Theme: Innovation and Reform in Teacher Education in Asia and the Pacific Region: Developing Graduate Programs in Teacher Education



Sponsors:

Hiroshima University UNESCO-APEID Project Committee

Japanese National Commission for UNESCO

UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education



Objective: Hiroshima University, as the UNESCO-APEID Associated Center, has been organizing international seminars on educational development annually since 1987 and is now organizing the sixth seminar in the 7th Programming Cycle (2002-2007) of the Asia and the Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) in its designated program area of "teacher education". In this cycle, the UNESCO-APEID Hiroshima Seminar intends to examine the problems and issues related to teacher education in Asia and the Pacific Region, exchange experiences concerning the efforts to improve teacher education, and design national and international cooperative frameworks and action plans to improve them.



Needless to say, the quality of education largely depends on the quality of teachers. However, many countries still have difficulties in securing competent teachers to their schools. On the other hand, competencies required for teachers have continuously been increasing. To overcome the persistent problem and to meet the ever-increasing demand for teachers, teacher education must be improved continually, and effective and efficient way to provide it must be explored.

In this year, current programs of teacher education, especially the graduate programs in teacher education in Asia and Pacific Region will be examined, and how to develop effective programs will be discussed.





Schedule: December 4-9, 2007



December 4 (Tue): Opening Ceremony from 2:00 to 2:40 p.m. (IDEC)



Keynote Address from 3:10 to 4:10 p.m.: "Function of UNESCO-APEID and Challenges of its 8th Programme Cycle" by Ms. Hye Rim Kim (APEID Unit, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Bureau of Education)



December 5 (Wed): Country Report (Cambodia, China, India) from 9:00-10:35 a.m.



Country Report (Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand) from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.



Visit to Education Center beginning at 2:00 p.m.



December 6 (Thu): Visit to Schools



December 7 (Fri): Discussion from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.



December 8 (Sat): Report Preparation from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.



December 9 (Sun): Plenary Session and Closing Ceremony from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.



Invited Participants:



Cambodia: Dr. Sitha Chinnh, M.Ed. Program Director of the Royal University of Phnom Penh



China: Dr. Shijian Chen, Vice President of Southwest University



India: Dr. Shardindu, Chairperson of the National Council for Teacher Education -- India



Malaysia: Dr. Noriati Binti A. Rashid, Assistant Director, Teacher Education Division of the Ministry of Education -- Malaysia



Philippines: Dr. Amelia C. Fajardo, Assistant Professor at the College of Education in the University of the Philippines



Thailand: Ms. Sudhasinee Vajrabul, Senior Advisor on Education System in the Office of the National Education Council, Ministry of Education



Venue: The Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC) at Hiroshima University



Language: English



For inquiries about this seminar, please contact the following:



Dr. Yoshinori Tabata

Chairperson, UNESCO-APEID Seminar Committee

Phone: 082-424-6937

E-mail: tabata (at) hiroshima-u.ac.jp



Please change 'at' to the appropriate mark.