By Brian Bedrick, Head of Research & Development

Global citizenship is an often-used term and means different things to different people. Setting the tone for 2020, our Symposia on Intercultural Learning will provide a stage for a diverse group of international educators to present their latest research and techniques from their own cultural perspectives and contexts across the globe.

We will move beyond the surface-level concept that we are global citizens just because we live in a country that is different than where we were born, allowing us to understand what it really means to actively pursue global citizenship.

At the Symposium in Leiden, we’ll welcome speakers from India, China, Scotland, the US, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. At the Symposium in Singapore, we’ll welcome speakers from Hong Kong, Philippines, India, the US and Singapore.

Here are a few of the speakers and an idea of the topics we'll be navigating with them. I look forward to hearing their tips and tools for how to make intercultural learning an integral part of the curriculum.

Shalini Advani | From local to global

Pathways School Noida, India. In her Leiden session, Promoting Authentic intercultural understanding through student agency, Shalini explains how authentic intercultural learning is something of a paradox—because to be truly transformative it must first be located in the local rather than the global.

Darnell Fine | The moral imperative

Singapore American School, Singapore. In Darnell's session in Singapore, Culturally Responsive Leadership: Strategies & Practices for Supporting Global Citizenship Education, he will look at teaching in international schools and how cultural responsiveness should serve as both a moral imperative and an asset in global citizenship education.

Shirla Sum | Whole school experiential learning

Yushan Academy Center for Design and Innovation at UWC Changshu, China. During Shirla's interactive session in Leiden, Beyond faces of diversity: Critical elements to cultivating intercultural experiential learning, she will focus on strategies which promote intercultural experiential learning in the whole-school community.

Effrosyni Rizopoulou | Practically assessing learning outcomes

Shanghai Singapore International School, China. During Effrosyni's session in Singapore, Designing tasks to assess global citizenship education impact through co-curricular learning in international schools. Effrosyni will look at Global Citizenship Education (GCE) and how teachers can practically assess the learning outcomes and measure the competencies of emerging global citizens, i.e. students.

Elizabeth MacFarlane | Diversity alone is not the answer

Aga Khan Academies. In her Leiden session, Traveling beyond diversity: Adapting co-curricular exchange programme activities to deepen intercultural competence in the wider student body, Elizabeth looks at how the cultural and national diversity of a country can be celebrated or viewed cautiously, depending upon whether diversity is considered a potential source of innovation or a possible cause of internal violence and civil unrest.

Neil Woods | Ways to encourage and facilitate empathy

International School Manila, Philippines. In Neil's Singapore session, Discussing effective use of curriculum to enrich service learning programs in international schools, he will explore these key questions: How do we develop curriculum and co-curricular programs within our school community that enriches both host and non-host cultures in deep, meaningful, and sustained ways? And, what opportunities can be created in a diverse and intercultural classroom through the study of literature to encourage empathy and understanding of themselves and the real world?

Angeline Aow | Biases and women in leadership

Berlin International School, Germany. In her Leiden session, Bias, behaviours and safeguarding for all, Angeline looks at biases and behaviours that reinforce stereotypes about women in the workplace that become barriers for aspiring leaders.