On May 22, 2026, the Comparative Education Research Centre (CERC) successfully held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) from 1:30 to 2:30 pm, both in person and via Zoom. The meeting brought together members of the Centre to review the past year’s developments, reflect on key achievements, and discuss strategies for future growth. Director Jeremy Rappleye presented the annual report, highlighting CERC’s ongoing contributions to comparative education research, publications, seminars, and international collaboration.

Following the AGM, CERC was honoured to host its 2026 Annual Lecture delivered by Professor Anthony Welch from the University of Sydney. Prof. Welch’s talk, titled “From Knowledge Diplomacy to Knowledge Security: Developments, Implications and a Warning for Comparative Education” called attention to the decline of Knowledge Diplomacy and the accelerated securitization of higher education in a increasingly polarized world. Through critically analyzing the case of Australia, Prof. Welch emphasized the importance of taking geopolitical situation into account in research of comparative education. The talk was well received and sparked vibrant discussions.

This year’s AGM and lecture underscore CERC’s commitment to fostering critical dialogue, advancing scholarship, and building a vibrant research community locally and globally.