 | |
| Abbreviation | WCCES |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1970 |
| Founded at | Ottawa, Canada |
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | Active |
| Affiliations | UNESCO |
| Website | www |
The World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) is an international organization of comparative education societies created in 1970 in Ottawa, Canada. It is organized as an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO. The current president is Dr. Kanishka Bedi. [1] [2]
The WCCES was founded in 1970 in Ottawa, Canada, by the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). The founding members include comparative education pioneers Joseph Katz (Comparative and International Education Society of Canada) (CIESC), Gerald Read (CIES-USA) and Leo Fernig (International Bureau of Education). They were greatly influenced by the spread of national, regional and language-based comparative and international education societies during the 1960s and founded the WCCES to unite the societies that existed at the time: the CIES-USA, the CIESC, the Comparative Education Society in Europe (CESE), the Japan Comparative Education Society (JCES) and the Korean Comparative Education Society (KCES). With the purpose of spreading comparative education globally, the WCCES has gained 46 national, regional and language-based member societies as of 2025. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Although the WCCES is open to all eligible societies, it mainly serves the academic community. The organization supports research programs that concern globalization, theory and methods in comparative education and gender equality and equity in education, among other topics. Through its recruitment efforts, the WCCES has been able to facilitate the formation of new member societies and maintain existing ones that were nearly defunct. [5] [7]
The WCCES holds a World Congress normally every three years and symposia every year in-between two consecutive Word Congresses, where individuals representing member societies convene in a general assembly. The general assembly shares updates on the WCCES work that has transpired in the years since it last convened and engages in decision-making when necessary. The WCCES Executive Committee—the president, two vice presidents, executive director, treasurer and member society representatives—and chairpersons convene at least annually to govern the organization. [5]
The WCCES Executive Committee has planned to hold World Congresses in various regions of the world to stimulate comparative education activity where they are held. Due to the limited funding the WCCES receives, the executive committee meetings are usually held online through Zoom. [5]
The WCCES publishes two peer-reviewed journals , Global Comparative Education: Journal of the WCCES co-edited by N'Dri T. Assie-Lumumba and Kanishka Bedi and World Voices Nexus: The WCCES Chronicle co-edited by Kanishka Bedi, Gauri Hardikar and Oleg Gubin, and WCCES-Brill Book Series edited by Kanishka Bedi. The journal and the chronicle are published in the six official languages of the United Nations, viz. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian. [7]
Historically, the WCCES has mainly operated its affairs and online presence in English, due to the relatively few resources the executive committee has had compared to better-resourced organizations such as UNESCO. [5]
Because attendance at WCCES meetings is self-funded by member society representatives, equitable representation has been a concern. The executive committee has responded to the issue by holding World Congresses and Symposia in hybrid mode - onsite as well as online. [3]
| Number | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|
| I | Ottawa (Canada) | 1970 |
| II | Geneva (Switzerland) | 1974 |
| III | London (UK) | 1977 |
| IV | Tokyo (Japan) | 1980 |
| V | Paris (France) | 1984 |
| VI | Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 1987 |
| VII | Montreal (Canada) | 1989 |
| VIII | Prague (Czech Republic) | 1992 |
| IX | Sydney (Australia) | 1996 |
| X | Cape Town (South Africa) | 1998 |
| XI | Chungbuk (Korea) | 2001 |
| XII | Havana (Cuba) | 2004 |
| XIII | Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 2007 |
| XIV | Istanbul (Turkey) | 2010 |
| XV | Buenos Aires (Argentina) | 2013 |
| XVI | Beijing (China) | 2016 |
| XVII | Cancún (Mexico) | 2019 |
| XVIII | Ithaca, New York (USA) | 2024 |
The WCCES member societies include the following: [5]