From May 20th to 30th, 2019, a delegation of 8 teachers and students from the Department of Preschool Education, ECNU, visited Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in Bergen, Norway for a 10-day International Academic Exchange Week.
This academic event was organized by the Kindergarten Knowledge Center for Systemic Research on Diversity and Sustainable Futures (KINDKNOW) under the Educational College of Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL) Co-hosted by the Department of Preschool Education.
Professor Elin Eriksen Ødegaard, (Director of Kindergarten Knowledge Center for Systemic Research on Diversity and Sustainable Futures, Western Norwegian University of Applied Sciences), Associate Professor Åsta Birkeland (Head of international affairs), Associate Professor Ruth Ingrid, Post-doctoral Aihua Hu, warmly welcomed the delegation from ECNU.
Kindergarten Knowledge Center for Systemic Research on Diversity and Sustainable Futures held an academic seminar on “Children’s Inquiry from the Perspective of the School of Cultural History”. More than 60 representatives from Norway, Finland, Australia, China and other countries gathered to discuss the research on the theory and practice of Vygotsky’s cultural history school. Professors Elin Eriksen Ødegaard and Liv Torunn Grindheim from the HVL, Professor Lasse Lipponen from the University of Helsinki, Finland, Professor Marilyn Fleer and Associate Professor Li Liang from Monash University in Australia, shared their researches respectively. During the meeting, the delegation members from ECNU shared their views and opinions as well.
During the visit, the two sides reviewed the successful process of exchanges and collaborations for over a decade, and reached consensus on further academic collaborations, such as mutual short-term visits, joint research projects, translation and publication of related works etc.
On May 27th, the HVL organized a forum for Ph.D students to provide a platform for further idea sharing. Teachers and students from both sides discussed in groups and exchanged their research fields and research topics.
During the forum, Prof. He Min from ECNU was invited to make a report entitled “Possibility of conducting preschool education research”, introducing the current situation, problems and solutions of preschool education research in China.
On May 28th, the delegation went to the Norwegian community and visited a typical family kindergarten in Norway, Tveitevannet Kindergarten. The principal introduced the kindergarten’s views on children, teachers, and features of early childhood education. The delegation members were arranged to have breakfast with the children, observe their group reading, outdoor mixed-aged activities.
On May 29th, Professor Åsta Brikeland, introduced the development and practice of preschool education in Norway. And then based on the local Kindergarten’ on-site observation, the two sides had a discussion on kindergarten environment, teachers and curriculum, outdoor activities, integrated education, mixed-age education etc. The delegation members were deeply impressed by Kindergarten’ educational concepts such as respecting children, being close to nature, encouraging exploration & adventure and osmotic learning in daily life.
During 10-day International Academic Exchange week, the teachers and students have benefited a lot. Upon their return to ECNU, On June 18th, the delegation held a report meeting open to the public and shared their views on topics, such as “early education research from the perspective of the cultural history school”, “study on bullying intervention in Norwegian schools”, “nursery in kindergartens in Norway”, “games in teaching” etc.