The Asian Education Doctoral Student Institute (AEDSI) is co-organized by the Faculty of Education of East China Normal University (ECNU) and the Faculty of Education and Human Development (FEHD) of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK).

 

​​Why Doctoral Students?

Doctoral students usually study in a program under the intensive guidance of a supervisor or a committee but RARELY navigate their journey in a community of wider peers in the same field. Most institutional doctoral programs BARELY offer a larger learning horizon of valuable regional contexts within the global landscape.

Why Asia?

Asia is the most populous region in the world. Education in Asia has a long history as well as diverse cultural traditions. Asian universities are also rising into new global hubs of education and research. Both East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai and The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) in Hong Kong are committed to excellent scholarship and positive impacts on education. Two faculties of education embrace the ideas of nurturing future education leaders as well as valuing student initiatives and agency.

An Institute of Students, by Students, for Students

The organizing committee of the AEDSI is composed by doctoral students from EdUHK & ECNU under professional guidance. The contents of the Keynotes/Master Classes are designed on students’ needs. We hope to create a sustainable environment for doctoral students and scholars to engage in vibrant and fruitful dialogues on experience sharing, capacity building, global engagement, and more. We expect to inspire doctoral students to think about what we can do to contribute to future education from personal, regional, and global perspectives.

 

Building upon a robust scaffolding in doctoral training, the First, Second and Third AEDSI aimed to provide a platform for doctoral students to immerse in and reflect on contemporary and thought-provoking topics ranging from the doctoral journey to early-career development. The AEDSI intends to invite experts from schools, private educational institutions, academia, international organizations, and publishers worldwide for their views on the scholarly journey, academic development, and career options from both practical and research perspectives.

 

Beyond the traditional academic student institutes, the AEDSI will offer deeper insights and more possibilities for the doctoral and future journeys by pooling together the wisdom of invited experts and members. In addition, the AEDSI will be the preliminary attempt to establish an Asian doctoral student community to raise awareness of Asian experiences and perspectives in exploring future research directions in global education.

Purposes

 

• To navigate doctoral students’ learning and future development.

• To promote dialogues and knowledge exchange between EdUHK and ECNU, doctoral students and scholars, to wider Asia and the international community.

• To offer opportunities for doctoral students in and out of Asia to expand networks and foster collaboration in research, projects, and future development.

​

Track Record of Previous Events

Since its inauguration in 2022, the AEDSI has developed into a vibrant and student-led platform for doctoral scholars in education across Asia and beyond. 

• The first AEDSI, themed “Navigating the Doctoral Journey”, was held online and attracted 420 participants from 94 universities in 16 countries, featuring keynote speeches, workshops, and master classes that addressed the challenges and opportunities of doctoral training. 

• 
  The second AEDSI, themed “Identity, Impact, and Innovation During the Doctoral Journey”, was hosted on the ECNU campus in 2023. It combined a three-day training camp with site visits, workshops, and keynote sessions, and engaged 43 doctoral students in person together with nearly 300 participants online, creating opportunities for cross-cultural dialogue and institutional partnership.

• The third AEDSI, themed “Doctoral Journey and Sustainability: Research and Future Development”, was organized at EdUHK in 2024. It gathered 357 participants from 86 universities across 20 countries and regions. Structured around the sustainability of self, research, and society, it included six keynote speeches, four workshops, a roundtable, and a campus visit, stimulating reflections on the broader mission of doctoral research.

Across the three sessions, the AEDSI has consistently promoted academic exchange, professional identity building, and peer collaboration, while strengthening the partnership between ECNU and EdUHK. The institutes have not only broadened the international horizons of participating doctoral students but also cultivated a growing Asian doctoral network that connects to the global scholarly community. These experiences have laid a robust foundation and provide strong momentum for the forthcoming fourth AEDSI.