Thank you for your interest in submitting a proposal for the 2018 AFS Global Conference. We have received a very high number of questions and requests for another extension to our deadline and are glad to announce the final extended deadline on 1 April 2018 23:59 GMT. Please use the below form to submit your proposal and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Proposals can be based on best practices, innovative ideas, research findings and/or policy-oriented perspectives. They should address the conference theme and fit into one of the five conference tracks below:
Track 1: 21st-century education systems and global competence
Global competence requires that we work together in alignment. Sessions in this track will bring together different stakeholders and identify roles and responsibilities required for each to make global competence a staple of formal and non-formal education around the world. This includes best ways to develop and implement meaningful policies, strategies, funding mechanisms and educational frameworks that ensure our institutions and educators are ready to help people become globally competent.
Track 2: Empowering primary and secondary school teachers to foster global competence
Teachers and educators need to be champions of global competency to foster these 21st-century skills in others. Sessions in this track will explore what it takes to better prepare primary and secondary school teachers to incorporate global competence into their curricula and lesson plans. This covers the full range of resources—from strategies and materials to funding—that teacher education institutions and authorities should include in pre-service and ongoing teacher learning. We will explore the best practices in providing teachers with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to function and educate in an intercultural environment. This track will also tackle the impact of the latest OECD PISA assessment of global competence on teacher education.
Track 3: Incorporating global competency in higher education and professional development
Simply being in contact with other cultures is not enough to become truly globally competent. Sessions in this track will define how to create truly intercultural learning environments, programs, and curricula that foster global competence and collaboration in higher education. This includes addressing the demands of employers and societies for more globally fluent workforces and citizens, exploring tools and strategies that most effectively satisfy their needs. We will define ways to empower universities and employers to do more than simply internationalize campuses and workplaces.
Track 4: Supporting global competence development beyond formal education systems
NGOs, study abroad, and non-formal education providers have a key role in supporting lifelong-learners’ global competence development. This track will feature some of the most innovative approaches to global competence education through the use of state-of-the-art methodologies, study abroad programs, virtual exchanges, blended learning opportunities and more.
Track 5: Bridging the gaps to ensure alignment among all stakeholders
Different stakeholders around the world are already making strides in advancing the global education movement. Sessions in this track will ensure meaningful alignment and collaboration among policymakers, funders, educators, employers diverse local communities, and others who contribute to the “learning to live together” movement. This includes collaboration across sectors, national and ideological boundaries to create alignment among different stakeholders about how we define and measure global competence.