UN’s youth engagement and advocacy efforts across all four pillars of work – sustainable development, human rights, peace and security and humanitarian action – and serves as a representative of and advisor to the Secretary-General. Originally from Sri Lanka, Ms Wickramanayake has worked extensively on youth development and participation, and has played a key role in transforming the youth development sector in her home country. Prior to taking up her post, Ms Wickramanayake was instrumental in creating the movement for civic and political engagement of young people, especially young women in Sri Lanka named “Hashtag Generation”. Previously, she advocated for global youth development on an international level including as the first ever Sri Lankan Youth Delegate to the UN and as the youth lead negotiator and member of the International Youth Task Force of the World Conference on Youth 2014.
Ms Stefania Gianini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO
Ms Giannini was appointed UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education in 2018. She provides strategic vision and leadership in coordinating and monitoring the Education 2030 Agenda, encompassed in Sustainable Development Goal 4. During her term, she has given fresh impetus to multilateral and bilateral partnerships; increased global focus on education’s ethical role in providing learners with the skills to respond to 21st century challenges and heightened attention to the responsibility of universities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. She affirmed UNESCO’s leadership in the COVID-19 response through global evidence, guidance, policy dialogue and collaboration with public and private partners, including through the Global Education Coalition. With a background in the Humanities, Ms Giannini has served as Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia (2004 – 2012); Senator of the Republic of Italy (2013 – 2018) and Minister of Education, Universities and Research (2014 – 2016).
H.E. Ms Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili (Serbia), Chairperson of UNESCO’s Executive Board
The Executive Board of UNESCO elected Ambassador Rastovac Siamashivili as its Chairperson in November 2021, for a two-year mandate. Since March 2019 she has been Ambassador, Permanent Delegate to the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Serbia to UNESCO. Prior to this posting, she was Deputy Assistant Minister for Bilateral Relations. During her diplomatic career, she has also been Head of the Department for Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Council of Europe and Deputy Head of the Task Force OSCE Chairmanship of Serbia, both posts within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia. She has held posts in her government’s missions in Brussels, Strasbourg and New York.
Margarete Sachs-Israel, Chief of Section for Inclusive Quality Education, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (moderator of the panel segment)
Ms Sachs-Israel has over 30 years of experience in education and international development. Before joining UNESCO Bangkok, she was the UNICEF Regional Education Advisor for Latin American and Caribbean. Prior to that, she held the position of Chief Programme Coordinator, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning; and was the UNESCO focal point for the development of the United Nations Education 2030 Agenda at UNESCO Headquarters. In her current capacity, she oversees the SDG4-Education 2030 regional coordination, education policy, planning and management, quality of education, inclusive education, multilingual and mother tongue education, ECCE, as well as health education and well-being. She also serves as the co-chair of the UN networking group “Learning and Education 2030+” with UNICEF EAPRO and ROSA.
Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela, Director, SEAMEO Secretariat (moderator of the discussion segment)
Dr Valenzuela is the first woman director since the establishment of SEAMEO in 1965. She is a member of the UNESCO SDG Global Steering Committee and co-chair of ICT and Distance Education of the UNESCO International Teacher Task Force. She serves as a Technical Advisory Board member of the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning and a member of the Global Alliance for Monitoring Learning. She is also a technical advisory panel of the International Standards Classification of Teacher Training Programmes of UNESCO and UIS. She is a member of the ASEAN TVET Council and an ex-officio member of the ASEAN University Network. She has also served as Professorial Lecturer at the University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Education since 2006.
Rukmini Banerji, Chief Executive Officer, Pratham Education Foundation, India
Dr Banerji has extensive field experience working directly with rural and urban communities as well as in designing and implementing large scale partnerships with governments for improving the learning of elementary school-aged children. From 2005 to 2014, she led Pratham’s research and assessment efforts including the well-known ASER initiative (Annual Status of Education Report). Rukmini is the 2021 recipient of the Yidan Prize for education development.
Roger Chao Jr., Assistant Director & Head of Education, Youth and Sports Division, ASEAN Secretariat
Since 2013, Dr Chao has been engaged in the international education development sector, including with UNESCO, UNICEF, the European Commission, DAAD and the British Council. He holds a Ph.D in Asian and International Studies, a European Masters in Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management and a master’s in education (Mathematics). His latest publications include higher education in the Philippines, comparative and international education in East and Southeast Asia, Intra-ASEAN student mobility: overview, challenges & opportunities, and mobility, mutual recognition and ASEAN community-building: the road for sustainable ASEAN integration.
Baela Jamil, Chief Executive Officer, Idara e Taleem O Aahgi (ITA), Pakistan
As CEO of ITA, Dr Jamil heads the citizen-led assessment ASER Pakistan. She founded the Children’s Literature Festival in Pakistan and has been leading the COVID-19 response effort spearheading innovations in girls’ education and EdTech. She serves on multiple National/Provincial Government and private boards. Globally, she is the Commissioner to the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. She served as the Chair of the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning SDG 4.2 at the UNESCO Institute of Statistics and is the advisory member at the Global Business Coalition for Education and the Rise on Improving Systems of Education (RISE) Delivery Board.
Amporn Pinasa, Secretary General, Thailand’s Basic Education Commission (OBEC)
Dr Amporn Pinasa is the Secretary General of OBEC. He has served various high-level positions at OBEC since 2016. Prior to joining OBEC, Dr Amporn served as Director of Nongkhai Primary Education Service Area 1. Dr Amporn’s upbringing in a poor rural community in Northern Thailand as one of seven children with a single mother, fueled his determination to support disadvantaged children and ensure access to good quality schools for all. He has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Udon Thani Rajabhat University, a Masters Degree and Bachelors in Education from Khon Kean University. In 2022, he was highly recognized to receive a glorified pin, first honor from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for persons who supports Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Royal initiatives.
Pina Tarricone, Principal Research Fellow and Head of ACER Perth Western Australia, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Dr Tarricone’s expertise is in educational psychology constructs and their measurement, and digital assessment. She is the ACER project director for TALIS 2024, and the Teacher Knowledge Survey (TKS) 2024. She has led an international holistic development project investigating the ways whole child development is defined, valued and measured in education policies. During the COVID-19 pandemic she directed a Rapid Review of the Education in Emergencies Literature. In 2021, she led a NEQMAP Thematic Review on flexible learning strategies in response to the pandemic.
Sally Gear, Senior Education Advisor (Gender), Global Partnership for Education (GPE)
(Moderator of the panel and discussion segments)
Ms Gear has over twenty years of experience working on gender and education. Prior to joining the GPE Secretariat, she worked as a senior education specialist for the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office during which she designed and led the Girls Education Challenge, at the time the largest global programme specifically targeting marginalized girls. She has also worked on education and gender programming for an international non-profit organization and was a researcher and lecturer in Social Development the University of Manchester in the UK.
Sandra Morrison, Acting Dean, Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, University of Waikato, New Zealand
Associate Professor Morrison is an indigenous woman from New Zealand from the Te Arawa and Tainui tribes. She is the Acting Dean, Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato. Her research and professional specialty focus on adult education, education for sustainability and the application of indigenous models in addressing developmental issues to improve livelihoods for indigenous peoples and peoples of the Pacific. Sandy is the Past President of ICAE, International Council for Adult Education and was inducted into the International Adult and Community Education Hall of Fame by the University of Oklahoma in 2009.
Dina Joana Ocampo, Professor, University of the Philippines College of Education
Ms Ocampo teaches courses on literacy development, and her work has influenced public policy on education and the professional development of teachers. Presently, she is co-convenor of the Education Research Program at the Center for Integrative and Development Studies, and the editor-in-chief of the Philippine Journal on Education Studies, both in the University of the Philippines. From 2013 to 2017, she served as Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction at the Department of Education. She collaborates with academics, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations that advocate for literacy and books such as the Reading Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Dyslexia Foundation, Philippine Board on Books for Young People, UNESCO, and the Global Reading Network.
Sheldon Shaeffer, Chair and Board of Directors, Asia-Pacific Regional Network on Early Childhood (ARNEC)
Dr Shaeffer was Director of UNESCO’s Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok for over seven years, retiring in 2008. Earlier, he worked as the Director of Education and Population Programmes for the International Development Research Centre in Canada, a senior research fellow at the International Institute for Educational Planning (UNESCO), and head of UNICEF’s global education programme. Most recently, he has been the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asia-Pacific Regional Network on Early Childhood (ARNEC), a member of the Executive Leadership Council of the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), and the coordinator of the programme for Global Leaders for Early Childhood in Asia and the Pacific.
Nantanoot Suwannawut, Researcher, Special Education Bureau, Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education, Thailand
Dr Suwannawut works on inclusive education and access technologies for persons with disabilities. She also guides academic researchers and practitioners in areas of disability employment and a barrier-free society and inclusion. She is one of the key leaders of the Thailand Association of the Blind and has served on several advisory committees such as the Promotion of Information Access for Persons with Visual Impairments and Print Disability program. In addition, she joined the team of Thailand Safe School network and got involved in DRR projects. She has also been elected as the ASEAN sub-regional chair of the World Blind Union.
Priyanka Pal, Youth Programme Officer, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE)
Working on creating accessible content for different campaigns for advocacy, Ms Pal envisions a society where youth are heard and able to contribute their work towards building an inclusive, fair and just policies. Having worked with different communities at different levels, she truly believes in walking the path together, especially taking into consideration marginalised communities. Priyanka has a keen interest in social justice, equality, mental health and inclusion of persons with disabilities. She is a documentary filmmaker around disability issues and has been involved in other documentary films.
Jonghwi Park, Head of Innovation and Education, United Nations University Institute for Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) (moderator of the panel segment)
At UNU, Dr Park promotes the innovative and inclusive use of technology to provide inclusive lifelong learning opportunities to engage everyone in sustainable development. Her team serves as secretariats for two renowned networks on Educational for Sustainable Development (ESD), namely, Regional Centres for Expertise on ESD (RCEs) and Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research Network (ProSPER.NET). Prior to joining UNU, Dr Park was a team leader and programme specialist of ICT in Education at UNESCO Asia Pacific Regional Bureau for Education and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in 2011-2020.
