Advancing 21st Century Competencies | Asia Society Skip to main content
  • Back to asiasociety.org
  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
    • Training and Consulting Services
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Asia Society Kids Booklists
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
    • #OwnVoices Virtual Reading Room
    • Raising Global Citizens
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events
leo icon Center for Global Education
Search
asiasociety.org Connect
Center for Global Education
Search
  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
    • Training and Consulting Services
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Asia Society Kids Booklists
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
    • #OwnVoices Virtual Reading Room
    • Raising Global Citizens
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events

Advancing 21st Century Competencies

In East Asian Education Systems

A boy with a pencil

East Asia is undergoing rapid transformation of its primary and secondary education systems as countries reform education to respond to the fundamental changes taking place in societies and economies in the 21st century. Such reforms are not an addition of new “21st century competencies” to an established set of expectations, but rather, a comprehensive reconceptualization of education and its role in society.

Advancing 21st Century Competencies in East Asian Education SystemsThis report, written by Professor Kai-ming Cheng of the University of Hong Kong and a team of researchers across East Asia, studies the education reform efforts of Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan to provide students with skills for the future. Read the report »

These five systems largely share similar cultural heritages and share similar philosophies of education, despite differences in polity and ideology. All five societies are among the more advanced economies and hence are among the first to feel the challenges of the 21st century. With no exception, all five systems have experienced significant, substantial, and comprehensive education reforms, which are ongoing.

The following case studies focus on the five education systems:

  • Advancing 21st Century Competencies in Hong Kong, by Kai-ming Cheng and Liz Jackson, University of Hong Kong; and Wing-on Lee, The Open University of Hong Kong
  • Advancing 21st Century Competencies in Japan, by Daisuke Kimura and Madoka Tatsuno, Global Incubation x Fostering Talents (GiFT)
  • Advancing 21st Century Competencies in Singapore, by Jennifer Pei-Ling Tan, Elizabeth Koh, Melvin Chan, Pamela Costes-Onishi, and David Hung, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University
  • Advancing 21st Century Competencies in South Korea, by Hyo-Jeong Kim and Jeongmin Eom, Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) under the auspices of UNESCO
  • Advancing 21st Century Competencies in Taiwan, by Hsiao-Lan Sharon Chen and Hsuan-Yi Huang, National Taiwan Normal University

Downloads

  • 21st-century-competencies-east-asian-education-systems.pdf (PDF, 2.42 MB)
  • 21st-century-competencies-hong-kong.pdf (PDF, 647.58 KB)
  • 21st-century-competencies-japan.pdf (PDF, 4.9 MB)
  • advancing-21st-century-competencies-in-singapore.pdf (PDF, 1.82 MB)
  • 21st-century-competencies-south-korea.pdf (PDF, 619.2 KB)
  • 21st-century-competencies-taiwan.pdf (PDF, 928.28 KB)

Connect With Us

Asia Society
725 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
t: 212-327-9260
education@asiasociety.org

Follow Our Blog on Education Week

Newsletter

Navigating Shared Futures

Visit Us

  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas

Global Network

  • Australia
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC

Resources

  • Arts
  • Asia Blog
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video

Shop

  • AsiaStore

Initiatives

  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Center for Global Education
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • China Learning Initiatives
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Learning Beyond School
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • Int'l Studies Schools Network
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit

About Asia Society

  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement

Connect

  • Email Signup
  • For the Media

©2021 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | About AsiaSociety.org | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC