Shifting Global Citizenship Education : Broadening Citizenship Education through Global Events in China

Abstract

In China’s push toward obtaining a stronger role and larger impact in the world, improving global citizenship education will become one of the most significant strategic actions in the immediate future. This paper argues that global citizenship education in China is essentially a complex process of strong national development though citizenship education. This research reports the findings of a small scale, mixed investigation into Chinese university students’ perception of citizenship and global citizenship education. This study argues that the concept of global citizenship education has much more support on the individual level. The findings suggest that global events not only promote national pride but also inspire individual change and a sense of global-mindedness.