Peter de Vries, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (moderator of the discussion segment)
Peter de Vries has 25+ years of experience in education and development, including with UNICEF’s field-based country offices in five countries in three regions, including Cambodia, Ghana and Zimbabwe. He is currently the UNICEF Regional Education Advisor for South Asia, based in Kathmandu, Nepal supporting education programming in eight countries. Prior to his current assignment he was a Senior Education Advisor (Management, Advocacy and Partnerships) at UNICEF HQ office in New York. He brings vast expertise in a wide range of education thematic areas (including early childhood education, girls’ education, out-of-school children, and second chance education) as well as education planning, data and evidence, capacity development programs and system strengthening in general.
Tom Kaye, Global Lead of Country Engagement, EdTech Hub
Mr Kaye is an international education specialist with more than 10 years’ experience working with EdTech Hub, the World Bank, UNICEF and other actors designing, implementing and evaluating education programs in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Mr Kaye leads EdTech Hub providing guidance to education decision-makers globally on how to use technology to make education systems more effective, efficient and equitable. He also leads research projects, designs and implements technical assistance, and works closely with national decision-makers to ensure that policies and programs that incorporate EdTech are informed by international good practices.
Le Anh Vinh, Director General, Viet Nam Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES)
Professor Le is Director General of Viet Nam Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES) and the Director of National Center for Sustainable Development of General Education Quality. Before joining VNIES, he held several positions at University of Education, Viet Nam National University, including Dean of Faculty of Teacher Education, Director of Center for Educational Researches and Applications, and Principal of High school of Educational Sciences. Prof Le has published more than 60 papers at international journals (both in Math and Education) and is leading a research group at Viet Nam Institute of Educational Sciences on developing Viet Nam Educational Strategy Framework 2021-2030.
Samir Kumar Paul, National Coordinator at YPEER Bangladesh & Volunteer at JAAGO Foundation
Samir Kumar Paul is a youth leader and a development practitioner in Bangladesh. He has a background in both Computer Science Engineering and Development Studies. Samir has over seven years of both volunteering and employment experience with JAAGO Foundation in youth development and Digital Education Program. In addition, he is acting as the National Coordinator of YPEER Bangladesh, where he facilitates development of young people’s knowledge of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Samir is highly enthusiastic to work for digital transformation in learning and reducing the digital divide in Bangladesh through mobilising youth.
Oyunaa Purevdorj, Director-General, Education Integrated Policy and Implementation Department, Ministry of Education and Science, Mongolia
Ms Purevdorj graduated from Hiroshima University, Japan. She has been working in education sector for over two decades as a teacher, researcher, advisor and policy-maker. She has extensive work and research experience in teacher education, teacher appraisal and education quality assurance. Lately, she has been working on the teacher performance appraisal system in Mongolia. Digital transformation being one of the areas assigned to her department, she is responsible for promoting digital transformation in the education sector of Mongolia.
Wesley Teter, Senior Consultant in Educational Innovation and Skills Development for UNESCO’s Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok, Thailand (moderator of the panel segment)
Dr Teter serves as UNESCO’s focal point for higher education and TVET in 46 countries in Asia and the Pacific. Wesley is co-editor of the Handbook of Education Policy by Edward Elgar Publishing (forthcoming in 2023) and two UNESCO guidelines on qualification frameworks in Asia-Pacific. His technical assistance and research projects in the region focus on migration policy, relevance of education, and fair recognition of skills and qualifications to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
Cecilia (Thea) Soriano, Regional Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) (moderator of the discussion segment)
Ms Soriano coordinates ASPBAE’s engagements in regional intergovernmental meetings for SDG4 and other platforms to advance the right to education for all. She supports and builds the capacity of national education coalitions in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Indonesia. She worked with trade unions, indigenous communities and NGOs in popular education from 1986 to 2006. She is a founding member of the Civil Society Network for Education Reforms (E-Net Philippines) and served as its National Coordinator from 2006 to 2012.
Siong Choy Chong, Chief Technical Officer (Quality Assurance), Finance Accreditation Agency, Malaysia
As a senior assessor of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, Mr Chong was involved in developing programme standards and guidelines for good practices, including Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning and Micro-Credentials. Regionally, he is a lead assessor for the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance, a member of the Expert Advisory Group of the Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region and a member of the Quality Evaluation Panel of Macao SAR. Dr Chong was instrumental in developing the Guidelines for the Implementation of Qualifications Frameworks in Asia-Pacific, published by UNESCO in October 2020.
Suwithida Charungkaittikul, Full-time Lecturer, the Department of Lifelong Education, Faculty of Education & Director of General of Education Center, Chulalongkorn University
From 2010 until 2011, Ms Charungkaittikul was a research fellow in the Andragogy Doctoral Emphasis Specialty Instructional Leadership Program at Lindenwood University, where she completed her post-doctoral training in Education Andragogy and Learning Society Development. She has published on learning city/society/region development, lifelong learning policy, adult learning and education, and non-formal and informal education. She currently holds several positions including Director of General Education Center, Chulalongkorn University, Assistant Secretary of the Comparative Education Society of Asia, and Asia Coordinator for ASEM LLL Hub.
Khau Huu Phuoc, Manager of Research and Training, Regional Centre for Lifelong Learning, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO CELLL)
Khau Huu Phuoc had 22 years of experience in teacher training and curriculum design at Ho Chi Minh University of Education, Vietnam before he transferred to SEAMEO CELLL. In his current capacity, he has promoted understanding of lifelong learning and adult education and sharing of related good practices for master trainers and teachers of non-formal education from the region. From 2016 to 2018, he coordinated the Southeast Asian countries in the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) regional project ’Towards a Lifelong Learning Agenda for Southeast Asia’ and led the writing team of its compendium. Most recently he developed the Curriculum for Managers of Adult Education Centres for international use by DVV International.
Heon Joo Suh, Director of Public Relations and International Affairs. National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE), Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea
Dr Suh is Director of Public Relations and International Affairs at the National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) under the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea. Since 2016, Dr Suh has worked in various positions at NILE including Executive Director of K-MOOC; Director of College Lifelong Education, Centre Director of National Centre for Multi-cultural Education. At NILE, he has developed and implemented MOOC-based projects such as the co-development of a series of MOOC courses on data science amongst JMOOC, K-MOOC, ThaiMOOC and ASEM Network of MOOC Initiatives.
Elana Wong, Global Focal Point, Migration Children and Youth Platform, Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY)
At MGCY, Ms Wong leads youth participation in high level migration advocacy at the UN and state level. She was the former Asia and Pacific Regional Focal Point, where she led youth consultations and engagement in the Global Compact for Migration Asia-Pacific Regional Reviews, co-organised the regional Stakeholder Consultation 3 with UNESCO, and coordinated youth speakers and participation at the Review Meeting. She is also a co-founder of Colours of Edinburgh, a social project promoting the self-expression of and raising awareness of challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers.
Ivan Coursac, Education Economist, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Nepal (moderator of the panel segment)
Mr Coursac supports all eight countries in South Asia in programming for equitable and quality Education, and responses to Covid-19. He is the UNICEF regional focal point for education finance and budgeting, education data and SDG4, out-of-school children, and regional partnerships with SAARC and the Asia Pacific Learning and Education networking group. He co-chairs the Asia Pacific technical working group on School Health Nutrition and Well-being with WHO and UNESCO, and provides technical assistance to UNICEF Country Offices on Global Partnership for Education programs.
Nyi Nyi Thaung, Programme Specialist (Education Policy, Planning and Management), UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (moderator of the discussion segment)
Mr Thaung is the Programme Specialist (Education Policy and Planning) at UNESCO Bangkok office. Prior to his current position, he worked at UNESCO Islamabad Office and Headquarters in Paris. He also served at the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Headquarters in Montreal, Canada and its regional office in Bangkok. Mr Thaung has more than 20 years of experiences working with UNESCO both in the field offices and at Headquarters in supporting various UNESCO project and programmes activities in more than 50 countries in Asia and the Pacific, Africa and Arab States.
Manos Antoninis, Director, Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, UNESCO
Mr Antoninis is the Director of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report since 2017. He was previously responsible for the monitoring section of the report. He coordinated the financing gap estimates for the 2030 education targets, the projections on the achievement of universal primary and secondary education completion, and the World Inequality Database on Education. He has been representing the report team in the Technical Cooperation Group on SDG 4 indicators, which he is currently co-chairing. Prior to joining the team he worked for 10 years on public finance, monitoring and evaluation projects in education.
Sachiko Kataoka, Senior Economist, World Bank
Ms Kataoka is a Senior Economist of the World Bank based in Manila and responsible for managing the Bank’s education portfolio in the Philippines. She joined the World Bank in 2006 and has worked primarily in the Europe and Central Asia Regions and the East Asia and Pacific Region. Her expertise is education financing, student assessments, and higher education. Her publications include the World Bank’s Education Public Expenditure Review Guidelines, per capita financing case studies, Philippines PISA 2018 Country Report, and higher education sector analyses for various countries.
