GCED in Higher Education in the Arab Region: Reflecting on a course for teacher pre-service training

Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) play a key role in empowering children and youth with the skills enabling them to engage in the development of more peaceful, just, inclusive and sustainable societies. In the context of the Arab region, where some countries are seeking sustainable and resilient transformation and some are still affected by the prolonged conflicts and their consequences, GCED and ESD are of paramount importance in promoting mutual understanding, social cohesion, human rights, equality and other common human values that are imperative for all learners, from pre-primary education to tertiary and adult education.

In early 2022, UNESCO published the findings of a study aimed at understanding to what extent HEI in the Arab region are mainstreaming GCED. The study concluded that most Arab HEI express commitment to promoting GCED values. However, despite commitment, more needs to be done to effectively mainstream GCED values and competencies at higher education level. To better support Arab HEI, UNESCO also published a guidance document providing concrete proposals for action in GCED in Higher Education.

Among the recommendations of the study and the proposals of the guidance document, attention is paid to the role of HEI in providing teachers’ pre-service training. Indeed, the inclusion of GCED and ESD as a key component of curricula in faculties of education and teachers’ colleges is a very powerful element to enable future teachers to teach and instil GCED and ESD elements across different subjects, i.e., literature, history, etc.

To advance on the creation of a GCED/ESD course for teachers’ pre-service training, UNESCO is mobilising its network to reflect on the key elements to be included in such a course, during a closed-door experts meeting that will be held between 30 november and 2 December 2022 in Tunis. Through their discussions, the network members will notably contribute to supporting the HEI present in developing their own higher education courses. Based on the discussions at the meeting, UNESCO will also prepare a document that will provide Arab HEI with recommendations and guidance for the development of a GCED/ESD course in faculties of education. 

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This meeting is organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States (Beirut) in cooperation with the UNESCO Multi-Country Office for the Maghreb (Rabat).

With the support of: