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Workshop participants © UNESCO Tashkent Results of the Project “Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia” 2018-12-12 UNESCO, with financial support from Japan, held the Second Sub-Regional Workshop on Mainstreaming Education for Sustainable Development and Evaluation of the Project “Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia” in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 11-13 April 2018. This workshop was the final workshop of the one and a half year “Change Project” to build capacities of Teacher Education Institutions to teach non-cognitive competences through the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) approach. The event aimed to establish synergies between teacher development and education policy on Education for Sustainable Development; evaluate project activities on mainstreaming different ESD approaches into programmes of Teacher education institutions (TEIs); and agree on the sustainability of the project at sub-regional and national level in Central Asia. Representatives from the Ministries of Education and Science, national project coordinators, and 27 participants from TEIs in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan attended the seminar. In addition, international experts from Georgia, Sweden and Lithuania, education specialists from UNESCO Bangkok, Almaty and Tashkent offices, and other international and regional agencies, including the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Institute for International Cooperation of the Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband (DVV International), shared their expertise. Workshop participants ©UNESCO Tashkent The results of the workshop include the following items:  Recognition of the necessity for the creation of a suitable learning environment that enables action for sustainable development; Recommendations for policy makers on integrating ESD into the national and regional education and sustainability policies; Building on the success of the “Change Project”, identified scaling up opportunities of the learning centered initiatives to mainstream ESD in policy, curriculum, pedagogical materials, capacity development, etc.; Agreed advocacy and communication activities on mainstreaming ESD at institutional, national and regional levels; Elaboration of the evaluation and sustainability tools, which will support project TEIs in implementing further changes to mainstream ESD within their institutions and country.  A number of different activities, including workshops, trainings, roundtables and initiatives in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were organized under the framework of the project "Sustainable Development Begins with Teachers in Central Asia". A large number of educators, university staff and students received new skills and knowledge in the direction of ESD. Institutional change plans, implementation strategies and new training methods have been developed. Video Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbt4rXRgpcY Related Links: Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Tajikistan Trainings in Uzbekistan: Sustainability Begins with Teachers Using Modern Teaching Methods to Achieve Sustainability in Higher Education in Kazakhstan The project "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" in the Kyrgyz Republic Third Expert Meeting on Education for Sustainable Development Second Expert Meeting on "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia – results of the UNESCO sub-regional workshop in Almaty Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia Workshop to Take Place in Almaty Sustainability Begins with Teachers of Central Asia  URL:http://en.unesco.kz/results-of-the-project-sustainability-begins-with-teachers-in-central-asia Workshop Participants © UNESCO Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Tajikistan 2018-12-05 In September and October 2017, eight roundtables and four seminars were organized in the framework of UNESCO Project "Education begins with teachers in Central Asia" in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. About 100 teachers, educational professionals, and about 250 students from 5 national educational institutions in Tajikistan, including Tajikistan Technical University, Tajik National University, Russian Tajik Slavonic University, Tajik National Pedagogical University, and National Institute for Teachers’ Professional Development, actively participated in the roundtables and seminars. “We should be promoting SDGs in the curriculum of continuing education courses for teachers in secondary schools and integrating them into teaching and learning practices.” M.K. Badalov, Head of the Department of Science and Innovation of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan Rustam Babajanov, National Coordinator of the UNESCO Project in Tajikistan, presented on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their gradual implementation in the Republic of Tajikistan, in the context of the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan. He highlighted the importance of sustainable development supported by the educational institutions. Workshop Participants ©UNESCO The discussions focused on the mainstreaming of SDG4, reflecting on a new global vision on quality education. In line with the Target 4.7 of SDG4, students should acquire the knowledge and skills to achieve sustainable development and lifestyle, respect for human rights, gender equality, culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and cultural diversity. It is necessary to develop the skills of the 21st century in a young generation, taking into account the needs of the labor market. “The methods of education which we use in classes and extracurricular activities can help develop students’ critical thinking skills, empathy, conflict resolution, and interaction with people of different nationalities." Z.I. Asrorova, Associated Professor of the Russian Tajik Slavonic University As a result of the roundtables, participants discussed concrete ways of implementing SDGs, including developing sample