Kraiyos Patrawart, Managing Director, Equitable Education Fund (EEF)
Since 2020, Dr Patrawart has been appointed by the Royal Thai Government as a member of the Thailand’s national education reform committee to oversee the national education reform plan and make policy recommendations to the Royal Thai Government in multiple education reform areas. Between 2017-2019, he was also a member of the Independent Committee on Education Reform (ICER) appointed by the Royal Thai Government. He helped draft a number of key education reform legislations as authorized by the 2017 constitution of Thailand. His previous positions include Assistant Managing Director on policy and research at the Quality Learning Foundation, Research Fellow at Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science and Teaching Fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Anantha Duraiappah, Director, UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable development (MGIEP), India (moderator of the panel segment)
At MGIEP, UNESCO’s first and only Category 1 Institute in the Asia Pacific, Professor Duraiappah is responsible for developing the Empathy, Mindfulness, Compassion, Critical inquiry (EMC2) model—the Institute’s novel approach on Social and Emotional Learning —to achieving SDG 4. A strong believer in personalized learning and Artificial Intelligence for good, he initiated and oversaw the development of the Institute’s Artificial Intelligence-powered General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant learning platform-FramerSpace, now being used across many countries. He is an academic and science-policy advocate at heart and is a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the World Academy of Arts and Sciences (WAAS). Anantha co-chaired the International Science and Evidence based Education (ISEE) Assessment and the Biodiversity Synthesis Group of the Kofi Annan commissioned Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
Jenelle Babb, Regional Advisor, Education for Health and Well-being, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (moderator of the discussion segment)
Ms Babb is Regional HIV and Health Education Advisor for the Asia-Pacific region, based in UNESCO’s regional bureau for education in its Bangkok office. She has been working in the areas of HIV prevention education, comprehensive sexuality education, school health and young people’s health and development for more than 17 years, including in the Section of Health and Education at UNESCO HQs, the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean and the Ministry of Education, Jamaica. In her role as Regional Advisor she leads the implementation of UNESCO’s Strategy on education for health and wellbeing in the Asia-Pacific, to support ministries of education and their partners to deliver good quality education to all learners that contributes to healthy lifestyles and gender equality.
Faryal Khan, Programme Specialist for Education, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education)
Dr Khan leads the Education Quality team at the Inclusive Quality Education (IQE) Section of UNESCO Bangkok, focusing on the continuum of cognitive and non-cognitive learning including curriculum, pedagogy and assessments, global citizenship education, and education for sustainable development. Previously, she served at UNESCO Headquarters and in several cluster and liaison offices, including UNESCO Kingston Office covering 20 Small Islands Development States in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean; UNESCO Doha Office, covering the Arab States in the Gulf and Yemen; and UNESCO New York Office, liaison to UN Secretariat. Dr Khan is known for her research in educational policy and planning, specifically, local governance of Education in Asia, Africa, the Arab States, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining UNESCO, Dr Khan worked for the World Bank and Beaconhouse School System, Pakistan, one of the largest private school systems in Asia.
Helen Cahill, Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne
Emeritus Professor Helen Cahill leads a body of research addressing child and youth wellbeing. She has developed disaster recovery, violence-reduction, social and emotional learning, gender rights, sexuality, and drug education programmes for use in schools and community settings in Australia, as well as a in the Asia-Pacific and East and Southern Africa regions. She is lead author of Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships, an open-access, evidence-informed social and emotional learning and respectful relationships education program for Australian students aged 5-18, and the UNESCO Connect with Respect program for prevention of school related gender-based violence.
Kyung Koo Han, Secretary-General, Korean National Commission for UNESCO
Dr Han is the Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO. As a cultural anthropologist by training, Dr Han taught anthropology at Kangwon National University, and helped develop the Division of International Studies at Kookmin University as its dean. In 2009, he joined the newly founded College of Liberal Studies of Seoul National University and served as its dean until 2020.
Maria Nguyen, International Education Officer, Family Planning New South Wales & Youth Representative, SDG4 Youth Network
Ms Nguyen is an SDG4 Youth Network Representative and an Action Track 1 Co-lead for the Transforming Education Summit. Currently, she is the International Education Officer at Family Planning New South Wales, providing technical assistance to Ministries of Education and Health to implement comprehensive sexuality education through formal and informal education. She has previously worked as a teacher and has experience supporting students with learning disabilities and difficulties as an education specialist.
Kazuhiro Yoshida, Professor, Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education, Hiroshima University, Japan
Until recently, Professor Yoshida served as co-chair and a member (Asia and the Pacific) of SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee. He is a Secretary of Africa-Asia University Dialogue on Educational Development, a UNITWIN network where 29 African and Asian universities conduct joint research on education. He is a member of Japan National Commission for UNESCO. His research interest is in education policies in developing countries, aid effectiveness, and skills development. He holds an MPhil in development studies from the University of Sussex.
Clifford Meyers, Board Member, Asia Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) (moderator of the panel segment)
Mr Meyers worked with UNICEF for 23 years, including 11 years as Regional Education Advisor for the East Asia Pacific Regional Office, where he led the Integrated Early Childhood Development team and helped to establish ARNEC. Recently, he supported the development of the Reading Readiness Programs for pre-primary students with GPE Laos, the Regional ECCE Pre-Service Teacher Training Handbook for Social Emotional Learning and the draft Early Learning Development Standards for 0–3-year-olds in Bhutan. Mr Meyers is active in the fields of inclusive education, mother tongue-based multilingual education and educational planning.
Joyce Poan, Chief of Education Unit, UNESCO New Delhi Office (moderator of the discussion segment)
Ms Poan joined UNESCO’s New Delhi Office in November 2021 as Chief of Education managing inclusive and equitable quality education for all in Bhutan, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Previously, she was at UNESCO Headquarters working on the Education Sector’s priorities including the Global Citizenship Education programme and thematic areas such as peace and human rights education, education for international understanding, nationalism, and prevention of violent extremism. Joyce also managed relations with UNESCO’s external partners and Field Offices, and its Education Institutes and Centers.
Roland Angerer, Regional Director for Asia, ChildFund International
In over 30 years of professional career in development, Mr Angerer has worked across all continents. Starting with advocacy and development education in Austria, he later worked for UNDP in Central America and an Austrian NGO in Africa. For 17 years he served in Plan International as Country Director and Regional Director in Colombia, India, Panama and Kenya. Since June 2018, he is the Regional Director for ChildFund International in Asia. Mr Angerer understands that development is a constant process of evolving attitudes, mindsets and choices for people and requires a continuous and firm rejection of all forms of injustice and discrimination.
Mita Gupta, Early Childhood Development Specialist and Disability Inclusive Education focal point, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia
Ms Gupta has worked in the field of education (including early childhood education, disability inclusive education, gender and education, and reaching out-of-school children), early childhood development, and gender and development for over 20 years in the Asia-Pacific region with UNICEF and UNESCO, and at UNICEF Headquarters. Before joining the UN, she worked in a gender and development NGO, AWID, in Washington, DC, and in a state adult literacy programme in Oregon in the United States. She holds a Master’s in Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Wayne Mendiola, Assistant Secretary, Department of Education, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)
Mr Mendiola started his career as a school vice-principal and later principal at Pohnpei Catholic School. In 2003, he was as School Health Program Coordinator in the Department of Health Education and Social Affairs of FSM. In 2007-2013, he served as the Postsecondary Administrator in the Department of Education. Since 2013, he is the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education and currently Chairman of FSM National Commission for UNESCO, Chairman of the FSM Nutrition Council. He is a member of the Pacific Board of Education Quality (PBEQ), a member of the Pacific Heads of Education System (PHES) and a Steering Committee member for the Pacific Island Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA).
Nodir Muslitdinov, Deputy Minister of Preschool Education, Republic of Uzbekistan
Deputy Minister Muslitdinov is responsible for the formation of financial policy and the introduction of digital technologies in preschool education, construction and equipping of preschool educational organizations. Prior to joining the Ministry in 2021, Mr Muslitdinov was Head of Department of the Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan. He has 20 years of experience in the Ministry of Finance, where he participated in the development of strategic legislative acts aimed at reforming the system of education, healthcare and social protection. In 2019-2020, under his leadership, the information system “Unified Register of Social Protection” was introduced, which made it possible to increase the targeting of social assistance provided to the population through the gradual digitalization of social protection procedures for the population.
Panadda Thanasetkorn, Lecturer, National Institute for Child and Family Development, Mahidol University
After earning her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education, Assistant Professor Thanasetkorn entered the educational world to explore her passion for teaching and research. She joined the National Institute for Child and Family Development, Mahidol University in 2010 as a lecturer. She can also be credited for contributions to teacher and parent coaching. Her research interests lie in the areas of brain, mind, behaviour and relationships, executive functions, and positive discipline.
John Barrett Trew, Adolescent Skills & Employability Lead, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (moderator of the panel segment)
Prior to joining UNICEF, Mr Trew served as Global Head of Skills & Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship and director of the Youth Employment Solutions (YES!) Team at Plan International. He founded Plan International’s Youth Employment Global Center of Excellence with some of the leading Fortune 500 companies. Prior to this, he served as the Director of Strategic Communications & Organizational Expansion at Street GRACE, a faith-based non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), Senior Technical Advisor on Child Labor & Girls’ Education at CARE (2005-2009) and Winrock International’s Education Specialist and Project Manager (2002-2005).
Margarete Sachs-Israel, Chief of Section for Inclusive Quality Education, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (moderator of discussion segment)
Ms Sachs-Israel has over 30 years of experience in education and international development. Before joining UNESCO Bangkok, she was the UNICEF Regional Education Advisor for Latin American and Caribbean. Prior to that, she held the position of Chief Programme Coordinator, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning; and was the UNESCO focal point for the development of the United Nations Education 2030 Agenda at UNESCO Headquarters. In her current capacity, she oversees the SDG4-Education 2030 regional coordination, education policy, planning and management, quality of education, inclusive education, multilingual and mother tongue education, ECCE, as well as health education and well-being. She also serves as the co-chair of the UN networking group “Learning and Education 2030+” with UNICEF EAPRO and ROSA.
G. H. Ambat, Deputy Minister for Alternative Learning System, Department of Education, Philippines
Ms Ambat is Assistant Secretary for Alternative Learning Systems of the Department of Education, and the lead Executive Committee official of the Philippines’ Department of Education in strengthening and expanding the implementation of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program. She leads the formulation and review of policies, introduction of innovations and execution of reforms to strengthen non-formal programmes for youth and adults. She also heads up the operationalization of programs and projects that lead to the “level-up” of the Department’s second chance basic education program.
