​ Hello,

My name is Julie Saito, I am the new chief of ASPnet and in charge of the International Coordination. I am very honoured to take this position to coordinate over 12,000 schools in over 180 countries around the world.

Although we are actually part of the Education Sector of UNESCO, our tasks goes beyond that. At the moment, we are focusing on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Global Citizenship Education (GCED), and Intercultural Dialogue. Working on these themes include, connecting with the other UNESCO sectors, e.g. the sectors of Culture, Science, including the sectors for Human and Social Sciences, as well as that for Natural Sciences, and, finally, the sector for Communication and Information, along other partners outside of UNESCO.

We can initiate many projects together, for instance on topics such as Artificial Intelligence, gender, migration or even art education and, currently especially on solidarity and international cooperation and understanding.

We have a lot of opportunities to work together and I appreciate your inputs, interests and feedback on everything that we try to develop with you.

As you know, at this moment, we are facing a very difficult time. At UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, where the team is situated, we are in confinement, with all schools closed, as for many of you, needing to work from home.

I would like with my team to be close to you where you are.  

I think that now, we have to see how we can focus on how to collaborate to give assurances to students and give knowledge to teachers and parents, on how they can support learners.

We appreciate very much your kind support and collaboration with the ASPnet team, who are here, as always, ready to support you in any way we can.

The Messages received from you will be disseminated and shared around the world.

I believe that we can all work together to understand this and other challenges, and to strengthen our connection as a network!

Thank you very much,

Stay safe

Julie Saito

24 March 2020