Call for paper nº 24

2026-06-08

Global Citizenship Education in Higher Education

 Coordination:

Borja Mateu-Luján, Tania Gómez Sánchez, Alicia Sianes-Bautista, Gloria Angélica Valenzuela Ojeda

Start date: 9 June 2026

Closing date: 30 November 2026

Publication date: June 2027

Presentation of the monograph

Global Citizenship Education (GCE) seeks to develop students’ skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to understand and address global issues, promoting values such as equity, diversity and civic responsibility. GCE is not limited to the acquisition of knowledge, but also affects students’ personal and social development.

Its development in a globally interconnected world is essential to ensure that citizens are informed about global issues and understand the interdependence of communities worldwide. Teaching staff are thus key agents in developing comprehensive educational processes, fostering critical inquiry and cultivating students’ ability to evaluate information thoughtfully.

The monograph “Global Citizenship Education in Higher Education” aims to generate knowledge, promote reflection and highlight the integration of this theme across the various sectors of higher education, capitalising on the educational opportunities offered by vocational education and training, upper secondary education and university education. Global citizenship involves active participation in addressing global problems and challenges, such as environmental sustainability, poverty, peace and human rights. In this sense, GCE contributes to the strengthening of democratic values and the development of participatory skills. At these educational levels and within these settings, educational initiatives, pedagogical approaches and practices are promoted that foster dialogue, respect for diversity and an understanding of citizens’ rights and responsibilities as a central element in building just and democratic societies. The aim is to bear in mind the social function of education and the need for technically competent nations rooted in respect for humanity and critical thinking as the cornerstones of democratic society.

Therefore, this monograph will include qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods research, etc., with proposals emerging from Latin America and Europe being particularly relevant, given the divergent development of this concept, centred on GCE to equip students with the necessary skills to understand and address the complexity of global issues.  Teachers are fundamental to this process. This holistic perspective reinforces the need to examine and improve educational practices in this field, as well as interventions, programmes and strategies for the initial and in-service training of teachers, in order to promote them and bring them to fruition both inside and outside the classroom, within a framework of lifelong learning.

Questions to be answered

  • What are the challenges and future developments facing GCE? Are any of them specific to higher education?
  • What is the state of conceptual clarification of GCE within international organisations? Are there converging or conflicting narratives in higher education?
  • To what extent does the international or comparative perspective influence GCE and its development?
  • To what extent do the epistemologies of the South and the North complement each other in the understanding of GCE?
  • How can GCE reconcile Eurocentric limitations with other paradigms?
  • How is the initial and continuing training of education professionals in GCE approached?
  • What is the practical application of GCE development as an educational policy? How does this translate into curriculum work?
  • How can GCE help tackle polarisation, hate and misinformation in higher education in the 21st century?

Keywords

  • Higher Education
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Teacher education
  • International policies
  • Tolerance and peace in education
  • Sustainable development
  • Soft skills and competences
  • Lifelong learning