Iking Corpus, Master’s Candidate in Global Human Development, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and Adolescent Skills and Employability Intern at UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia
Mr Corpus is a passionate development practitioner with extensive research and policy experience focused on improving sustainable learning and employment outcomes of vulnerable youth in Asia and the Pacific. His areas of interest include the role of meaningful youth engagement in youth economic empowerment issues, maker-based education and training pedagogy, and understanding the coping strategies of young workers and entrepreneurs during crises. Over the past seven years, he has worked with international organizations, such as the Asian Development Bank, Plan International, and EnCube Labs.
Julien Magnat, Skills and Employability Specialist, Regional office for Asia and Pacific, International Labour Organization (ILO)
For the last 17 years, Mr Magnat has been working on Skills Development and Decent Work in more than 20 countries for ILO in Africa, Americas, Asia and the Middle East, including 6 LDC and middle-income countries of Asia. In the last four years, Mr Magnat supported Asia’s governments, employers, and workers’ organizations to strengthen and innovate their skills development systems.
Considering digitalization, decarbonization and demography megatrends impacting the future of work and Covid-19 pandemic, his main areas of support relate to digital and green transformation of TVET, skills and migration, workplace-based learning and youth employment.
Meekyung Shin, Education Specialist, Asian Development Bank
Ms Shin is an Education Specialist at Education Sector Group, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank. She is specialized in secondary education policies, K-12 assessment, and early childhood education. Before she joined ADB, she worked for the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea as director in the divisions of teaching and assessment policy in K-12, university scholarship for university students, internationalization of education institutes and Early Childcare Education. She majored in Education and has bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Seoul National University of the Republic of Korea.
Mitsue Uemura, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) (moderator of the panel segment)
Joining EAPRO in June 2022, Ms Uemura leads the regional office’s support to country offices’ education programming for achieving ‘every child learns’ and works with regional partners to advance regional and global education goals. Prior to this, she served as Chief of Education in Myanmar for six years and Chief of Education in Viet Nam as well as in Papua New Guinea. She held the position of Education Specialist in the East and Southern Africa Regional Office based in Kenya, and in Ecuador. She also worked as UNV in Bhutan and education consultant for the World Bank.
Jim Ackers, International expert (moderator of the discussion segment)
Mr Ackers retired from UNICEF in February 2022 after serving as the Regional Education Adviser at the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia where he co-chaired the Education 2030+. From 2017 to 2019, he was Head of Training at UNESCO IIEP, Paris. Jim worked for UNICEF for 18 years including as Chief of Education in Nigeria, where he set up the largest DFID girls’ education project in the world; and in Tanzania (2007-2009) where he helped the government develop an in-service primary education training system. From 2009-2014 he was the REA in Eastern and Southern Africa. Jim’s work has included areas ranging from early childhood education, teacher education, disability inclusion and adolescent skills and employability.
Jennie Jocson, Vice President for Academics, Philippine Normal University
Dr Jocson held the position of Deputy Director at the Philippine National Research Center for Teacher Quality, a DFAT – Australian Aid funded Research Center. She led national high-impact research aimed at improving teacher quality in the country. She is a UNESCO consultant on assessment and has worked with the Uzbekistan, Bhutan, Myanmar and Mongolia Ministries of Education to develop tools to assess teacher competencies against the ICT-Competency for Teachers. She is a gender advocate and has presented studies on gender mainstreaming in national and international fora. Her research interests include assessment, teacher cognition and quality, and gender.
Vongdeuan Osay, Deputy Director-General, Department of Teacher Education, Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR
Associate Professor Osay is responsible for teacher education development plans and teacher policies in relation to both pre-service and in-service teacher professional development. She received her master’s degree majoring in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) from University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Prior to this, she served as a senior lecturer, curriculum developer and researcher at the Faculty of Education, National University of Laos. In addition, she currently works as an ASEAN University Network – Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) Assessor and has assessed a number of study programmes at different universities.
Anand Singh, Chief Regional Coordinator, Education International (EI) Asia Pacific
Mr Singh joined EI in 2015 and has been directing EI’s programs and activities aimed at strengthening teachers’ trade unions, promotion of free quality public education, professional development of teachers and protection of trade and human rights. Prior to joining EI, Anand taught undergraduate students at Delhi University for six years. Education International is the Global Union Federation that brings together organisations of teachers and other education employees from across the world. Through 383 member organisations, EI represents more than 32 million teachers and education support personnel in 178 countries and territories.
Mike Thiruman, General Secretary, Singapore Teachers’ Union (STU)
Mr Thiruman has over 25 years of experience in education research, teaching, curriculum development, educational project management and professional development. He currently serves on various committees in the Labour Movement in Singapore and internationally. He was the Vice-Chairman of the Public Sector Industrial Relations Committee and sat on the National Wages Council as well as the Lifelong Learning Council. He was elected as Vice-Chairperson in the Asia Pacific Regional Committee of Education International. He has worked with OECD on International Teacher Forums as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia country report on education.
Minxuan Zhang, Director, UNESCO Teacher Education Centre & Professor and Former President, Shanghai Normal University
Professor Zhang joined Shanghai Normal University in 1986 and worked as Deputy Director General, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, President of Shanghai Academy of Education Sciences (2004-2010), and President of Shanghai Normal University (2010-2014). Currently, Professor Zhang is Director of the Teacher Education Centre under the auspices of UNESCO. His research areas include educational policy and planning, teacher education and international comparative education. He chaired Shanghai PISA 2009 & 2012, Shanghai TALIS 2013 & 2018 (Teaching And Learning International Survey) and World Bank Project “SABER” in Shanghai.
Akihiro Fushimi, Regional Education Specialist, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (moderator of the panel segment)
Mr Fushimi leads technical areas such as Education Sector Analysis and Planning, Educational Monitoring and Evaluation (including SDG4 Monitoring), Out-of-School Children Initiative, among others, while strengthening partnerships with stakeholders in the region and beyond. Over the past 20 years, he has contributed to educational development in Asia, Africa and Europe. He holds a doctoral degree in education, specializing in school self-evaluation and decentralization of education.
Roshan Bajracharya, Senior Regional Advisor, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Asia Pacific region (moderator of the discussion segment)
For more than ten years, Mr Bajracharya has been working with global, regional, and national partners in strengthening country capacities in statistical systems particularly education statistics. He has taken strong leadership in streamlining global monitoring with developing national SDG4 monitoring and education statistical frameworks by designing and implementing various statistical programmes and projects for strengthening education data in the Asia and pacific region. Mr Bajracharya has organized numerous regional and national training workshops for member states on international education data and monitoring.
Jimin Cho, Senior Researcher, Division of Educational Evaluation, Korea Institute for Curriculum & Evaluation (KICE), Republic of Korea.
Ms Cho has an academic background in education specializing in educational psychology, majoring in educational measurement and evaluation. Her major experience has been in developing the framework for student assessments, specifically in scoring and reporting based on in-depth analysis of various major assessments such as international and national student assessments in Korea.
Silvia Montoya, Director, UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Dr Montoya is leading the international education community in building consensus around the standards, methodologies, and indicators needed to measure progress towards Education 2030 and supporting regional partners and member states in shaping the monitoring systems for SDG4. She has launched the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning and serves as the Co-Chair of the Technical Cooperation Group on SDG 4–Education 2030. Prior to joining the UIS in 2015, Dr Montoya was the Director-General of Assessment and Evaluation of Education Quality at the Ministry of Education of Argentina. She was also a professor and researcher at the Catholic University of Argentina.
Haryati Binti Mohamed Razali, Senior Principal Assistant Director, Ministry of Education, Malaysia
Ms Razali has 22 years of experience in education, from practitioner to policy planner. Currently, she is the Head of Educational Macro Data Planning Sector in the Ministry of Education Malaysia, leading the planning, design and maintenance of the MOE data management system, including EMIS and databases, planning for data integration and data visualization. She has vast experience in arge of collecting, processing, verifying, analyzing and disseminating Malaysia’s education data. She is responsible for preparing education indicators which respond to statistical needs of various stakeholders of the Ministry to measure the progress towards national and international goals (SDG4).
Hem Raj Regmi, Deputy Director General, Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Nepal
Dr Regmi is a statistician by profession, responsible for the social, economic and environmental statistics division at CBS. In his professional career of more than 25 years in statistics, he worked with the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Ministry of Agriculture and with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN based in Bangkok (FAORAP), under the project Global Strategy to Improve Agriculture and Rural Statistics in the Asia Pacific Region. He also worked as a food security and SDG monitoring consultant for Afghanistan, Lao PDR and many other countries in the Asia Pacific region.
James (Jim) Shoobridge, Senior Advisor and Consultant for UNESCO/UNICEF
Mr Shoobridge has 28 years’ experience in International Education Development, primarily in Monitoring and Evaluation, the development of Education Information Systems, Education Planning, Education Sector Analysis and other forms of analysis and evaluation. James has worked on a wide range of projects in the areas of education and public sector reform throughout Africa, Asia and Central Asia in 28 countries. Mr Shoobridge has evaluated programmes, developed monitoring systems, undertaken sector planning activities and project design.
