The 2026 International Conference of the Asia-Pacific Association for Teacher Education (APATE) was held on October 22, 2026, at the Howard Civil Service International House in Taipei. The conference, themed “Teaching, Trust, and Transformation: Reaffirming the Social Value of Teachers in the Asia-Pacific,” brought together more than 150 participants from 10 countries, including educational leaders and scholars from across the Asia-Pacific region. Through keynote speeches, country reports, and academic exchanges, participants discussed developments in teacher education and the role of teachers in responding to educational and social transformation.
The conference was organized by the College of Education, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and chaired by its Dean, Professor Huei-Mei Liu. The opening ceremony took place on the morning of October 22, with NTNU Executive Vice President Professor Hsueh-Chih Chen and NTNU Vice President for the School of Teacher Education Professor Yeu-Ting Liu in attendance.
The two keynote speeches delivered on October 22 addressed critical teaching, global citizenship education, and peace education. First, Greg William Misiaszek, Distinguished Professor at Tohoku University in Japan, presented “Critical Teaching for Global and Planetary Citizenship Through Local Contexts and Diverse Understandings.” He discussed how teachers can draw on local contexts and diverse perspectives to help students understand global issues and promote equity, justice, and planetary sustainability. Second, Kevin Kester, Associate Professor at Seoul National University in South Korea, presented “Global Citizenship Education for Peace: Pedagogical Principles for Teachers in Contested Times.” He examined the educational challenges arising from global conflicts and contentious social issues, outlining teaching principles to support global citizenship and peace education.
The conference also featured country reports on the theme “Teacher Education in Transition: Reforms, Challenges, and Future Directions across the Asia-Pacific.” Scholars from Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand shared developments in teacher education in their respective countries. Speakers included Professor Aan Komariah, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia; Professor Joel C. Javiniar, Dean of the Faculty of Education at University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines; Professor Yotsawee Saifah, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand; Professor Jiraporn Chano, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education at Mahasarakham University, Thailand; Professor Sang Min Lee, Associate Dean of the College of Education at Korea University, South Korea; and Professor Jing Liu, Tohoku University, Japan. The program also included a panel discussion on social-emotional learning, a roundtable discussion on future collaboration, a Young Scholar and Graduate Student Research Forum, paper presentations, and poster sessions.
The sessions scheduled for October 23 were canceled following the Taipei City Government’s announcement of a suspension of work and classes due to Typhoon Champi. Despite the cancellation, lively discussions and active exchanges on the first day enabled participants to share research findings, learn from different national perspectives, and strengthen professional connections, helping offset the disappointment of the second day’s cancellation.
Centered on teaching, trust, and transformation, the conference brought diverse perspectives on teacher education across the Asia-Pacific. It also reaffirmed a shared commitment to strengthening teacher education and building greater public trust in teachers, with a vision of teachers as a positive force for change in their community. These exchanges strengthened professional connections and provided a foundation for future collaboration in teacher education across the region.