topics for the potential introduction of SDGs into the curricula of secondary schools and drafting and adopting a syllabus. Links:  Using Modern Teaching Methods to Achieve Sustainability in Higher Education in Kazakhstan The project "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" in the Kyrgyz Republic Trainings in Uzbekistan: Sustainability Begins with Teachers  URL:http://en.unesco.kz/sustainability-begins-with-teachers-in-tajikistan Participants © UNESCO Almaty Trainings in Uzbekistan: Sustainability Begins with Teachers 2018-12-05 In Uzbekistan, the National University of Uzbekistan held four training seminars for teachers and students from various departments under in the framework of the third stage of the UNESCO Project "Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia”. Trainings were devoted to develop new skills to mainstream Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship. “The higher education textbook "Fundamentals of Sustainable Development and Nature Management" in the Russian and Uzbek languages aroused great interest among participants" Azamat Azizov, National Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan About 250 students and 80 educators and teachers of higher education institutions received new skills in the workshops at the National University of Uzbekistan from November 2017 to February 2018. The most active were teachers of departments of chemistry and journalism. ©UNESCO Almaty These activities and project results from four Central Asia countries will be presented during the sub-regional workshop on mainstreaming education for sustainable development and evaluation of the project “Sustainability begins with teachers in Central Asia”, on 11-13 April 2018 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Project is implemented by UNESCO Office in Tashkent, in cooperation with the UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office and UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok with the financial support from the Government of Japan. The second sub-regional workshop aims at establishing synergies between teacher development and education policy on ESD; evaluating project activities on mainstreaming education for sustainable development and global citizenship; and agreeing on the sustainability of the project in Central Asia. Links:  Sub-regional workshop on mainstreaming education for sustainable development and evaluation of the project “Sustainability begins with teachers in Central Asia” Using Modern Teaching Methods to Achieve Sustainability in Higher Education in Kazakhstan The project "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" in the Kyrgyz Republic  URL:http://en.unesco.kz/capacity-building-of-educators-on-education-for-sustainable-development-and-global Workshop Participants © UNESCO Almaty Using Modern Teaching Methods to Achieve Sustainability in Higher Education in Kazakhstan 2018-12-05 UNESCO Almaty project "Sustainability Begins with Teachers", gave impetus to a series of events and trainings were conducted on using modern teaching methods to achieve sustainability in higher education. On 23-24 November 2017, Ms Saule Zeynolla, National Project Coordinator presented "Active methods of teaching" in the section "Project and problem-oriented learning" at the International Scientific and Practical Conference at the Kazakh National University named after al-Farabi. The conference is an open and convenient platform for the exchange of views and experiences in the field of implementation of problem-oriented teaching in higher education. “It is necessary to include project based training to universities educational process to influence the achieving of the Sustainable Development Goals. Saule Zeynolla, National Coordinator in Kazakhstan UNESCO Almaty supports the project based training in educational processes of universities with a focus on sustainable development. An active participation of representatives of the largest universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan contributed to the development of practical recommendations and proposals. They will be considered when developing training programmes for university teachers on the implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the educational process. Workshop Participants ©UNESCO Almaty Trainings organized at the Caspian University and, the German-Kazakh University from November 2017 to January 2018. More than 70 university professors and teachers attended the workshops. The participants discussed the competence-based in teaching students and shared their experience of applying new pedagogical technologies. Workshop Participants ©UNESCO Almaty The implementation of individual and group projects was an important component of practice-oriented teaching. In addition, the participants discussed difficulties in preparing assignments for classes and the various formats for applying exercise in training and their effectiveness. Particular attention was paid to the peculiarities of the perception of information of students of a new generation as well as practical examples of using effective technologies for the organization of complicated lectures. The most useful topic was on receiving feedback from the students, the terms of individual adjustment of the course and methods of self-evaluation of students. The orientation of learning for a specific result and the focus on the practical application of the curriculum material is the result of a well-coordinated efforts of teachers. URL:http://en.unesco.kz/using-modern-teaching-methods-to-achieve-sustainability-in-higher-education-in-kazakhstan Participants © UNESCO Almaty The project "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" in the Kyrgyz Republic 2018-12-04 Five trainings have been held in the Kyrgyz Republic over the past few months, involving more than 200 researchers, teachers, students and other education stakeholders. UNESCO Almaty has been implementing the project “Sustainability Begins with Teachers" in the Kyrgyz Republic, with the financial support of the Government of Japan and the assistance of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. The