PARTNERS
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (UNESCO Bangkok) Education is UNESCO’s top priority because it is a basic human right and the foundation for peace and sustainable development. UNESCO is the United Nations’ specialized agency for the worldwide development of education, science, and culture initiatives and for providing global and regional leadership to drive progress, to strengthen the resilience and capacity-building of national systems to serve all learners, and to respond to contemporary global challenges through transformative learning pedagogies. For more information about UNESCO and its work, visit: www.unesco.org |
|
UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org |
|
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) | Japanese Funds-In-Trust The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) is responsible for human resources development with rich humanity and creativity through the promotion of education and lifelong learning. MEXT is also responsible for the comprehensive promotion of science and technology, sports and culture.Achieving SDG4 globally, especially through the promotion of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), is one of the top priorities of the Ministry which continues to support UNESCO’s global efforts by the Japanese Funds-in-Trust. For more information about MEXT and its work, visit: www.mext.go.jp/en/ |
|
The mission of the Ministry of Education is to provide quality education for every child, youth, disabled and disadvantaged, equitably everywhere, in cities, rural and outreached areas, by the public and private authorities from early childhood until year 6 of secondary education and equivalent. Also, develop Thai students at vocational and higher education levels to be professionals, modern citizens of the world with diverse skills, competitiveness in global markets, living in a knowledge-based society. For more information about MOE Thailand and its work, visit: http://www.en.moe.go.th/ |
THEMES
The overarching theme of APREMC-II is ‘Education Recovery and Transformation towards more Responsive, Relevant and Resilient Education Systems: Accelerating progress towards SDG 4-Education 2030’.
With this in mind, the Conference is framed around three interlinked message/angles:
1. Achieving a deep transformation of education systems and building resilience (e.g., more flexible, more inclusive, resilient, more digital, more environmentally friendly and sustainable systems)
2. Achieving learning recovery and, in the longer term, improving learning outcomes (addressing the learning crisis)
3. Achieving increased and better investment in education and enablers for transformation
The conference will have two segments, a Technical Segment and a Ministerial Segment.
I. Technical Segment
The Technical Segment (Day 1) will consist of up to nine parallel thematic sessions (panel discussions).
Each session will have two parts and start with a panel discussion of approximately one hour, followed by an interactive dialogue of approximately one hour between the panel and the audience based on guiding questions with the aim of formulating recommendations on priority actions and strategies going forward.
II. High-level ministerial segment
The High-level ministerial segment (Day 2 and 3) will be a session dedicated to discussions between the ministers/vice ministers, or high-level officials delegated by ministers, from the 46 Member States of UNESCO from the Asia-Pacific region. Ministerial policy roundtables will be organized, during which ministers will be have the opportunity to present key challenges as well as proven policies, practices and innovations and exchange views on priority areas and strategies for education recovery and transformation which address the learning crisis beyond COVID-19. The policy exchange will be structured around the three key themes of the Conference: Achieving a.) deep transformation of education systems (e.g., more flexible, more inclusive, more digital, more environmentally friendly and sustainable systems); b.) learning recovery and addressing the learning crisis; and c.) increased investment in education, with the overall objective to accelerate progress towards SDG4.
The Asia and Pacific region is very diverse and consequently, its sub-regions face different challenges which require contextualized solutions. Therefore, in order to truly reflect the diverse needs and priorities of the region, a contextualized approach will be taken to the ministerial policy discussions to reflect and respond to sub-regional contexts and needs. The aim is to be identify existing and future challenges and contextualized priority areas and strategies for action, taking into consideration each sub-regions’ reality to develop recommendations for educational transformation and to accelerate progress towards SDG 4.
Bangkok Statement 2022
Conference outcomes culminated in a series of stated priority actions and recommendations comprising the Bangkok Statement 2022 (‘Statement’), a ‘roadmap’ for a region seeking to rebuild and transform its ailing education systems. While acknowledging the region’s extensive diversity and need for contextual approaches to learning, the Bangkok Statement reaffirms ‘the inter-dependence and common future of our societies and economies’. The Statement sets out two major ‘priority actions’ comprising: 1) Safe School Reopening, Learning Recovery and Continuity of Learning; and 2) Transforming Education and Education Systems.
The 2022 Bangkok Statement is also available in Thai and Japanese language and a Tri-fold Brochure.
Ministerial Roundtables:
Transforming education for our future in Asia and the Pacific
| I. Learning Recovery and Addressing the Learning Crisis | |
1 | China* | H.E. Mr Qin Changwei Secretary-General National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO |
2 | Cook Islands | H.E. Mr. Vaine Makiroa Mokoroa Minister of Education |
3 | Kyrgyzstan | H.E. Mr. Almazbek Beishenaliev Minister Ministry of Education and Science |
4 | Lao PDR | H.E. Dr. Sisouk Vongvichith Vice Minister Ministry of Education and Sports |
5 | Mongolia | H.E. Mr Enkh-Amgalan Luvsantseren Minister Ministry of Education and Science |
6 | Nauru | Mrs Darrina Kun Secretary for Education Ministry of Education and Training |
7 | Pakistan | H.E. Mr Rana Tanveer Hussain Federal Minister Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training |
8 | Papua New Guinea | Hon. Mr Jimmy Uguro Minister Ministry of Education |
9 | Solomon Islands | Ms Linda Wate Deputy Secretary Teaching & Learning Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development |
10 | Thailand | H.E. Ms Treenuch Thienthong Minister Ministry of Education |
11 | Timor-Leste | H.E. Dr Armindo Maia Minister Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport |
*: online participation
| II. Transforming Education and its Systems | |
1 | Australia*
| Ms. Karen Sandercock First Assistant Secretary, International Division, Department of Education, Skills and Employment |
2 | Bangladesh | Hon. Dr. Dipu Moni Minister of Education Ministry of Education |
3 | Cambodia | H.E. Ratana SOM Under-secretary of State Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport |
4 | Fiji | Hon. Premila Kumar Minister Ministry of Education, Heritage & Arts |
5 | Indonesia | Dr Iwan Syahril Deputy Minister |
6 | Japan | H.E. Ms Naoko Okamura Assistant Minister/Director-General for International Affairs (Secretary General of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO) |
7 | Maldives | H.E. Mr Abdulla Rasheed Ahmed Minister of State for Education Ministry of Education |
8 | Nepal | Hon. Mr. Devendra Paudel Minister Ministry of Education, Science and Technology |
9 | Philippines | H.E Ms Leonor Magtolis Briones Secretary of Education Department of Education |
10 | Sri Lanka | Hon. Dr. Susil Premajayantha Minister Ministry of Education |
11 | Uzbekistan | H.E. Agrippina Shin Minister Ministry of Preschool Education |
12 | Vietnam | H.E. Mr. Van Phuc NGUYEN Deputy Minister Ministry of Education and Training |
*: online participation
| Ministerial Statements (Videorecording) | |
1 | Bhutan
| H.E. Mr Jai Bir Rai Minister Ministry of Education |
2 | Brunei
| H.E. Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman Minister Ministry of Education |
3 | Cambodia | H.E. Dr Hang Chuon Naron Minister Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport |
4 | Democratic Republic of Korea
| H.E. Mr Kim Sung Du Chairman of the Education Commission and Minister of General Education The Educational Commission |
5 | India | H.E. Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh Minister of State for External Affairs and Education |
6 | Malaysia
| H.E. Dr. Radzi Jidin Senior Minister Ministry of Education |
7 | Republic of Korea | H.E. Mr Sang-yoon Jang Vice Minister of Education Ministry of Education |
8 | Turkmenistan | H.E. Mr Alexandr Amanov Vice Minister of Education Ministry of Education |
POLICY BRIEFS
TECHNICAL PAPERS
ONLINE EXHIBITION
EXHIBITION - ACCEPTED ORGANIZATIONS
Organization | Theme | Number of Items | Medium | Onsite/Online | |
1 | SEAMEO Secretariat | COVID-19 Responses in Southeast Asia | 3 | 3 Printed Publications | Onsite |
2 | Migrant Educational Coordination Center | Migrant Education Recovery in Tak Province | 3 | 3 stands with images and text, pamphlets and a photo board | Onsite |
3 | Help Without Frontiers Thailand Foundation | Transforming education opportunities for migrant children in times of crisis | 5 | Pamphlet, poster, photo, book and Video | Onsite |
4 | Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) | Transformative learning in schools and communities for the sustainable society | 3 | Video, Brochure, Publication | Onsite |
5 | ChildFund Sri Lanka | • Methods and interventions on Inclusion of children with disabilities at different ages. Early identification and interventions for children with development delay, assessments, individual education plans, teaching methods and teaching aids | 1 | Publication | Onsite |
6 | Yala Rajabhat University | Empowering parents through reading | 1 | Publication | Onsite |
7 | Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation | Linguistic and Cultural Inclusion, Digital Empowerment, and Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) for a more Inclusive and Equitable Access to Quality Education for Ethnolinguistic Minority Children towards the achievement of SDG 4. | 2 | 1 image of interactive timeline with links to relevant multimedia | Onsite and Online |
8 | United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) | 1. Achieving a deep transformation of education systems and building resilience (e.g., more flexible, more inclusive, resilient, more digital, more environmentally friendly and sustainable systems) | 16 | Videos, Brochures, Online PDF Reports | Onsite and Online |
9 | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) | Recover. Reimagine. Transform. | 10 | Videos, Brochures, Publications | Onsite and Online |
10 | Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) | Redefining Learning, Measuring Learning and Improving Learning | 3 | Publications | Online |
EXHIBITION - CONCEPT NOTE
As an integral part of the APREMC II, a hybrid exhibition will be set up, providing an opportunity for interested partners and stakeholders to showcase their work in furtherance of the overarching conference theme: “Education Recovery and Transformation towards more Responsive, Relevant and Resilient Education Systems: Accelerating progress towards SDG 4-Education 2030”. The exhibition will consist of individual booths (onsite and/or virtual), each fully managed by the showcasing entity, in demonstration of their specific work and impact in relation to one or several of the following sub-themes:
- Achieving learning recovery and, in the longer term, improving learning outcomes for all (addressing the learning crisis)
- Achieving a deep transformation of education systems and building resilience (e.g., more flexible, more inclusive, resilient, more digital, more environmentally friendly and sustainable systems)
- Achieving increased and better investment in education and enablers for transformation
The exhibition can be held both at the conference venue (Shangri-La Hotel) and online (via APREMC II events page). Due to space limitations and COVID-19 related constraints, the physical venue will be open only to invited participants of the conference.
