INNOTECH presents initiatives during the SEAMEO-University of Tsukuba Symposium IX

On 11 February 2021, SEAMEO Secretariat and the University of Tsukuba held their annual Symposium. With the theme “Resilience for Global Citizenship: Challenges in Education under COVID-19,” INNOTECH participated in the event to talk about how the Center continued its operations amid the pandemic.

Every year, the SEAMEO-University of Tsukuba Symposium serves as a platform to discuss global citizenship. This year’s theme stresses the importance of collaborating globally to find solutions to the emerging challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in education.

“As we enter the second year of the pandemic, we are still confined in our own countries, yet we are now more connected than ever. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of global citizenship education, which empowers learners to become citizens who are more tolerant, understanding, and responsible, as well as to exhibit global consciousness and develop global competencies.” Said Dr. Radzi Jidin, Senior Minister of Education of Malaysia and SEAMEO Council President, in his opening remarks.

SEAMEO INNOTECH, represented by Mr. Benito Benoza, Manager of the Knowledge Management and Networking Office, shared how the Center transitioned its learning programs to be purely online, continued its research programs while on alternative work arrangements, and mounted a number of online knowledge fora on timely and relevant education issues of the region. The Center addressed some global citizenship concerns by integrating it on program responses to the SEAMEO 7 Priorities, as well as in programs that supports the Learning Continuity Plan of the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd). INNOTECH have shared its expertise in Alternative Learning Systems to help DepEd in crafting relevant policies. The Center also developed various materials to help teachers and learners in continuing school through other modalities. Mr. Benoza mentioned that the Center also sees the pandemic situation as an opportunity for teachers to scale up their capacities. Thus, during the pandemic, INNOTECH provided free learning programs for teachers and school heads. These learning programs have reached more than 20,000 teachers throughout the country, as well as other neighboring countries.

Aside from the presentation of INNOTECH, other SEAMEO Centers also shared their practices in responding to the global pandemic. Resource persons from the University of Tsukuba also shared about the changes experienced by the academe as they continued their school operation through alternative means.

Learn more about how global citizenship contributed to the programmatic responses of the different SEAMEO Centers, as well as its impact to Higher Education, Research, and Technical Vocational Education and Training. Re-watch the SEAMEO-University of Tsukuba Symposium through the SEAMEO Secretariat YouTube Channel.