Events

The 6th Stakeholders Meeting on the Internationalization of Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific was successfully held on 3–4 December 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. Co-organized by the Waseda Center for Reconciliation Studies (Waseda University), the Graduate School of Education at the University of Tokyo, and the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the theme was “The Role of Higher Education Institutions in the Realization of Reconciliation.” Building on previous discussions, the meeting explored how international higher education can contribute to peace, reconciliation, and knowledge diplomacy across the Asia-Pacific region.

Day one of the meeting focused on the internationalization of higher education and knowledge diplomacy, particularly how higher education institutions can collaborate with different actors in society to address global challenges, including peace. The second day was dedicated to the theme of reconciliation and education. Following opening remarks by Professor Kazuo Kuroda and Professor Toyomi Asano, six members of the reconciliation project, along with three invited guest speakers, presented their research across three thematic sessions: reconciliation and education from global, regional, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Presentations by Project Members

• Kazuo Kuroda (Professor, Waseda University)
Conceptualizing International Education for Peace and Reconciliation
• Chau Cao (Lecturer/Researcher, Dai Nam University)
Exploring Reconciliation Through Study Abroad: A Collaborative Autoethnography of Vietnamese Students in Japan and the United States
• JungHyun Jasmine Ryu (Assistant Professor, The University of Tokyo)
International Collaboration and Reconciliation in ASEAN Peace Education: Bridging Policy and Grassroots Divergence
• Leyla Radjai (Research Fellow, JSPS-PD, The University of Tokyo)
Regional Higher Education Institutions as a Platform for Peace and Knowledge Diplomacy: The Case Study of South Asian University
• Shukuko Koyama (Associate Professor, Waseda University)
Potentials and Challenges of History Education for the Post-Memory Generation: Transnational Identities and Marginalised Perpetrator Memories
• Viet Du Nguyen (Research Assistant, Waseda University)
Conceptualizing International Education for Reconciliation and Peace: The Mediating Role of Postnational Identities
• Upalat Korwatanasakul (Associate Professor, Waseda University)
Towards a Future of Reconciliation – Understanding Conflict and Injustice in Shaping Collaborative Problem-Solving among 15-Year-Olds
• Toyomi Asano (Professor, Waseda University)
International Educational Cooperation and Economic Cooperation: Historical Origins and Development of the “Heart” Approach

Presentations by Guest Speakers

• Pilar Berse (Assistant Professor, Ateneo De Manila University)
Locating Peacebuilding in International Education and Institutional Partnerships
• Will Brehm (Associate Professor, University of Canberra)
Memory in the Mekong: Regional Identity, Schools, and Politics in Southeast Asia
• Yuji Utsumi (Associate Professor, Nagoya University)
Continuity of Basic Education for Peace and Reconciliation: School Safety and Community Resilience in Conflict Zones

Throughout the two-day meeting, more than 30 participants, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, contributed to the discussions and helped deepen the understanding of the role of higher education in reconciliation and knowledge diplomacy. The meeting successfully fostered dialogue on these important topics and provided a valuable platform to promote international and inter-institutional research collaboration. The presentations and discussions will also contribute to an upcoming academic publication.