UNICEF’s Pia Rebello Britto visits Ewha to discuss global education

Dr. Pia Rebello Britto provides insight for students in the field of education and gender equality. Photo by Hyung Jungwon

On Aug. 28, Dr. Pia Rebello Britto, Global Director of Education & Adolescent Development for UNICEF, made a noteworthy visit to Ewha during her time in South Korea.

Britto, a renowned advocate for children’s rights, plays a pivotal role in shaping UNICEF’s global education initiatives. During her visit, she engaged with students to discuss the importance of equitable education systems for students of different gender, age, and financial circumstances. UNICEF and Britto have their focus on providing fundamental education f o r marginalized communities around the world and addressing the global learning crisis.

The first part of Britto’s visit featured a discussion session with Professor Minah Kang from the Department of Public Administration and Professor Park Eunhye from the College of Education, esteemed faculty members in Ewha. They highlighted the rich history of Ewha’s College of Education, which was an institution pioneering women's higher education in South Korea since 1945.

After the discussion, Britto proceeded to Hak-gwan to give a special lecture for Ewha students, which was hosted by Ewha International Development Cooperation Association (EIDC). Students with diverse cultural and educational backgrounds enthusiastically participated in the event.

Ruth Mburu from Kenya and Tanja Moyo from Zimbabwe, both part of Ewha -KOICA Master’s Program, expressed their excitement towards the lecture as it aligned with their field of study in terms of gender equality and development cooperation.

“It was wonderful to see how Ewha is interested in educational rights,” Moyo said. “I want to be highly involved in global education and positively contribute in the future by supporting young women back in Zimbabwe based on what I have learned in Ewha.”

Throughout the lecture, Britto emphasized that achieving sustainable development in education will not be an easy feat. To elaborate, she explained that in order to address the 244 million children who are out of school, 30 percent of which reside in Sub- Saharan Africa, UNICEF has to make sure a new child is enrolled in school every 2 seconds until the year 2030, alongside increasing the number of teachers to 44 million.

Britto also shared the “RAPID” framework, an acronym for Reach, Assess, Prioritize, Increase, and Develop, to monitor and support global efforts to improve the quality and increase accessibility of education. UNICEF’s strategic focus is to follow the changing global trend and create opportunities for students in poverty, especially young women, to have access to digital learning as well as reduce the challenges regarding climate change.

Jellie Awenu Mahuruba, a Ph.D. student from Ewha-KOICA, found the lecture significantly informative and insightful.

“What stood out to me most was being exposed to new data in the field of quality education,” she mentioned. “This rings a bell for students like me, encouraging us to consider innovative solutions to ensure progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and focus on achieving gender equality.”

Janet Adenyo, a Ph.D. student from Ghana, also shared how the lecture was relatable as her home country struggles with the same issue of lack of educational rights and accessibility. Adenyo herself is currently conducting a study on providing assistance for various socially disadvantaged groups.

Professor Minah Kang, who hosted the event with EIDC, shared her experience on the preparation process.

She first met Britto during the Education Official Development Assistance Conference that was held last month in Seoul. Here, Britto showed interest towards Ewha and contacted Kang, which became the start of the event. Britto also has a close relationship with Professor Park Eunhye, as they have previously worked together in the field of early childhood education.

“Although the event took place before the semester started, over 100 students participated, asking excellent questions and showing deep interest in educational disparities,” Kang said. “It was also impressive to see students from various regions, including Africa and Asia, at Ewha, interacting and engaging in discussions together.”

Kang views this event as an opportunity for students to practically consider ways they can contribute in reducing the serious realities of global inequality, as well as think about their own career development in the field of development cooperation.

Original Source: https://evoice.ewha.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=20375