As a leading research and capacity building institution in the Asia Pacific region, the Centre is passionate about educating people and building knowledge on trade related issues in the Asia Pacific and further afield.
Content and communication around global trade and development is often complex, partisan and difficult for the general public to understand. As a result, public debate can be overly focused on the negative aspects of change due to misunderstanding of key issues, as well as an underestimation of the global economy’s impact on our daily lives.
AASC believes strongly in its role to help create dialogue and understanding on global trade issues in an objective and fair manner, not just for policy makers, but for the public, and especially our younger generation.
To assist in this education strategy, AASC is developing a series of fun and engaging animations using simple examples to explore global trade impacts on everyday lives via a range of topics. This animation series aims to educate and inspire people to think more about global trade issues and how to be more informed global citizens.
The first two animations from the series, focusing on globalisation and supply chain, can be viewed on the AASC YouTube channel.
‘We are so excited to bring complex global trade content to students and the wider public in an accessible, fun and engaging way. This initiative allows us to be at the forefront of proactively communicating and educating on trade and development issues, allowing us to be a valuable intermediary between the public, government and industry’, says AASC’s Bonnie Rivendell.
A content schedule is currently being developed, with upcoming topics to include the future of work, gender and inclusion and digital trade, among others. These animations will launch over the course of the year, and will form part of a continually growing ‘library’ of material developed by AASC for the benefit of educating students and interested members of the public alike.
‘As our interconnected world continues to evolve, an understanding of global trade and its issues will only become more vital. We encourage anyone who sees the value in these animations, whether they be our partners or classroom teachers, to actively use and disseminate them to encourage greater understanding and debate.’
Partnership opportunities exist for funding bodies and organisations to co-develop valuable educational content with AASC on topics where there are aligned goals, and the Centre encourages any organisation interested to get in touch.
For further information or queries, please contact: Bonnie Rivendell on bonnie@apec.org.au