following teacher education institutions, including Kyrgyz Academy of Education, Osh Humanitarian and Pedagogical Institute, Kyrgyz University. I. Arabaeva, Republican Institute for Advanced Studies and Retraining of Teachers, Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic have been participating in the project. Participants ©UNESCO Almaty The main objective of the project is to integrate Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (Sustainable Development Goal 4.7) into the system of training and retraining teaching professionals. Trainings allowed to upgrade and improve the competences of participants, which in turn will affect the quality of education as a whole in the country. Teachers gained new knowledge, skills and understanding of social behavior and values that are necessary to ensure the transition to a sustainable society. On 26 November 2017, the Osh Humanitarian Pedagogical Institute held the Students' Campaign "Clean Nature - A Clean Future" in the framework of its Institutional Project, where students from the Faculty of Natural Geography actively participated. Participants ©UNESCO Almaty In the framework of this project, the joint clean up activity was organized at the Victory park together with "Tazalyk" company. The activity was devoted to a clean city action and for recycling of garbage and solid domestic waste. Related article:  Sustainability Begins with Teachers of Central Asia Second Expert Meeting on "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" "Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia" – results of the UNESCO sub-regional workshop in Almaty Education for Sustainable Development should bring about change  URL:http://en.unesco.kz/the-project-sustainability-begins-with-teachers-in-central-asia-in-the-kyrgyz-republic © UK Real World Learning Network Третья встреча экспертов по проекту "Образование в интересах устойчивого развития" 2018-12-03 The third expert meeting for the project “Sustainability begins with teachers in Central Asia” took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 31 January to 1 February 2018. The UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office organized the meeting in cooperation with UNESCO Tashkent, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok and with funding from Japan. “Learning should bring about change and change is not always comfortable. Mr. Shepherd Urenje, representative of the Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development Contributing to the Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) the project advocates for change in sustainable development practices of teacher education institutions in different regions, including Africa, Europe, South-East Asia and Central Asia. Twenty teacher education institutions from four Central Asian countries are implementing the “Change project” to bring incremental improvements and increase social awareness on ESD and Global Citizenship Education (GCED). The third expert meeting gathered ESD experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Sweden to analyze the project implementation status in each participating country and facilitate the organization of a sub-regional workshop to be organized in Uzbekistan in April to evaluate the project. Mr. Shepherd Urenje, representative of the Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development argued that “learning should bring about change and change is not always comfortable. We are here because of the Global Action Programme, which is about scaling up Education for Sustainable Development projects. One important aspect is the link between the Ministries of Education and mainstreaming of activities on ESD across different levels of education, including higher education, primary and secondary education and pre-school education.” Azamat Azizov from the National University from Uzbekistan stressed that an awareness of the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG) and ESD are indispensable elements of the formation of quality education and country development. Galiya Nurmukhanbetova from the International Information Technologies University in Almaty shared examples of students’ initiatives to develop green technologies in Kazakhstan, such as Tazalyk application that promotes recycling; Eco-Stations in Almaty, where the solar panels allow people to charge phones while waiting for the bus, or electronic terminals that allow to consult the bus schedule with a voice search control for inclusivity. A lot of such projects on green technologies have been initiated by young people. Green technologies become a bridge to the goals of sustainable development and education for all. Related Links:  Sustainability Begins with Teachers of Central Asia Second Expert Meeting on "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia Workshop to Take Place in Almaty Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia – results of the UNESCO sub-regional workshop in Almaty  URL:http://en.unesco.kz/education-for-sustainable-development-should-bring-about-change Experts on Sustainable Education © UNESCO Almaty Second Expert Meeting on "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" 2018-12-03 The second expert meeting under the umbrella of the “Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia” project took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 5-6 April 2017. UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office, in cooperation with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) and with support of the Japanese Funds-in-Trust, organized the meeting to prepare for the sub-regional workshop for teacher education institutions (19-23 June 2017). The project “Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia” is a part of the Global Action Programme (GAP) that strives to reach sustainable development in all areas of education through five Priority Action Areas (policies, learning environment, trainers and educators, youth, and sustainable solutions). The project focuses on the GAP Priority Action Area 3 – “building capacities of educators and trainers,” which has already been