The 2023 SSAEM Conference, attended by approximately 180 teachers and education ministry officials from 8 countries and embassy representatives was held on November 17th (Friday) at Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
「Asia-Pacific Teacher Exchange for Global Education(hereinafter referred to as APTE) has brought back face-to-face exchanges after a hiatus of three years while continuing the online exchanges simultaneously through the “Two-Track” approach. This year’s SSAEM Conference was live-streamed on the official website as well.
The 2023 SSAEM (Sharing Stories of Asia-Pacific Education Movements) Conference, serving as a comprehensive final presentation for the APTE Programme commenced with an opening address by Ma So Jung, Director of the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea. This was followed by a welcoming speech from Lim Hyun Mook, the Director of APCEIU and a congratulatory address from Theresa DIZON-DE VEGA, the Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea, and Shahril Nizam, the Malaysian Chargé d'Affaires.
Director Ma highlighted the sustainability and expandability of the APTE Programme, stating, "Teachers who have experienced the dispatch programme in our partner countries are participating as mentor teachers for inbound teachers, while those who participated in face-to-face exchanges are keeping in touch with our partner countries through online exchanges." H.E. DIZON-DE VEGA, the Philippine Ambassador, emphasized the crucial role of APTE by stating "Education professionals, policymakers, and teachers play a crucial role in achieving various SDGs, and the APTE plays a very important role in achieving these diverse SDGs."
The panel discussion involving representatives from the ministries of Education of Korea and seven partner countries, held in the morning, reflected on the Two-Track exchange conducted this year and provided insights for further improvements. In the context of the long-term direction and vision of each country's initiatives, particularly regarding the contributions of this education exchange programme towards nurturing students as conscious and competent global citizens, SHAFRUDDIN BIN ALI HUSSIN, the Deputy Director General of Malaysia's Ministry of Education, expressed alignment between the objectives of APTE and Malaysia's education policy, stating, "APTE lays the foundation for our medium-term vision in Global Citizenship Education. We will continue to drive progress in key areas including curriculum integration, professional development, active student engagement, conducting rigorous assessments, and evaluation. These areas will be the core building.“ Vondeuan Osay, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR emphasized, "The Lao government, by integrating the APTE Programme into secondary curriculum, will pave the way for a new generation of students equipped not only with academic knowledge but also with empathy and global problem-solving abilities. Such a vision aligns with the global trends seeking to enhance international understanding and cooperation in the education field."
During the afternoon session, which ran concurrently, there was a presentation of cases highlighting the outcomes of a comprehensive education exchange that capitalized on the strengths of both offline and online exchanges. This session emphasized one of the significant aspects of the 2023 education exchange programme: the conduct of a two-track approach, showcasing the achievements of educational exchanges that showed the benefits of both online and offline approaches. Presentations focused on the re-engagement of previously involved teachers and schools in the education exchange programme, highlighting their diverse contributions and objectives.
Given the resumption of face-to-face exchanges after the pandemic era, the theme of 'connecting' was central. The session had various examples illustrating the expansion of relationships between the past and present, online and offline, classroom and classroom, and classrooms and local communities. This presentation session aimed to provide participants with practical ideas and inspiration with diverse examples.
Yuvadee Chomchuen, a teacher from Wat Bangwua School in Thailand who participated in the online exchange programme this year after being invited as an exchange teacher by Geumjang Elementary School in 2019, shared her experience. She mentioned, "Through this programme, I gained strength and inspiration, which allowed me to transform myself as a teacher." She discussed the experiences of change and the impact observed in herself and her students through the APTE Programme.
Following this, a live talk session began where representative teachers from each country shared their experiences participating in the APTE Programme. This live talk session didn't just involve this year's participants but also included alumni teachers conducting various follow-up activities, allowing them to share the diverse and progressive activities carried out since their participation in the Programme. The session also provided an opportunity to address the inquiries of new participants for the year 2023.
During the closing ceremony, certificates of completion and appreciation were presented to the 2023 both online and offline participating teachers, mentor teachers and host schools of Korea and 7 partner countries. Participants concluded the event celebrating the accomplishments of this year's APTE Programme expressing joy at reuniting after three years and congratulating each other on the Programme’s achievements.
[2023 SSAEM Conference Highlight Video]
https://youtu.be/6NhPWMswQRY?si=KyAbry3a1jA76tM4
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