Character and Founding
The Comparative Education Society in Europe (CESE) is an international non-profit making association of scientific and educational character.
CESE was founded in 1961 in London and is a founding society of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES).
Purpose
The Society has traditionally promoted a space for dialogue amongst scholars, specialists and young researchers from the field of education and other disciplines. More specifically, its purpose is to encourage and promote comparative and international studies in education by:
- promoting and improving the teaching of comparative education in institutions of higher learning;
- stimulating research;
- facilitating the publication and distribution of comparative studies in education;
- interesting professors and teachers of other disciplines in the comparative and international dimension of their work;
- encouraging visits by educators to study educational institutions and systems throughout the world;
- co-operating with those who in other disciplines attempt to interpret educational developments in a broad context;
- organising conferences and meetings;
- collaborating with other Comparative Education Societies across the world in order to further international action in this field.
Membership
The Society's members include:
1. Ordinary members:
a. teachers of, and researchers in comparative and international education, active in institutions of higher learning;
b. persons concerned with studies in comparative and international education or related areas, and active in educational agencies and organisations.
Decisions on ordinary membership are normally taken by the Executice Committee during their annual meeting. Membership dues are €90 for a period of two years.
2. Honorary members: persons who have rendered long and distinguished services to comparative and/or international education.
Decisions on honorary memberships are normally taken by the General Assembly.
Executive Committee and General Assembly
CESE is administrated by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, the immediate Past President, two Vice Presidents, and two other Members. The Committee is elected by the General Assembly every two years. The Assembly has all powers for achieving the purposes of the Society. A Secretary-Treasurer is appointed every years by the Executive Committee.
Conferences and Publications
Every two years the Society organises an international conference of high scholarly standards which attracts academics, scholars, practitioners and students from all parts of Europe and around the world. Throughout its history, CESE has organised twenty-four such conferences, a special conference for the 25th anniversary of the Society, a symposium, and two 'CESE In-Betweens'. In-Betweens are international symposia organised between the biennial conferences. Volumes of selected (reviewed) conference and symposium papers are often published by the Society in association with various publishing houses and institutions. The Society has recently established a CESE Series with Sense Publishers devoted to publish studies on comparative and international education.
European Education
The Society has also established very recently an affiliation with the Journal of European Education: Issues and Studies. Many CESE members serve in the advisory board of the journal and CESE members could opt-in for an online subscription to the journal at a reduced price. The journal devotes regularly a section on CESE News and publishes a special issue every two years that is connected with CESE conferences and seminars.