Call for Proposals

Theme: Democracy, Education, and Value Creation
30 November – 1 December 2024, Soka University, Tokyo, Japan

Organized by: Soka University Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education (IRISE)

Language: Japanese, English, Chinese
Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speeches: Simultaneous Interpretation 
Parallel Sessions: conducted at respective venues based on the languages
used - Japanese, English, and Chinese (no translation provided)

The Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education (IRISE) is pleased to host the 2nd International Symposium on Global Citizenship Education to be held on November 14 and 15, 2026 at Soka University in Tokyo, Japan.

This symposium coincides with important commemorations that inspire reflection and renewed action. The year 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Daisaku Ikeda’s notable speech titled, Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship, delivered in 1996 at Teachers College, Columbia University, in which he articulated a vision of education that would foster a deep sense of shared humanity, rooted in the following three essential elements:

　●The wisdom to perceive the interconnectedness of all life.

　●The courage not to fear or deny difference but to respect and strive to understand people of different cultures and to grow from encounters with them.

　●The compassion to maintain an imaginative empathy that reaches beyond one’s immediate surroundings and extends to those suffering in distant places.

(1996/2021, pp.6-7)

Reflecting on these elements of global citizenship is particularly significant, as the year 2025 marks eighty years since the end of World War II—a historical milestone prompting renewed commitment to peace, democracy, and the transformative potential of education. Yet, democracy globally is experiencing profound challenges, such as rising narrow nationalism, intensifying geopolitical tensions, and increasing political and civic disengagement, especially among younger generations. Addressing these challenges compels us to revisit and reexamine fundamental questions as to the meaning and purpose of democracy and the role of education in the present age.

In John Dewey’s seminal work, Democracy and Education (1916), he argued that “democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience” (1916/2008, p.94), emphasizing education’s essential role in cultivating democratic habits through ongoing dialogue and collaboration. Dewey further described democracy as “a way of life” (1939/2008, p.227), a continual pursuit that each generation must renew.

Similarly, Ikeda (2005/2021) noted that a truly democratic society cannot be imposed through external authority or force. Instead, he stated that “[t]he proper path involves drawing forth and unleashing the capacities inherent in people, which are then directed with autonomy and spontaneity towards the construction of a democratic society” (p.159), also indicating the importance of education in fostering such individuals who are empowered to create value and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

This symposium invites both established and emerging scholars, researchers, and practitioners from various disciplines and backgrounds to engage in dialogue on the theme of “Democracy, Education, and Value Creation.” Together, we would like to explore pressing questions such as: What is the meaning and purpose of democracy in today’s world? What is the role of education? How can we nurture individuals who are empowered to create value and contribute meaningfully across diverse and evolving global contexts?

We welcome proposals that explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:

●The evolving meaning and purpose of democracy in a global context

●The role of education in fostering democratic engagement and global responsibility

●Intersections between democracy and global citizenship education

●Intersections between value-creating pedagogy and global citizenship education

●Global citizenship discussed from/viewed through educational, philosophical, political, social, historical, and/or economic lenses

●Empirical research and practices within global citizenship education

References

Dewey, J. (1916/2008). Democracy and education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), The middle works of John Dewey, 1899–1924 (Vol. 9, pp. 1–371). Southern Illinois University Press. The Collected Works of John Dewey, 1882–1953. Electronic Edition. InteLex Corporation.

Dewey, J. (1939/2008). Creative democracy–The task before us. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), The later works of John Dewey, 1925-1953 (Vol. 14, pp. 225-231). Southern Illinois University Press. The Collected Works of John Dewey, 1882–1953. Electronic Edition. InteLex Corporation.

Ikeda, D. (2021). The light of learning: Selected writings on education. Middleway Press.

Abstract Submission Instructions

●Title of presentation

●Name of presenter(s) and institutional affiliation

●Abstract Summary about 300 words (English), 400 characters (Chinese), or 500 characters (Japanese) that include the following:

　○Objective of the study

　○Conceptual/Theoretical Framework

　○Research Design/Methodology

　○Findings and Implications

●Include three keywords

●Include full reference list (APA for submissions in English)

●Please submit your abstract to GCE＠soka.ac.jp by July 31, 2026.

●Each abstract will undergo a blind peer-review process by two independent reviewers, and a notification of acceptance will be sent out by [Date].

Student Grant

On a competitive basis, this conference will offer a number of student travel grants up to $1,000 USD for those who are travelling to Japan from abroad. Grant support is limited to transportation and lodging expenses. The selection process for student grants will be held at the same time as the abstract submission screenings. For students who wish to apply for a student grant, please attach any document that can prove your student status when submitting your abstract.

 

If you have any questions regarding the symposium, please email GCE＠soka.ac.jp.

Schedule

Day 1 : 30th November (Sat) 

Time	Program
9:00-10:30	Opening Ceremony (Discovery Hall)   挨拶　鈴木美華（創価大学学長）   ゲストスピーチ
10:45-12:15	Parallel Session 1 (Global Square 4F)
12:15-13:15	Lunch
13:15-14:45	Parallel Session 2 (Global Square 4F)
15:15-17:35	Plenary Session 1 (Global Square AB103)  「民主主義と世界市民教育」 　① 蒲島郁夫（東京大学名誉教授、前熊本県知事） 　②マッシミリアーノ・タロッチ（ボローニャ大学ユネスコ議長、同大学世界市民教育国際研究センター長）
18:30-20:30	Welcome Dinner

Day 2 : 1st December (Sun) 

Time	Program
9:00-12:15	Plenary Session 2 (AB103) 「デューイ教育思想の現代的意義」 　① B・ステンゲル（国際デューイ協会現会長） 　② イングリッシュ氏（国際デューイ学会次期会長） 　③ 高 益民（北京師範大学比較教育研究所所長） - Closing Words      秋谷芳英     Chairperson, Board of Directors, Soka University