Yogyakarta, 28 October 2024 – Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ir. Agus Maryono, IPM. ASEAN.Eng., Dean of the Vocational School, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), has been invited as an expert speaker at the UNESCO Regional Capacity Development Workshop which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 28 October to 1 November 2024. This workshop focuses on the Whole-School Approach (WSA) for Global Citizenship Education (GCED) to support the achievement of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This workshop was organized by UNESCO with support from the Government of the Republic of Korea. This event aims to strengthen the capacity of teachers and school leaders in the Asia-Pacific region in implementing WSA in global citizenship education. Around 60 teachers and school leaders from Bhutan, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as participants from Thailand, took part in this workshop together with 15 GCED experts from various countries in the Asia-Pacific. This GCED workshop brings together international experts, educators and policy makers to develop more inclusive and sustainable education, with a focus on cross-country collaboration in dealing with global issues. Over five days, various sessions were held, including panel discussions, case studies, collaborative working groups, and networking sessions that brought together international participants to strengthen partnerships in sustainable initiatives.
As an expert speaker, Prof. Agus Maryono provided insight into the Indonesian River Restoration Movement, an environmental initiative focused on river restoration in Indonesia with an approach to sustainability, community involvement, and economic empowerment. Through this initiative, Prof. Maryono highlighted Indonesia’s significant contribution in achieving several SDGs, including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Restoring river ecosystems to ensure access to clean water, SDG 13 (Climate Action): Building climate resilience through restoration of natural ecosystems, SDG 15 (Life on Land ): Conservation of biodiversity in river habitats, and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Creation of green spaces and improvement of water quality to improve urban living conditions. Prof. Agus Maryono also emphasized the philosophy of this restoration movement to accelerate the implementation of GCED in schools, especially the importance of environmental awareness in education.
This GCED workshop generated a new commitment among participants to integrate sustainability into educational practices and communities. Participation Prof. Agus Maryono not only highlighted Indonesia’s role in sustainable development, but also inspired other participants to start community-based initiatives that are aligned with SDGs in their regions.
On the sidelines of the workshop, Prof. Maryono held a meeting with the Director of UNESCO Bangkok to discuss collaboration opportunities between the UGM Vocational School and UNESCO. Both parties agreed on the importance of intensive partnerships and exploratory collaboration with UNESCO Indonesia to strengthen support for sustainable education and community development.