45th Annual Conference of the
Oceania Comparative and International Education Society (OCIES)
Université Nouvelle Calédonie, Noumea, New Caledonia, 7-10 November 2017
Conference Overview
In 2015, ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations across the world signed up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals within it. The theme of our 2017 OCIES Conference has been selected because of our belief that, two years into implementation, it is timely to consider the educational implications of the current global development agenda at regional and national levels.
The twofold aim of the conference is to enhance critical dialogue about the relationship between education and sustainable development, in all its complexities, and to strengthen research relationships within and beyond our region. We are hopeful that the conference will both build on and challenge existing Comparative and International Education (CIE) knowledge and methodology, and work towards the production of new knowledge and practice.
Researchers and practitioners in the field of Comparative & International Education see Education as at the heart of sustainable development and underpinning each of the SDGs. Of specific interest is how Goal 4, “To ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote life-long learning”, and its set of targets (see http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/) might inform education development for Oceania.
A key concern that might arise is to question the extent to which the international development community has universalised the notion of “sustainable development” and shaped a global discourse towards it, and how this could influence education policy and practice in Oceania.
Also significant for Oceania, given both its cultural diversity and the importance of maintaining and enhancing indigenous knowledge and ways of living within the region, is that SDG 4 recognises both culture’s contribution to sustainable development and the importance of respecting and learning from indigenous communities in order to promote sustainable lifeways.
