Knowledge Exchange at Asia-Pacific Experiential Education Conference

Outdoor and experiential education is growing fast in south Asia. So found Emeritus Professor Chris Loynes at the Second Asia-Pacific Regional conference of the Association for Experiential Education, in Pune, India. Chris had the opportunity to give a masterclass, workshops and a keynote address titled Reflections in Outdoor and Experiential Learning. The 300-plus delegates from across the Asia-Pacific region represent a small portion of this exciting field. Alongside nations with a long-established professional practice of outdoor and experiential learning (OEL), such as Japan, New Zealand and Australia, other countries in the Asia-Pacific region are developing OEL practice in schools, social work, community groups, environmental projects and therapy. Graduates of University of Cumbria's MA programme in Outdoor and Experiential Learning are among those contributing to the development of the OEL field in Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. 

 

Chris first visited the region 25 years ago and hosted visitors from India in the UK for knowledge exchange which contributed to some of the early OEL programmes in India. Those professionals have helped train a new generation of practitioners and were at the core of the conference planning team. ‘It was such a pleasure to see old friends, visit the flourishing projects and see the professionalism of a growing field’ said Chris. 

 

The next Association for Experiential Education Asia Pacific Region conference will be held in Hong Kong in 2025, with plans for future events in Thailand and Taiwan developing.