On 23 March 2021, Professor Tan Oon Seng, Director of the Centre for Research in Child Development (CRCD) at the National Institute of Education (NIE), delivered the opening remarks and moderated a virtual panel discussion titled “Innovative Global Practices in Teacher Education”.

The webinar was organised by the Forum for World Education (FWE), a major international education network. Its mission is to transform education based on the skills and knowledge required to support the current and future global society, its economic growth, societal progress and sustainability.

The discussion agenda was premised on the fact that teachers worldwide have had to cope with the health, social and economic challenges brought about by COVID-19. As a non-profit and apolitical world organisation, the aim of the FWE is to marshal available resources to maintain a strong teaching force and build back batter. This could be accomplished through pre-service training and in-service professional development and support.

The panel members included Dr Zhang Minxuan, former President of Shanghai Normal University’s College of Education; Professor Sarah Gravett, Executive Dean of Education at the University of Johannesburg; Professor Nilza da Costa from Aveiro University; and Dr Christoph Meinel, University President of the Hasso-Plattner Institute.

Watch the webinar here.