put into action in Southern Africa, South East Asia and Central Asia. National and international experts from UNESCO, CAREC, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Sweden participated in the meeting. They reviewed the project’s progress, clarified the focus, roles and actions for the upcoming workshop, outlined the programme and learning materials of the event, and discussed a preliminary plan for the sustainability of the project. Related article: Sustainability Begins with Teachers of Central Asia URL:http://en.unesco.kz/second-expert-meeting-on-sustainability-begins-with-teachers Workshop participants have a discussion during one of the sessions © CAREC Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia – results of the UNESCO sub-regional workshop in Almaty 2018-12-02 On June 19-23, 2017, Almaty hosted a workshop for teacher educators of Central Asian countries on the UNESCO project. This is a global initiative to increase the professional level of pedagogical staff for the implementation of education for sustainable development through the training of teachers. The UNESCO Cluster Office for Central Asia in Almaty organized the workshop, in cooperation with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, UNESCO Tashkent, the Asia-Pacific Education Centre for International Understanding under auspices of UNESCO (APCEIU), and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). The event received financial support from the Japanese government. 70 experts from 9 countries, including representatives of ministries, universities, and teacher training institutions from Central Asia, and international experts from the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Georgia, and Philippines attended the workshop. Workshop participants ©CAREC The workshop introduced a new methodology, whereby each participating institution conducted a self-assessment on education for sustainable development (ESD) and global citizenship education (GCED) before the workshop. During the workshop, participants explored a variety of methods and approaches, which show different models of mainstreaming the 21st century skills. As a result, they developed action plans to implement subsequent changes in their institutions and teacher education and training systems in the region. The teacher education institutions will start implementing their action plans over the following nine months and meet again in Tashkent in April 2018. Key speakers and organizers shared their thoughts on the workshop results, the importance of promoting education for sustainable development and global citizenship concepts, and values necessary for achieving quality education. Shepherd Urenje, SWEDESD: «The main reason why these people are here is that the current education is not able to prepare the young generation to solve the problems of the 21st century. People like me cannot solve them because I am part of these problems: the way I think, the way I was educated and the way I define success have created these problems. But young people can confront these challenges in a different way. They can do it if we help them to learn differently, if we teach them how to think critically, if they will learn how to learn. At the workshop, we got a very enthusiastic group of people who are willing to implement changes while most of them are very experienced professors, and they’ve been doing a great work in their institutions. The most important things that come throughout the presentations and speeches are that they do realize that we need changes, they do realize that we have to use different methods and they do realize that we need to look at teaching and learning in a different way.» Yangsook Lee, APCEIU: «When we talk about education in terms of sustainable development it is not just about “you are getting there by these means”. It should be an ongoing and continuing process with the involvement of all stakeholders. Of course, it is not easy to change the education system and mindset of educators, but doing this workshop, however small, is meaningful for sharing experience and raising the awareness. ...after five days [of the workshop] I am very happy to see that each participating institution presented a better vision and more concrete action plans for educational transformation.» Ushio Miura, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education: «Sustainable development demands a lot of re-thinking from all of us, about what we consider important in our lives, about our future, about our values… And education is critical in that process, to support all of us in changing the way we think, the way we live. There is no single method or solution for sustainable development. If there were, if it were that simple, then the whole world would not be struggling for sustainable development today. Different countries have different contexts. Even within one country, issues manifest differently in different communities. So, every community needs to look around, think and explore because solutions come from you, not from someone else who will tell you what to do. That is why during the workshop, the participants assessed their own institutions, to find what they have been doing well, and not so well, then think about what changes they would like to make.» Lina Benete, UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office: «This workshop focused on education for sustainable development and global citizenship. They are crucial for developing non-cognitive competences for the 21st century. These skills can enable students to get future jobs and have sustainable development in their countries. The workshop helped to establish synergies among teacher training, education policy, curriculum, and innovative pedagogical approaches. The participants of the workshop acquired the necessary knowledge and attitudes to transfer them to their students. Their skills combined with a fresh perspective can create transformation not just in their institutions but also in their countries. Now there is a strong network of Central Asian educators on ESD and GCED. We will work together over the next years to have sustainable development in Central Asia as part of the global effort.» Tatiana Shakirova, CAREC: « This workshop differs from many seminars, training and meetings on education for sustainable development (ESD) with its practical focus on changes towards sustainable development and ESD in the organizations themselves, preparing future teachers - universities and teachers training' centers. The workshop provided an opportunity to think about changes not only at the national level - political and legal but also about real changes in the minds, hearts, behavior, and lifestyle of teachers and their students. The project makes it possible to tell about the different views to the institutes and universities preparing teachers of the 21st century, ready for change and capable of promoting them.» You can download workshop's programme and concept note here: 1UNESCO Workshop_Agenda.docx Concept Paper_SD-GCED 1.docx Read article on CAREC website:http://carececo.org/en/news/ustoychivost-nachinaetsya-s-uchiteley-itogi-regionalnogo-seminara-v-almaty/ URL:http://en.unesco.kz/sustainability-begins-with-teachers-in-central-asia-results-of-the-unesco-sub-regional Educators explore global citizenship education © UNESCO Almaty Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia Workshop to Take Place in Almaty 2018-11-30 The sub-regional workshop Sustainability Begins with Teachers in Central Asia will take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 19-23 June 2017. The workshop will be organized by UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office, in cooperation with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok, the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), with support from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust. About 60 specialists, among which representatives from UNESCO and CAREC, international experts from Georgia, Sweden, Philippines, APCEIU, and national experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, will participate in the event. The workshop will focus on revisiting priorities in teacher education courses, reorienting practice skills, improving education methods for reaching sustainable development in Central Asian region, and also on increasing social awareness of the concepts of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and global citizenship education (GCE) with the implementation of Change project approach. The 5-day programme will include practice sessions, round-table discussions, presentations, and planning of future activities. The participants of the workshop will learn about the role of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), different methods of work, Central Asian best practices in promoting ESD in teacher education institutions, educators’ competencies and approaches, and educational materials inculcating ESD and GCE into teaching and learning. Read previous related articles:Sustainability Begins with Teachers of Central AsiaSecond Expert Meeting on "Sustainability Begins with Teachers" URL:http://en.unesco.kz/sustainability-begins-with-teachers-in-central-asia-workshop-to-take-place-in-almaty Consultation Committee © UNESCO Almaty Central Asia: Sustainability Begins with Teachers 2018-11-30 04 January 2017The sub-regional planning meeting on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCE) projects for teachers has been held on 12-13 December 2016 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The meeting has been organized by UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office in cooperation with UNESCO Tashkent, UNESCO Bangkok and support of the government of Japan as well as participation of Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development (SWEDESD) of the Uppsala University. The project “Sustainability begins with teachers” in Central Asia is a part of the Global Action Programme (GAP) under the category of Priority Action Area 3 “building capacities of educators and trainers”. The project advocates change in sustainable development practices of education pioneered by SWEDESD in Africa and serves to support teacher activism for sustainable development in Central Asia. UNESCO Almaty has invited ESD and GCE experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to perform analysis of the programme implementation status for each state and facilitate knowledge-sharing among the experts. The participants presented interim research reports examining implementation of teaching, learning and curriculum policy and practice on ESD and GCE.  How can Higher Education Institutions in Central Asia be empowered to ensure that teaching and learning approaches develop the skills for addressing the global challenges of the 21st Century?" Mr Shepherd Urenje, Representative of the Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development Representative of the Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development © UNESCO Almaty Local institutions, education centres and government agents in 4 countries act as initiators of “Change project” in several educational organisations simultaneously. They execute programmes under the supervision of 4 assigned expert coordinators on ESD and GCE as proposed during the meeting. The strategy seeks to bring incremental improvements and increase social awareness of ESD and GCE priorities by giving ownership of the process to local educators of Central Asia. The panel of international agency specialists has discussed and planned the execution of “Change Project” for sustainability in Central Asia. Invited participants have conducted research on last years` integration attainment of ESD and GCE programmes in respective countries. Furthermore, research experts seek to address the gaps in implementation practices on the grassroots and medium level of education. By the end of the meeting all participants agreed on the stages of “Change project” implementation in Central Asia with assistance of Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) and supervision by SWEDESD and UNESCO. Meeting Participants © UNESCO Almaty URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/central-asia-sustainability-begins-teachers