[PREP Book Review] Challenges in International Educational Development [Edited by Takayo Ogisu, Noriyuki Hashimoto, and Jun Kawaguchi]
If you want to enjoy the world of reading more but don't know what to read, I offer you a "PREP Book Review" just for you.
In this project, I aim to provide easy-to-understand summaries and key points of books that I have read and learned from, to help with your own reading and writing for notes or blogs.
Specifically, I will use the PREP method (Point, Reason, Example, Point) to clearly convey the appeal of the books.
This time, I am introducing "Challenges in International Educational Development" edited by Takayo Ogisu, Noriyuki Hashimoto, and Jun Kawaguchi.
Point (Claim)
A challenging book that breathes new life into international educational development
What I want to emphasize first is that this book re-examines "what international educational development is" from a new perspective.
Conventionally, support was primarily vertical, from "developed countries" to "developing countries," but following the SDGs, there is a growing demand for more horizontal connections that encompass the entire world.
This book proposes forms of education that transcend national borders based on three major pillars: "who educates," "how to embody it," and "how to engage."
I felt the key point is that through the essays and columns in each chapter, it suggests the possibility for each of us to cooperate, transcending the barriers of "educating/being educated."
Reason (Rationale)
The background of an era requiring global-scale learning and the book's awareness of the issues
The reason this book is necessary is that educational issues in the modern era can no longer be contained within a single country.
Social problems such as conflict and poverty are often seen as limited to "developing countries," but issues of educational disparity and inclusion are also serious in developed countries.
This book shows an attitude of thinking about such complex educational issues within the framework of the SDGs and searching for solutions that can be shared globally.
When we hear "international educational development," we tend to imagine a scheme of "the side providing support (developed countries)" and "the side receiving support (developing countries)."
However, the challenge this book presents lies in an approach that transcends that vertical relationship.
Part 1 asks "who educates," introducing cases where refugees, stateless people, and newly emerging private schools cover areas that public education cannot fully address.
Part 2 presents the importance of "reciprocal cooperation" with international organizations such as UNESCO, JICA, and the World Bank from the perspective of "how to embody it."
And in Part 3, the focus shifts to "how to engage" as researchers and practitioners.
There, the real voices of researchers and practitioners are shared, as they grapple with their own positionality and struggle to overcome the asymmetrical relationships that arise in the field of support.
In other words, from these multifaceted perspectives, there is a need to rethink the nature of education on a global scale—that is the strong sense of purpose behind this book.
Example
Concrete Benefits in Reciprocal Higher Education Cooperation
Here, I would like to take up a case study from Chapter 5, "Towards Higher Education Cooperation through Reciprocal Partnerships."
Traditional international educational development has often been associated with an image of developed countries unilaterally approaching developing countries to provide support.
However, this chapter examines how Japanese universities and companies can not only "provide support" to developing countries but also gain mutual benefits.
For example, it suggests that when Japanese universities accept students who wish to study abroad, it not only contributes to teacher training in developing countries but also offers benefits to the Japanese universities themselves.
Specifically, accepting excellent international students can revitalize the domestic research environment and potentially expand new research networks.
Furthermore, it is pointed out that by deepening exchanges in the field of higher education, Japanese companies can facilitate the securing of industrial human resources needed for future expansion into developing countries.
What these examples show is that through international educational development, we can move beyond the traditional "giver-receiver" relationship and establish a cooperative system that brings benefits to both sides by combining each other's strengths and resources.
This is highly informative for viewing international cooperation from a broader perspective and serves as a clear example of the effectiveness of the "horizontal partnership" proposed by this book.
Point (Reiteration)
"A must-read for everyone who will lead the future of educational development"
Finally, I would like to emphasize once again that this book deeply questions "how we ourselves can engage in educational development."
When we hear "international cooperation," we tend to think of large-scale NPO activities or government support, but the contributors to this book come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from researchers and practitioners to the local stakeholders themselves.
By sharing their own experiences and thoughts, they enable readers to imagine "how I can get involved" and "what I can do from my own position."
Also, because columns by experts representing each generation are placed at key points, I think it is valuable to be able to learn while moving back and forth between the path that international educational development has taken in the past and the prospects for the future.
You might find the term "international educational development" a bit intimidating at first.
However, this book provides each of us with an opportunity to take an interest in global-scale learning and education.
That is precisely why I want everyone who is thinking about getting involved in future education or international cooperation to pick up this book.
Kyu-san's Bookshelf: For those who are further interested in this book
If you have read this article and are further interested in "Challenges in International Educational Development," please pick up this recommended book at your local bookstore or online store.
It will surely deepen your understanding even further.