For onsite exhibitions, please note that all exhibition organizers will be fully responsible for all aspects of the exhibition, including the cost, the arrangements of the booths and any related logistics.
Submission of Proposals for Onsite and Online Exhibition
Partner entities, Governments and other interested parties are invited to submit a proposal to secure and set up an exhibition booth or a virtual exhibition on the occasion of the APREMC II. For the proposal to be viable, the following aspects should be considered:
- General requirements:
– The exhibition should demonstrate clear linkages with the overall and sub-themes of the APREMC II. Failure to meet this criterion may result in the declination of the proposal.
– The entity/Government participating in the exhibition will be expected to closely collaborate with UNESCO Bangkok, which is overseeing the organization of the event, including the selection of the virtual exhibition platform.
– The entity/government participating in the exhibition is expected to mainstream gender aspects in the work being showcased.
Onsite exhibition requirements:
- An entity/Government may request to set up only one booth at the exhibition. One booth may showcase the work of one or several entities/Governments/actors jointly.
- Entities and/or Governments participating in the onsite exhibition must adhere to the hybrid nature of the conference, therefore ensuring full presentation and booth set up both at the physical conference venue and on the online platform.
- The entity/Government participating in the exhibition will ensure constant physical and online presence during the time the booth will be open to the audience. Active interactions with booth visitors, both in-person and online, will be expected.
Online exhibition requirements:
- The exhibition entry may include 2-dimensional items (e.g. paintings, photos, and posters), 3-dimensional items (e.g. sculptures or small installations), as well as streaming
- For Image submissions: Set pixel dimensions between 2,000 and 3,000 pixels on the longest side. The file size may be no more than 5 MB.
- For Video submissions: upload a still frame from your video and put a public YouTube or Vimeo link to the video in the “media” section.
- APREMC-II Secretariat does not display watermarks; artists display at their own risk.
Please note that due to space constraints and limitations related to COVID-19, we may need to selectively accept proposals.
Expression of Interest
To express interest in taking part in the exhibition, parties are invited to fill out the attached template and send their proposal to [email protected] with “Proposal for APREMC II Exhibition” in the subject line. The deadline for submission is 13 May 2022 (Extended).
The conference organizers will review the proposals and revert to the listed focal points of the accepted exhibitors starting 9 May 2022.
The list of accepted exhibitors will be posted on APREMC II website.
26 April 2022 | Online Entry Open for Submissions |
13 May 2022 (Extended) | Entry Deadline |
Starting 9 May 2022 | Exhibitor Notified by Email |
5 June 2022 | First Day of the Exhibition |
7 June 2022 | Last Day of the Onsite Exhibition |
Public Information
To promote awareness on the exhibition and attract in-person and virtual visitors, public information efforts for the exhibition will be made as part of the preparations of the APREMC-II, in coordination with participating entities and Governments. Further details will be discussed with the UNESCO Bangkok’s Public Information and Outreach (PIO) Unit.
Social Media Copyright and Authorization
The permission of sharing on social media platforms and posting online and in any other form of the works of art presented is automatically granted.
If an exhibitor has a social media account and wishes to add their account name(s) on the work published, he/she can include the account name in the application form.
On the recommendation of the curators, all submitted works will be included in a publication.
RESOURCES
SIDE EVENTS
SIDE EVENTS - ON-SITE/HYBRID
On-site and hybrid side events on 5 June 2022
1. Eat, Play, Love Read project, 12:55-13:45 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: Save the Children Thailand
Supporting partner: Yala Rajabhat University (YRU), Perkasa Foundation
Save the Children, Yala Rajabhat University and the Perkasa Foundation initiated the First Read project in 2016 in Si Sakhon district of Narathiwat, and later continued with the Eat, Play, Love Read project. The project aims to increase parent engagement in caregiving and improve access to compelling age-appropriate children’s books in two languages (Thai and Malayu). With the support of the Fathers’ Reading Network and various local authors, the first Thai-Malayu children’s book was produced. To date, 1,000 children and 1,000 caregivers in Si Sakhon joined our interventions. Our 2021 IDELA evaluation recorded significant improvement in children’s literacy (+16%) and numeracy (+16%) scores, clearly demonstrating that positive home environments and access to reading resources positively impact children. However, the evaluation also showed that negative practices at home such as yelling, hitting, and beating still prevail. Sustained efforts are required to continue promoting home learning and opening the eyes of parents in neighboring Pattani province to their own power in supporting their children.
Venue: The Corundum, 3rd floor (in-person only)
2. Building Back Better: Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education for Ethnic Minority Children, 12:45-13:45 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: Asia-Pacific Multilingual Education Working Group
Supporting partners: UNESCO Bangkok, UNICEF EAPRO, SIL International
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3a5K8JX
The children of ethnic minorities frequently face a language barrier when starting school, as their home language is different from the language of instruction. This side event will discuss how mother tongue/home language-based multilingual education (MTB MLE) can reduce inequity and facilitate learning for ethnic minority communities. The expert panel will address such questions as: what MTB MLE is and how it improves students’ learning outcomes; how MTB MLE helps students learn other languages, including English; what digital learning tools are most helpful for children who do not speak the school language and have limited internet access; how MTB MLE engages local communities and promotes social harmony and inclusion; and how endorsing the UNESCO Bangkok Statement on Language and Inclusion can help a country achieve its SDG 4 goals.
Venue: Next 2 Chao Phraya Room, 1st Floor
To register (online participation): https://bit.ly/3wHJLge
3. Youth on Mental Health for Transformative Learning in Education: Financing and Ecosystem Support, 12:45-13:45 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE)
Drawing from ASPBAE’s Youth-Led Action Research on Mental Health and the Country Case Studies on Education Financing and Mental Health amidst the pandemic, this side event will explore the status of mental health of learners, parents, and teachers in the Asia-Pacific region. It will specifically provide an overview of mental health concerns using gender and equity lenses, looking at the challenges, financing implications, disability-inclusive mental health strategies, good practices, and lessons learned regionally with a focus on Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Vietnam. The side event aims to come up with concrete proposals to address the mental health issues of marginalized youth and increase investments in mental health in education, thereby contributing towards the learning recovery of all learners, especially marginalized youth, and the transformation of education systems.
Venue: The Study, 1st Floor
To register (online participation): https://bit.ly/3GpoZGQ
4. Digital Transformation and the Future of Higher Education, 18:00-19:00 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: EU SHARE Programme (British Council)
Supporting partners: UNESCO Bangkok, ASEAN Secretariat
Panel speakers will frame the context on higher education at global and regional levels, and highlight the role of utilising digital technologies to bring about digital transformation in higher education. A panel composed of prominent speakers will present various developments and initiatives on digital transformation in higher education such as: Virtual Mobility, COIL, Microcredentials, Skills and Learning Passport and Digital Credentials. With the focus on developments and key initiatives that contribute to digital transformation in higher education, this side event will inform the ongoing discussion of their role in the transformation of education systems undertaken by ASEAN, as well as by the higher education systems and institutions of other regions.
Venue: The Corundum, 3rd Floor
To join (online participation): https://bit.ly/3LMbIJy
(Meeting ID: 435 878 7059 / Password: EuShare22!)
5. Consultation on the 2023 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report on Technology and Education during the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Ministers’ Conference, 18:00-19:00 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: UNESCO GEM Report / Supporting partner: SEAMEO
The 2023 GEM Report will examine issues of access, equity, and inclusion in education, looking at ways in which technology can help reach disadvantaged learners and ensure access to more engaging and cheaper formats of learning resources. It will explore three system-wide conditions that need to be met for any technology in education to reach its full potential: ensuring that all learners have access to technology resources, protecting learners from the risks of technology through appropriate governance and regulation, and supporting all teachers to teach, use and deal with technology effectively. A regional report on technology and education focusing on Southeast Asia in partnership with SEAMEO will also be produced. The event will include a presentation of the 2023 concept note by Manos Antoninis, director of the GEM Report followed by a discussion with Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, with Ministers of Education, policy makers and representatives from international organisations. The purpose of the event is to present the plans for the 2023 GEM Report and its regional edition in South east Asia, collect examples from the region that could be featured in the global and regional reports and forge partnerships to enhance advocacy activities.
Venue: Next 2 Chao Phraya Room, 1st Floor (in-person only)
6. Education in climate emergency: Ensuring learning continuity in planned, sudden and massive displacements, 18:00-19:00 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: UN University / Supporting partners: UNESCO Headquarters, UNESCO Bangkok, Ministries of Education of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Viet Nam and Tuvalu
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3GqLJX1
It is of paramount importance for governments to contextualize climate risks, predict different scenarios and design national policy frameworks and measures to ensure learning continuity and recovery of displaced children, youth and adults. This includes not only school education but also lifelong learning opportunities for reskilling and upskilling to facilitate social integration of displaced persons in a new place. This session introduces key findings from joint research by UNESCO and UNU on climate change displacement and the right to education and provides data-driven actionable policy recommendations for minimizing the learning disruption of climate-displaced persons.
Venue: The Study, 1st Floor
Online participation (registration link): https://bit.ly/3PLODtB
On-site and hybrid side events on 6 June 2022
7. Law, Budget and Actions of Equitable Education, 12:45-13:45 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: Equitable Education Fund / Supporting partners: UNICEF EAPRO, UNICEF Thailand, SEAMEO, Save the Children, UNESCO Bangkok
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3POi7XG
To implement equitable education, which is the core of SDG 4, the Royal Government of Thailand has established the Equitable Education Fund (EEF). EEF has been active not only in Thailand, but also at the international and regional levels by organizing international events on equitable education and creating the Equitable Education Alliance (EEA). This side event will highlight key practical recommendations on how to enact equitable education laws, secure the public budget, and take actions to transform education to be more equitable on the ground.
Venue: Next 2 Chao Praya, 1st floor
To register (online participation): https://bit.ly/3PLlz5G
8. Transforming Teaching and Learning through New Digital Technologies, 12:55-13:55 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: UNESCO Bangkok Educational Innovation and Skills Development Section (EISD) / Supporting partners: UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education; Thai National Commission for UNESCO; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3NBoX11
This side event will share the findings and insights gained from the case studies on the uses of new digital technologies to support teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools. The case studies were undertaken in 22 schools in six countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Kazakhstan, Philippines and Thailand, under the project ‘Situational analysis on the use of frontier technologies in teaching and learning in primary and secondary education’. The panelists will share examples of innovation in teaching and learning practices emerging through the use of new digital technologies and consider factors and conditions that enable and support such practices to emerge. These discussions aim to contribute to the regional discussion on transforming teaching and learning towards the achievement of SDG 4.
Venue: The Corundum, 3rd floor
To join: https://bit.ly/3Nzb6YW (Passcode 533446)
9. Launch of the “Reopen, Recover and Resilience in Education: Guidelines for ASEAN Countries”, 12:45-13:45 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Supporting partners: ASEAN Secretariat, UNICEF EAPRO
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3MUzRit
The Guidelines titled “Reopen, Recover and Resilience in Education: Guidelines for ASEAN Countries” were developed by the ASEAN Secretariat under the leadership of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia with the support of UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office. This side event aims to (i) launch and present the key contents of the Guidelines, including theory of change, series of evidence-based strategies, self-assessment tool and key recommendations; and (ii) increase awareness and mobilize support for the implementation of the guidelines at the regional and national levels.
Venue: The Study, 1st floor (in-person only)
SIDE EVENTS - VIRTUAL
Virtual Side Events on 3 June 2022
1. Recovering learning and addressing the learning crisis by promoting well-being and addressing violence in Asia and Pacific, 8:30-10:00 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office / Supporting partners: Plan International, UNFPA, UN Women, UNESCO Bangkok, Safe to Learn
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3wUIHWy
Violence and mental health risks must be tackled as an integral part of the learning recovery agenda and the longer-term measures to get SDG 4 back on track. The post COVID-19 recovery era also provides a critical opportunity for countries in the Asia Pacific region to transform and strengthen education systems, which must include school environments that are more responsive to children’s mental health and safety. This side event will present the latest evidence on the critical connection between children’s learning and their mental health and safety from all forms of violence. It aims to provide guidance and pragmatic recommendations on effective strategies for promoting mental health and tackling violence through learning recovery efforts and through the transformation of education systems, drawing on new research evidence and examples from the region.
To join: https://bit.ly/3PNsZVO
2. Building Inclusive, Resilient, Gender-Equal Societies Through Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), 10:00-11:30 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) / Supporting partners: UNFPA Pacific Sub Regional Office, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), Reproductive and Family Health Association of Fiji (RFHAF)
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3lOSEzN
This side event will highlight the importance of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and its critical role in giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to manage their health and form equal, fulfilling, and safe relationships free from discrimination, coercion and violence. The event will present the status of CSE in the Asia-Pacific region and exchange good practices and innovation. It will also prompt reflections on the role of CSE in building inclusive, resilient and gender transformative learning systems. The results of the 2019 CSE regional review by UNFPA, UNESCO and IPPF will be presented, as well as age- and developmentally appropriate sexuality education for people with disability in Fiji, digitalization of CSE, building national integrated education curricula in Cambodia and delivering sexuality education in humanitarian settings in the Philippines.
To register (required): https://bit.ly/3LRBpsb
3. Teaching Thai as a Second Language Project for Migrant Children (TSL), 10:00-11:30 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: Save the Children Thailand
Supporting partner: Mahidol University
Facebook page: https://bit.ly/3a2fTDC
Aiming to improve the quality of education for migrant children in the Tak and Ranong provinces, Save the Children Thailand, in partnership with Mahidol University (MU), and the Foundation of Applied Linguistics (FAL), developed the programme for ethnic minority children in Southern Thailand to transition and learn within government schools by adapting a teacher-focused Thai as a Second Language (TSL) approach. The TSL programme, first implemented in Tak province (2017) and subsequently in Ranong province (2018 and 2019), consists of two teacher training workshops focused on: (i) speaking and listening; and (ii) reading, writing and follow-up in-service visits to assess teacher competencies and provide additional coaching.
To join: https://bit.ly/3LSJGMk
(Meeting ID: 830 4143 7746 Passcode: 472938)
4. Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics to Address the Learning Crisis, 11:30-13:00 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizers: SEAMEO Secretariat, SEA-PLM Secretariat
Supporting partner: UNICEF EAPRO
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3z1RuZv
The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) database offers new insights on addressing the learning crisis from the system to the school level. In 2021 and 2022, the Secretariat published secondary analysis reports under the series ‘SEA-PLM 2019 latest evidence in basic education’, delving into the data and exploring learning barriers between and within countries with a focus on equity and quality of learning. The findings of these studies contribute to policy recommendations on how systems and schools can be better supported to reduce the risk of students being left behind academically across basic education. The panel will explore various thematic areas that provide insights into addressing equity gaps in various dimensions such as gender, reading performance, and supporting teachers.
To join: https://bit.ly/3yYZ6fm Passcode: 0606
To register: https://bit.ly/3lUNfqJ
5. Sharing Best Practices and Way Forward to Achieve the Overall 2030
Target with an Inclusive Approach to Education, 13:00-14:30 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: Leonard Cheshire / Supporting partners: UNICEF, UNESCO
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3LUsw0O
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, children with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region were among the most excluded from education, facing serious barriers such as inaccessible school facilities, lack of assistive technologies, non-inclusive teaching and learning practices, poor health, prejudice and discrimination. The pandemic has further exacerbated the situation for these children, especially those unable to access remote learning during school closures. In August 2020, UNESCO Bangkok, UNICEF EAPRO, and Leonard Cheshire jointly established the Disability-Inclusive Education in Asia-Pacific Working Group, under the Learning and Education 2030+ (LE2030+) Networking Group, to advance the right to inclusive and equitable quality education for children with disabilities across the Asia-Pacific region. The side event provides a forum for key inclusive education stakeholders to discuss efforts towards achieving SDG 4, particularly Target 4.5 on equal access to all levels of education for persons with disabilities.
To register (required): https://bit.ly/3lLXePd
6. Ensuring Online Professional Development for Teachers is Scalable, Sustainable and Truly Inclusive– Lessons Learnt from Case Studies across Asia-Pacific, 14:30-16:00 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: British Council / Supporting partners: Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Educational Development (QAED), Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka, iTELL-Indonesia, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Viet Nam
This side event will outline core principles for ensuring that remote professional development for teachers is scalable, sustainable and truly inclusive. Drawing on global British Council research and live project case studies from Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam, the event will highlight lessons learnt from large scale teacher development interventions delivered remotely. The topics to be explored are: high-tech and low-tech inclusive approaches to teacher development; building and supporting communities of practice to support synchronous and asynchronous online teacher education; ensuring inclusion and participation from all teachers, considering aspects such as gender, disability, and digital literacy in project design; and contextualization of professional development resources including the use of local languages to support country/region specific training needs.
Live stream & Recording: https://bit.ly/APREMC-II-BC
To register: https://bit.ly/3z6tSTw
7. Towards Transformative Education Systems for Sustainable Development, Health and Well-being – Comprehensive Sexuality Education – A Crucial Pivot in the Asia and the Pacific Region,
13:00-14:30 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizers: UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office, UNESCO Bangkok, Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW)
Supporting partner: YUWA Nepal
Event webpage: https://bit.ly/3yWJdGi
Empowering young people, including through the provision of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), is essential to achieving the SDGs, including Goals 3, 4 and 5. Currently, CSE in the region needs accelerated efforts, supported by CSE laws and policies and their implementation. Evidence in the region points to young people facing limited access to information and services relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including comprehensive sexuality education. In the 30 countries reviewed, only two countries – the Philippines and Thailand – mandate the provision of sexuality education for young people by law. The side event will discuss best practices, challenges and ways forward in the region around the implementation of CSE, including strategies to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.
To register (required): https://bit.ly/3sXukzO
8. When Schools Shut: Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 School Closures, 16:00-17:30 (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
Lead organizer: UNESCO Headquarters / Supporting partners: Plan International, Population Council, University College London (Institute of Education), Global Partnership for Education, UNESCO Bangkok
Event Webpage: https://bit.ly/3a1LzJl
Through the Global Education Coalition’s Gender Flagship and with evidence collected by the Population Council, UNESCO has published a global report on the gendered impact of COVID-19 school closures, entitled When Schools Shut (2021). The report shows how interventions that challenge gender-based barriers can limit learning loss and drop-out rates when schools reopen safely. When Schools Shut is accompanied by a systematic review of the research evidence on the gendered impacts of extended school closures, prepared by University College London (“Evidence on the gendered impacts of extended school closures”, 2022). This side event will examine the findings and recommendations outlined in the two publications and consider their implications for Asia Pacific and build understanding of how countries in the region can develop gender-transformative education systems that prioritize equity and resilience.
To register (required): https://bit.ly/3PIZepb
SIDE EVENTS (CONCEPT NOTE)
The 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Ministers’ Conference (APREMC-II), co-organized by the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (UNESCO Bangkok), UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO), and the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) and is generously hosted by the Ministry of Education of Thailand and organized with the kind support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan will be organized during 5-7 June 2022 in hybrid mode, under the theme ‘Education Recovery and Transformation towards more Responsive, Relevant and Resilient Education Systems: Accelerating progress towards SDG 4-Education 2030’.
The overall aim of APREMC-II is to discuss and make recommendations on how to achieve education/learning recovery and at the same time strengthen and transform education systems to become more equitable, inclusive, responsive, relevant and resilient with the overall objective to accelerate SDG 4 implementation. The specific objectives are to:
- Take stock and reflect on the first 7 years of progress towards SDG4-Education 2030 in Asia and the Pacific;
- Identify challenges in progressing towards SDG 4 in the region, with a focus on the impact of COVID-19 and COVID-19 responses;
- Share and learn from effective policies, practices and innovations for education recovery and system transformation; and
- Identify, and agree on priority areas of action and strategies, and key steps going forward for education/learning recovery and system transformation beyond COVID-19 to accelerate SDG 4 implementation in the region, and generate recommendations for action.
