Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Time: 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM (Hong Kong Time)
Format: Online in English
Registration: https://eduhk.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OxMZ9XIGwkGpDw
Inter-Conversations Forum 13, “Research Priorities in Early Childhood Education Systems Across Asia”, will bring together Early Childhood Education (ECE) researchers, policymakers, teacher educators, and practitioners to discuss and reflect on the most critical ECE research priorities in countries across Asia. In particular, participants will learn from experts from Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Speakers will discuss the most important research topics and issues in their respective ECE systems and consider their unique challenges and opportunities. By exploring the specific needs and aspirations of different ECE systems across Asia, participants will glean insights and best practices to enhance holistic development and educational outcomes for young children in Asia.
Biography of Moderator
Dr. Alfredo Bautista
Dr. Alfredo Bautista is Associate Professor and Associate Head in the Department of Early Childhood Education (ECE) at EdUHK and the Co-director for the Centre for Educational and Developmental Sciences (CEDS). His research focuses on teaching practices and teacher professional development. Before joining EdUHK, he worked in Spain, Canada, United States, and Singapore. Currently, he leads several ECE projects focusing on Curriculum, Pedagogy, Teacher Education, and Professional Development, teaches courses for pre- and in-service ECE teachers, and supervises graduate students. Alfredo is the Editor-in-Chief of the ‘Journal for the Study of Education and Development’. He serves as Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member of other five international journals.
Biographies of Speakers
Prof. Nirmala Rao
Nirmala Rao is Serena H C Yang Professor in Early Childhood Development and Education, Chair Professor of Child Development and Education, and Director of the Consortium for Research on Early Childhood Development and Education (CORE), Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Her research focuses on early childhood development and education in Asian cultural contexts. Prof. Rao has published widely and serves on the Editorial Board for premier scholarly journals. She has received awards for both research and teaching and has considerable senior management experience. She is firmly committed to knowledge exchange and has served on many non-profit and professional boards throughout her career. Internationally, she regularly provides expertise and consultancy for UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, the OECD and the World Health Organisation. She led the drafting of the technical report for the 2022 UNESCO World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education and is on the Technical Expert Group for the OECD's International Early Learning Study.
His Excellency Dr. Prak Kosal
His Excellency Dr. PRAK KOSAL, a Deputy Secretary General of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and the Director of the Early Childhood Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), has been working for MoEYS for 31 years, including 19 years of experience in Early Childhood Care and Development. During his services in ECCD, he has been leading and coordinating technical tasks of public preschool, community preschool, daycare, home-based education/parental education, private preschool, ECE curriculum, and coordinating in national committee for ECCD, policy formulation, and implementation of multi-sectoral processes. He has played vital roles in leading and coordinating with relevant technical coordination task teams from different line ministries/institutions, development partners, and civil society to cooperatively carry out roles and responsibilities for effective support of ECCD.
As for his educational background, he holds double master’s degrees, one in Educational and Financial Planning and another in Public Law. During his 31 years of service, he has attended many professional development programs from well-known institutions; for example, he participated in Early Childhood Development – Asia - in collaboration with Hiroshima University supported by The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Advanced International Diploma on Child Rights, Classroom and School Management in Lund University, Sweden supported by The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Development in Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan supported by UNICEF; Training the Trainer Course in Home Based Care for Young Children in Singapore supported by the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) and the specialized training course on Quantitative Methods for Monitoring and Evaluating the Quality of Education by the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO).
Ms. Kelsey Carlton
Kelsey Carlton is a Strategic Education Advisor at VVOB-Vietnam, where she focuses on emergent literacy, teacher professional development and education research. Alongside VVOB-Vietnam, Kelsey supports the Early Childhood Education sector of the Ministry of Education in Vietnam by providing technical assistance to educational programs, specifically focusing on ethnic minority populations. Prior to working for VVOB, Kelsey obtained her master’s degree in international education policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education and is currently working towards a graduate certificate in Education Research. Prior to joining VVOB in Vietnam, she worked as the Director of Education at an NGO in Guatemala for four years where she worked on curriculum development, teacher training and effective school leadership."
Asst. Prof. Erickson M. Maclid
Assistant Professor Erickson M. Maclid is from the Department of Family Life and Child Development at the College of Home Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman. He holds an undergraduate degree in BS Family Life and Child Development and a master’s degree in MA Education (Educational Psychology). He conducts research related to early childhood development and its integral connection to family life. He has also published journal articles and conducted seminars and workshops for practitioners on these topics. With years of experience as a preschool teacher at the U.P. Child Development Center, he enjoys writing storybooks for children that creatively showcase early science and mathematics skills. Asst. Prof. Maclid has also led several research projects focused on STEM in early childhood. As a faculty member, he teaches courses in Child Development, Child Development Programs, and pre-service teaching in Early Childhood Development, among others, for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr Nordiana Zakir
Dr. Nordiana Zakir is an Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Her research focuses on bridging policy and practice in early childhood education, with a particular emphasis on effective classroom implementation and the integration of technology to enhance learning experiences. Dr. Nordiana is passionate about teacher education, curriculum development, and digital storytelling, exploring how these elements foster creativity and computational thinking in young children. She collaborates on various projects with the Early Childhood Education and Care Unit at the Ministry of Education, Brunei, contributing to the development of national strategies. Dr. Nordiana holds a PhD in Education from the University of Sheffield and an MSc in Economics in Early Childhood Education from Swansea University. Additionally, she is recognised as the National Representative for Brunei Darussalam for the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC).