Redefining the Future: The Urgency of Transformative Geography Education for an Ideal Global Society | Ali Demirci (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
We provide dessert for the break after the seminar. Please register if you want to join and/or enjoy the dessert! Online participation will be arranged upon request, you can indicate this in the registration form as well.
As depicted in literary works like Plato's Republic, Thomas More's Utopia, and George Orwell's 1984, throughout human history, humanity has sought an ideal society to address societal, economic, and environmental challenges. Despite outstanding scientific and technological advancements, especially in the last century, the need for a more significant, ideal global society is increasingly urgent in the face of pressing global issues that span social inequality, economic disparities, environmental degradation, and political instability, negatively impacting billions worldwide. While school education, particularly geography education, has been recognized as crucial for this purpose, examining current global issues raises questions about the efficacies of our practices to achieve this purpose. Why do we need an ideal global society? What characteristics should such a society have? Do we genuinely desire a conscious global society, and to what extent can we achieve that? What is the role and potential of geography education in creating such a global community, and what should be done to realize this potential? This seminar critically addresses these questions, emphasizing the urgency to reevaluate the purpose, objectives, and expectations from geography education. It advocates for a significant overhaul not only in what and how we teach but also in why we teach, promoting a transformative approach that actively contributes to creating productive, active global communities. This approach is essential for addressing the global problems in our rapidly changing world.
Ali Demirci is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Geography at VUB. He earned his Ph.D. in 2004 in Turkey, specializing in secondary school geography education in the USA for his dissertation. His research interests encompass geography education, GIS, and global understanding. Over the years, he has led numerous studies and research projects, resulting in over 100 publications. As one of his recent contributions, he coedited the book "Geography Education for Global Understanding," published by Springer in 2018. In 2012, he received the Best Article Award from the National Council for Geography Education and the Special Achievement Award from ESRI in the USA. Dr. Demirci has actively participated in the international academic community, serving on the steering committee of the IGU CGE (Commission on Geographical Education) for six years.