APREMC-II will provide key opportunities for countries to share good practices and deliberate on how to address common challenges and to commit to collective and coordinated efforts and expanding partnerships. Such dialogues will effectively inform and facilitate educational transformations and policy reform, and support the acceleration of progress towards SDG 4. The conference will discuss regional and sub-regional issues, challenges and priorities for action beyond COVID-19, as well as how to ensure an acceleration of progress towards SDG 4 in the region. Its outcomes can also be one of the regional contributions to the SDG 4 High-level Steering Committee (HLSC), which will be convened in July 2022.
In addition, APREMC-II will provide an opportunity for side events, which will be held outside the official programme, to discuss the overarching theme of APREMC-II and to deepen discussions on the three interlinked themes:
- Achieving learning recovery and, in the longer term, improving learning outcomes for all (addressing the learning crisis)
- Achieving a deep transformation of education systems and building resilience (e.g., more flexible, more inclusive, resilient, more digital, more environmentally friendly and sustainable systems)
- Achieving increased and better investment in education and enablers for transformation
- Criteria for the Side Events
- Priority will be given to events that show a clear link with the overarching theme and the three interlinked themes of APREMC-II.
- Side events can be organized and sponsored by UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, CSOs or other education partners and stakeholders.
- To ensure that many organizers can be involved, side-event proposals should ideally highlight the involvement of multiple partners in the event’s design and delivery.
- Taking into consideration the limited number of event slots available, side-event requests should be limited to one per proposing lead entity.
- Side-event organizers will be fully responsible for all aspects of their events, including seating arrangement for hybrid side events at the conference venue, arranging the virtual platforms to be utilized, programme development, promotion and outreach, registration, speakers’ recruitment and preparation, and any related logistics.
- Organizers are encouraged to ensure geographic and gender balance and include, in the discussions, a mix of countries and other actors, including civil society, scientists, private sector and academia.
- Organizers are requested to hold their event in English or make their own interpretation and accessibility arrangements, as required.
- The side events will be open to all APREMC-II participants and the public. Participants attending only the side events will not automatically be listed as APREMC-II participants.
- Proposed side events will be reviewed and selected so that the overall programme of side events is balanced in terms of geographic and thematic focus and provides clear links to the theme(s) of the conference.
- Application Process
Interested parties are invited to submit proposals to organize a side event through the following online form: https://bit.ly/3w3kbUx.
The overview of the proposed side event should provide a clear description of the event, including its thematic focus, contribution to APREMC-II priority areas and tentative speakers (300 words maximum).
The deadline for completing the online form is 29 March 2022. All proposals for side events received within the deadline will be considered.
The Conference Secretariat will review the proposals and revert to the side event organizers by
31 March 2022. Following approval and subsequent notification of selected event organizers, the Secretariat will include a page displaying all side events and the full programme on the APREMC II webpage at https://apasdg4education2030.org/apremc2022/ with onward links to the side-event organizer’s own pages for additional information and registration.
- Format of the Side Events
Hybrid, consisting of online and in-person gathering at the conference venue in Thailand | Virtual side event | |
Date and Time | The side events will be held outside the official programme during: 5 June 2022 6 June 2022 | The side events will be held outside the official programme during: 3 June 2022 •08:30 – 10:00 hrs •10:00 – 11:30 hrs •11:30 – 13:00 hrs •13:00 – 14:30 hrs •14:30 – 16:00 hrs •16:00 – 17:30 hrs (Bangkok time, GMT +7)
|
Duration of the side-event | Up to 60 minutes
| Up to 90 minutes |
- Side Event Promotion
- The link to your event: We ask that the side-event organizers provide a link to one page with the event information e.g. speakers names, the livestream link or registration page for Zoom/Teams/WebEx for participants. This page should also hold a link to the recording of the event after it has taken place. This information should be provided to the Secretariat at [email protected] no later than 10 May 2022.
- Promotion: Please use the hashtag #APREMC2022 in your event promotion, so that conference participants can engage in the virtual discussion. We also request the side-event organizers to help promote the conference and side event with your networks.
- Branding: The event can be described as ‘a side event of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Ministers’ Conference (APREMC-II)’
INFORMATION NOTE
Registration
Registration (to confirm participation)
Participation in the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Minister’s Conference on SDG4-Education 2030 (APREMC II) is by invitation only. Invitees should confirm their participation by completing theonline registration form via the link provided with the invitation no later than 6 May 2022.
On-site Meeting Registration (for name tags and meeting documents)
From 8:00 to 8:50 hrs. on 5 June 2022. The Registration Desk will be located at the foyer of the Grand Ballroom, Lobby Level, Shangri-La Wing.
For security reasons, participants will be requested to show their passports or identification cards at the Registration Desk to receive their nametags. Please note that you must wear your tags at all times during the Conference in order to access the venue and meeting rooms, as well as to facilitate identification, security and communicationwith other participants and members of the Conference Secretariat.
Entry requirements to Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Secretariat is continuously monitoring the evolving situation with regard to the COVID-19 outbreak and is putting into place measures to mitigate public health risks associated with gatherings based on guidance from the host country and World Health Organization.
All participants should ensure that their passports are valid for at least 6 months from the travel date. Participants are required to obtain, if necessary, entry visa to Thailand from the Royal Thai diplomatic or consular mission in their own countries and Thailand Pass which the registration and supporting documents are required to be submitted at least 7 days prior to departure.
For more information on visa requirements to enter the country and visa applications, please visit: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services.
Further to obtaining Thai entry visa, all participants are required to register on Thailand Pass system. (For Thailand Pass, please visit https://tp.consular.go.th/home) and obtain QR code in order to travel to Thailand.
Please find more information in the following links:
– Accommodation with SHA Extra Plus certificate
– A summary of Thailand’s entry procedures
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
_______________________________
1. Where can I find the updated information on the conference?
Please visit the APREMC website at https://apasdg4education2030.org/apremc2022/ . You will be able to see and download the conference brochure, provisional agenda, the policy briefs, information on exhibitions and side-events.
2. [Participating online] I have completed my online registration for APREMC II and indicated that I will attend the Conference virtually. What do I need to do now?
All registered participants should have received a personalized zoom link at the email address indicated on the registration form. If you have completed the registration form but have not received a personalized link to the Conference yet, please contact the APREMC II IT Team as soon as possible. Please submit your enquiries to [email protected]. Once you have the personalized link, you may refer to the attached “APREMC II- Guidance for Online Participation” and follow its step-by-step instructions.
3. [Participating online] My colleague and I missed the registration period of APREMC II and therefore did not receive the email containing the Zoom meeting link. Can I still register and receive the meeting link? Or can I share my meeting link with others?
Please note that the Zoom meeting link you received is unique. This means that no two people should access the same link simultaneously. As the Conference is by invitation only, participants joining this Conference should not share the meeting link with others.
4. [Participating online] Where can I find information on the meeting links for each thematic breakout session?
All participants who have registered to the Conference and indicated that they will be participating online will have receive a Zoom meeting link as well as a Guidance Note for online participation. This Guidance Note contains information on how to participate online as well as the meeting links for each thematic breakout session.
5. [Participating in-person] When I registered to APREMC II, I selected ‘in-person’ participation. However, I now wish to participate online instead. Is this possible and what do I need to do?
Yes, this is possible. Please refer to the attached guidance note for participating via Zoom. If you no longer wish to participate in-person and would now want to participate online, please contact the Secretariat at [email protected] to receive the registration link to the Conference.
6. [Participating on-site] What are the requirements to participate in the Conference in-person?
All participants will need to be registered to the Conference as “in-person” participants in order to receive a badge and a conference bag at the registration desk of the Shangri-La Hotel (conference venue). It is also an additional requirement for all participants who intend to participate on the High-Level segment on 6 June 2022 to register to https://forms.gle/xbZvvYumXeYsshc6A by no later than 1 June 2022.
All participants are also required to do an ATK test before entering the conference premises. Two sets of ATK test kits will be provided in the conference bag (for 5 and 6 June 2022 respectively). Once you have the ATK test results, you will need to present it at the Registration Desk to receive a sticker on the entrance card. An entrance badge for the High-level segment will be given to you. For more information, please find more details on the Information Note for the High-level opening ceremony.
7. [Participating on-site] Where can I find information on the meeting rooms for each thematic parallel session?
In the Provisional agenda, you can find the names of the rooms that will be used for each thematic parallel session. You can also find the latest updated Provisional agenda placed in your conference bag and on the Conference website at: https://apasdg4education2030.org/apremc2022/
8. [Breakout rooms] Can those participating online be able to participate in the breakout rooms?
The entire meeting is organized in a hybrid modality; this means that both in-person and online participation is possible for all segments of the meeting. If you are interested in joining the breakout rooms, you will need to leave the plenary meeting link and enter a separate link for the breakout rooms. All meeting links for the breakout sessions are contained in the attached “Guidance Note for Online Participation).
9. Am I allowed to join the High-level Segment (7-8 June 2022)?
All participants invited are welcome to participate in the high-level segment. Participants will be allowed to join as observers during the Ministerial roundtable.
10. Will the Ministerial roundtable be broadcasted live?
The ministerial roundtable will not be broadcasted, however, you have the option to join the meeting – in-person or online, depending on the modality opted for – to observe the debate.
11. Can I record any of the session of the Conference, including the Ministerial roundtable?
No, the APREMC II conference including the Ministerial roundtables are closed-door and by invitation only event. The APREMC II Secretariat solely reserves the right to record select sessions for internal purposes.
12. Who can I contact for more information and clarifications?
Please contact the Conference secretariat at [email protected].