Event Recap: Bridging GCED and ESD in the Asia-Pacific

This insightful event, hosted as part of Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week, explored how Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can be bridged through mindfulness practices. The event was jointly organized by Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development and the Climate Education for a Resilient Future Earth Network.

The panel, moderated by Karen Chand, Director of Education Studies at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), offered a rich exchange of ideas on how mindfulness can be used to bridge GCED and ESD in meaningful ways. The speakers provided theoretical frameworks, field experiences, and concrete case studies from different parts of Asia. Common themes included the importance of emotional intelligence, ethical education, environmental awareness, and community engagement.

Together, the presentations highlighted that transformative education must go beyond knowledge transfer—it should also nurture empathy, reflection, and active global responsibility in students. The session closed with an engaging Q&A segment, reinforcing the collective commitment to reshaping education for a more sustainable and just world.

Panel Highlights:

1. Faryal Khan (UNESCO Bangkok):
   Faryal opened the discussion by introducing international frameworks that support peace, human rights, and sustainable development. She emphasized that GCED and ESD are interconnected, likening them to "two faces of the same coin." Her presentation centered on the 2023 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights, and Sustainable Development, highlighting how mindfulness practices can be a key tool in its implementation. She encouraged integrating mindfulness not just as a classroom practice but as a structural element in shaping peaceful, reflective learning environments.

2. Radhika Iyengar (Columbia University):
   Radhika provided a deep dive into Social Emotional Learning (SEL) as a bridge between GCED and ESD. She proposed a flexible, replicable framework that connects emotional intelligence with sustainability and global citizenship values. Drawing from her diverse field experiences, she stressed the importance of teaching empathy, self-awareness, and collaborative problem-solving to prepare students for real-world challenges, especially in climate resilience and social equity. She shared the frameworks of Community wellbeing and happiness linked with positive psychology that could shape ESD practices in classrooms. 

3. Rajib Timalsina (Tribhuvan University, Nepal):
   Rajib emphasized the foundational role of ethics and values in education, particularly peace and human rights education. He noted that these are often overlooked in systems increasingly focused on preparing students solely for the labor market. Sharing best practices from Nepal, he advocated for embedding ethical literacy across all education levels to shape socially responsible global citizens who are capable of critical reflection and conflict resolution.

4. Subarna Sivapalan (University of Nottingham Malaysia):
   Subarna focused on how universities in Malaysia are contributing to the “greening” movement. She presented several university-led initiatives that integrate sustainability into curricula, campus operations, and community partnerships. These case studies showed how institutions can model and cultivate sustainability through research, service learning, and curriculum innovation that actively engage students in real-world problem-solving.

5. Nitas Syed (Bard College Beijing, Asia-Pacific Office):
   Nitas shared compelling stories from fieldwork in China, where student experiential learning programs blend mindfulness, environmental education, and leadership development. These programs, he noted, help students develop a sense of ecological belonging and stewardship. By connecting with their local environments through immersive experiences, students not only gain practical skills but also a deep-rooted commitment to sustainability and collective well-being.