The organizers of the International Seminar on Girls’ and Women’s Education would like to express their sincere gratitude to all delegates from 14 countries in Africa and Asia, who travelled to Beijing, P.R. China, and participated fully in the discussions and field visits held from 1-5 September 2015. Thanks are also extended to all speakers and experts from P.R. China and abroad who shared their precious knowledge and experiences, as well as engaged in discussions with other participants. Positive feedback was received from the participants following the event, and it is hoped that the present report captures well the experiences and reflections that were shared between participants and experts during the seminar.
The organization of the seminar was also an example of a close-knit collaboration at work, among UNESCO Headquarters, the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO, UNESCO-INRULED and Beijing Normal University. The commitment of their representatives and all teams involved was invaluable. The cooperation with UNESCO staff from field offices in Cambodia, Ghana, Ethiopia, India/Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Uzbekistan, as well as with colleagues in Bangkok and Beijing and at UNESCO-IICBA, is also greatly appreciated.
The organizers are very grateful to the HNA Group and the Hainan Cihang Foundation, for their support to the organization of the seminar and their participation in the opening ceremony, and beyond this, for their support to the establishment of two projects under the UNESCO-HNA Group Funds-in-Trust to promote gender equity in education in African and Asian countries, particularly for girls and women.
The following report is based on notes by Dr. Liu Jing (UNESCO-INRULED), Mr Abdulghani Muthanna (international student from Yemen, Beijing Normal University), Ms Aurora Sze-Ming Cheung (UNESCO Nairobi), Ms Lay Cheng Tan (UNESCO Bangkok), and Mr Adrien Boucher (UNESCO Headquarters).
Last but not least, participants and organizers alike have greatly appreciated the continuous support and attention provided by student volunteers of Beijing Normal University. Their availability and commitment around the clock were key to the success of the seminar.