Written by Sveta

Ever since the first week of my IEDP experience, the faculty members had been buzzing about CIES and the remarkable experience it was bound to be. I opened the program description and was shocked by the variety of sessions, additionally, Miami sounded like a tempting place to visit. Now, here I am, multitasking between submitting assignments, packing formal attire, designing business cards, and ensuring I catch my flight on time.

Getting to CIES/Miami 

With other IEDPers we booked a big apartment 10 minutes walk from the conference venue and made such a difference. Thanks to that we could come back home during the lunch break to take a nap and change shoes for more comfortable ones. Another unexpected bonus of the location was a 15-minute drive to the beach, this is how we managed to swim in the ocean in between sessions and I even got sunburned. 

Conference Insights

In my home country, education often takes a backseat, particularly if one’s aspirations don’t align with teaching. Hence, encountering a multitude of individuals at CIES delving into various educational topics—beyond just pedagogy—proved empowering.

I attended sessions that on the one hand covered my interests but also stretched my ability to think. Therefore, my takeaways are chaotic but still important.  Reflecting on my experience at the conference, several questions and takeaways linger:

• Listening to a roundtable discussion with one of IEDP faculty members – Dr.Geshberg – on the politics of educational reform and learning, I realized that successful cases of educational reforms following political, economic, and social upheavals, such as those in Japan and South Korea, are often tied to nation-state building imperatives. Yet, can we identify instances where systematic educational transformations occurred without the prerequisite of nation-building? Moreover, who holds the influence to advocate for peace-oriented education amidst state-led efforts grounded in hatred and war?

• During discussion in the session called “ From Policy to People: Collective Leadership Development to Transform” one of the speakers highlighted: CIES stands for Comparative and International Education Societies, however, what parts of the international community have the chance to participate in the conference held in the US in Miami? Therefore, I continue that thought and ask myself  How to ensure the inclusivity not only on the level of statement but also through acting and designing events that are created to exchange knowledge.

• I was helping Dr.Wagner in his roundtable discussion on learning, equity and inclusion, where prominent practitioners and professors gathered together to share the views on how we can help children at the bottom of the pyramid, one of the speakers said: “No child is at the bottom of the pyramid, but we (adults) are because we cannot reach them”. And it just resonated with me on a different level.

•       After attending all of the session, I started thinking that despite the ongoing narrative surrounding educational equity for vulnerable children, teacher support, and technical school enhancements, progress seems sluggish, leaving a bittersweet taste. However, as a friend of mine aptly remarked, “If it were easy, it would have been done long ago.”

Connections

Meeting remarkable individuals, even if briefly exchanging business cards and pleasantries, was refreshing. However, the true warmth stemmed from bonding with fellow IEDPers. Renting a spacious flat for seven, returning to find friends awaiting with a delightful dinner, sharing insights from the day, and planning sessions for the next, indulging in late-night ice cream excursions, ocean swims during lunch breaks, and midnight conversations on the beach—these moments encapsulated the uniqueness of my CIES experience.