Event Highlights KIX EMAP Webinar 23 - Inclusive Education in Europe and Central Asia
Over 410 participants from more than 50 countries gathered virtually on February 6, 2025, for the first installment of a two-part webinar series examining inclusive education across Europe and Central Asia. The session, hosted by GPE KIX Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Pacific (EMAP) hub, created a platform for critical dialogue on the current challenges and opportunities.
José Luís Canêlhas, the GPE KIX EMAP Hub Director and Julia Levin, the GPE KIX EMAP Knowledge Lead for Europe and Central Asia, opened the event and set the context for the webinar by emphasizing the urgency of addressing inclusive education challenges in diverse contexts for the region.
The webinar featured three expert presentations offering complementary perspectives on the complex issues surrounding inclusive education implementation. Wenna Price delivered global perspectives on inclusive education. She explored shifting attitudes across GPE partner countries, identified common challenges in strengthening inclusive education, and highlighted how civil society drives inclusion through GPE KIX research and initiatives like Education Out Loud.
Building on this foundation, Lana Jurko shared findings from the Global Education Monitoring Report 2021, spotlighting key insights for Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Her presentation focused on the main research outcomes, identified challenges and necessary actions, and shared the accompanying recommendations.
The final presentation by Jekatyerina Dunajeva introduced a recently published KIX EMAP Comparative Study on Inclusive Education Practices in Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The study highlighted the historical and legal foundations of inclusive education in these nations, the challenges to its implementation, innovative approaches, key change agents and actionable recommendations. Read the full report here.
The webinar concluded with a dynamic discussion; participants engaged with speakers on topics ranging from diverse approaches to inclusive education, related terminology, societal perceptions, the role of parents and families and recent achievements in Europe and Central Asia.
