XVII World Congress of Comparative Education Societies
XVII World Congress of Comparative Education Societies
The Future of Education
Cancún, Mx. 20-24 MAY 2019
ABOUT WORLD COUNCIL OF COMPARATIVE EDUCATION SOCIETIES (WCCES)
The World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) was formally established in 1970 during the first World Congress held in Ottawa, Canada as the World Council of Comparative Education, and a year later the name was changed to its present status.
The WCCES serves as an umbrella organization comprised of comparative education societies and UNESCO. Beginning with only five comparative education society members in 1970, the Council has grown to 36 constituent member societies in 2007 and 41 in 2016. Most members are national comparative education societies, but some are organized around global regions (e.g., Australian and New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society) and languages (e.g., Association Francophone d'éducation Comparée).
The Council has retained its original organizational structure and overall purpose since it was first organized in 1970. The WCCES leadership is comprised of five officers, namely the President, Secretary-General, Treasurer, and two Vice Presidents. Member societies have single representation within WCCES on the Executive Committee. UNESCO has also traditionally had representation on the Executive Committee. Additional leadership roles have been formed over the years, including the organization of standing committees around various themes related to specific Council-sponsored projects and activities (e.g.,publications, finances, and special projects). The Historian role was added in the 1990s and WCCES historical archive was established and originally housed by Kent State University until 2014, when the WCCES Archive was transferred to the University of Pittsburgh.
World Congresses are generally held once every three years, and rotate locations. Sixteen congresses have been held since the original meeting in Ottawa. In May 2019, the 17th World Congress will be held at Riviera Maya in Mexico.
| No. | Year | Place | Theme |
| 1 | 1970 | Ottawa, Canada | Education and the Formation of the Teaching Profession; Educational Aid to Developing Countries |
| 2 | 1974 | Geneva, Switzerland | Efficiencies and Inefficiencies in Secondary Schools |
| 3 | 1977 | London, United Kingdom | Unity and Diversity in Education |
| 4 | 1980 | Tokyo, Japan | Tradition and Innovation in Education |
| 5 | 1984 | Paris, France | Dependence and Interdependence in Education: The Role of Comparative Education |
| 6 | 1987 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Education, Crisis and Change |
| 7 | 1989 | Montreal, Canada | Development, Communication and Language |
| 8 | 1992 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Education and Democracy |
| 9 | 1996 | Sydney, Australia | Tradition, Modernity and Postmodernity |
| 10 | 1998 | Cape Town, South Africa | Education, Equity and Transformation |
| 11 | 2001 | Chungbuk, Republic of Korea | New Challenges, New Paradigms: Moving Education into the 21st Century |
| 12 | 2004 | Havana, Cuba | Education and Social Justice |
| 13 | 2007 | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Living Together: Education and Intercultural Dialogue |
| 14 | 2010 | Istanbul, Turkey | Bordering, Re-Bordering and New Possibilities in Education and Society |
| 15 | 2013 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | New Times, New Voices |
| 16 | 2016 | Beijing, China | Dialectics of Education: Comparative Perspectives. |
| 17 | 2017 | Cancún, México | The Future of Education |
WCCES Past Presidents and President
| Presidents | Time |
| Joseph Katz | 1970-1974 |
| Brian Holmes | 1974-1977 |
| Masunori Hiratsuka | 1977-1980 |
| Erwin H. Epstein | 1980-1983 |
| Michel Debeauvais | 1983-1987 |
| Vandera Masemann | 1987-1991 |
| Wolfgang Mitter | 1991-1996 |
| David N. Wilson | 1996-2001 |
| Anne Hickling- Hudson | 2001-2004 |
| Mark Bray | 2004-2007 |
| Crain Soudien | 2007-2010 |
| Wing On Lee | 2010-2013 |
| Carlos Alberto Torres | 2013-2016 |
| N´Dri T. Assie-Lumumba | 2016-2019 |
