PU is all set to host 14th Annual International CESI Conference

Chandigarh, November 19, 2024: The 14th Annual International Conference of the Comparative Education Society of India (CESI) is set to commence at Panjab University. The prestigious three days conference, being hosted by the PU Department of Education and PU Department of Philosophy, will feature leading scholars and experts from diverse fields, engaging in critical discussions on contemporary educational issues would commence from November 22.

As many as 300 scholars, educators, senior professors and policy-makers from India and abroad are expected to attend the conference “State, Market and Civil Society: Rethinking Education for Sustainable Futures", which is aimed to inspire new perspectives and policy pathways for a socially equitable future. This year’s CESI conference will contribute meaningfully to the evolving dialogue on the future of education in an increasingly complex world, serving as a platform to re-imagine education for a sustainable future. It will explore how education can empower communities and cultivate responsible global citizens equipped to address pressing global challenges.

Major Highlights
•    Prof. Edward Vickers, Professor of Comparative Education & UNESCO Chair on Education for Peace, Social Justice and Global Citizenship, Kyushu University, Japan will deliver the keynote address on November 22, 2024. Titled "Technocracy, instrumentalism and ethics: rethinking educational scholarship in an age of fracture," Prof. Vickers' address will set the tone for the conference.
•    A vibrant cultural program showcasing the rich heritage of Punjab will be held on the evening of November 22nd, 2024.
•    Prof. Krishna Kumar, Honorary Professor, Panjab University, and Former Director, NCERT, New Delhi, will deliver a special lecture on "Understanding Higher Education and its Current Predicament" on November 23, 2024.
•    A plenary session on Punjab, titled "Knowing/Understanding Punjab: Mapping the Historical, Social and Cultural Contours," will feature renowned scholars Prof. Surinder Singh Jodhka, Prof. Sukhmani Bal Riar, and Prof. Ranjit Singh Ghuman on November 23, 2024.
•    Prof. Marmar Mukhopadhyay, Chairman, Educational Technology and Management Academy Gurgaon, and Former Director, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi, will lead a special session on "The World of Learning: A Comparative Study of School Education Reforms in 52 Countries" on November 24, 2024.
•    Prof. Furqan Qamar, Professor, Centre for Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia and Former Advisor (Education), Planning Commission of India,will deliver the valedictory address on November 24, 2024, titled "Dissecting the Decline in School Enrolment: Why weren't the Private Schools as adversely affected by the Triple Whammy?"

It has been a long-standing vision for members of CESI to establish disciplinary and thematic Research Interest Groups (RIGs) as a way to decentralize its academic activities and encourage the growth of comparative educational studies in India.  Currently, CESI hosts 13 Disciplinary RIGs, which span a diverse range of educational themes. These include Educational Technology, Sociology of Education, Economics of Education, History of Education, Psychology of Education, Politics of Education, Higher Education, Education and Marginal Groups, Methodologies and Methods in Educational Research, Teachers and Teacher Education, Educational Policy, Planning and Management, School Education, and Comparative Education. 

Paper presentations will be conducted simultaneously across multiple venues over all three days, each focusing on different themes of the 14th Annual International CESI Conference 2024.

The RIGs will drive the conference’s discussions, facilitating in-depth engagement with current research and debates across the field of education.