Seoul National University (SNU) was established in 1946 as the first comprehensive university in postcolonial Korea. Its College of Education has organised a series of Master Classes in Education Research to mark this event. The first lecture in the series was delivered on 27 April 2026 by CERC’s Mark Bray, holder of the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education.

The lecture was entitled ‘Learning from Other Countries in the Education Sector: Goals, Lenses and Methods’, and was chaired by Professor Sung Sang Yoo.

During the lecture, Professor Bray drew particularly on the book Comparative Education Research: Approaches and Methods published in the series CERC Studies in Comparative Education. Alongside the original English-language version of the book are translations into 10 languages including Korean. During the lecture, Professor Bray stressed the importance of clarity in units for comparison, alongside opportunities for creativity in this regard field. He also highlighted the need for critical lenses when seeking to learn from other countries.

The lecture attracted many students, particularly from Masters and Doctoral programmes but also undergraduates. It led to lively discussion and exchange, not only with Professor Bray but also among the students themselves.

CERC has had various longstanding links with SNU, and in July 2026 will take partnerships further with group of postgraduate students led by Associate Professor Nutsa Kobakhidze and Research Assistant Professor Lee Ka Ya joining the 26^th International Conference on Education Research. Participants also include Xing Shuyu, the CERC Secretary. In conjunction with SNU colleagues, the will prepare a special section in the Asia Pacific Education Review related to the conference theme on ‘Education in the “Post-” World’.