The Routledge Encyclopedia of Modern Asian Educators by Suzuki, Shin'ichi; McCulloch, Gary; Gu, Mingyuan;

Short description:

This handbook is a comprehensive resource on modern Asian educators from East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia and their contributions to Asian educational development through the 19^th and 20^th centuries. 

Long description:

This handbook is a unique and major resource on modern educators of Asia and their contribution to Asian educational development through the 19th and 20th centuries when modernization started in Asia. In one comprehensive volume, this handbook covers a selection of modern educators from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia – and their contributions to the development of modern education, practically and theoretically. The diversity of cultures and religion as well as the multilinguistic and ethnic context have made Asian modernization unique and complex. Educational modernization in Asia reflected this historical context in many ways and resulted in the diverse forms of learning, teaching, institutions, and administration.

Modern Asian educators compiled in this handbook represent various fields of Asian society: not only educational but cultural and social fields like academia, politics, economics, religion, literature, theatre, fine arts, and civic genres including the media. Through this Handbook, readers may discover the individual modern educators, male and female, and their contributions to Asian educational modernization. All of them were committed to the cause of education for children, youth, adults and in particular women.

In addition, this volume has an extraordinarily rich subject index which can be an excellent guide and introduction to information touching divergent dynamics of educational developments in modern Asia.

This insightful volume is perfect for students and researchers working on history of education, comparative education and educational development, particularly for those interested in Asian contexts.

‘Prof. Suzuki has created an important and excellent piece of work in developing this comprehensive collection of the biographies of influential educators in Asia.  I believe he made an excellent choice of educators for the Japan section of the book and his editorial team working on the rest of East Asia,  Southeast Asia and South Asia is also of top caliber. I especially appreciate the focus on women educators as well as men. This encyclopedia will bring a balance in what has tended to be a Euro-centred approach to the history of modern education.’ - Ruth Hayhoe, Professor, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, O.I.S.E, University of Toronto and President emerita, The Education University of Hong Kong

‘Prof. Suzuki has created a very important work. Asian educators have not enjoyed much spotlight in the world as the knowledge production system has been very much a Western centered one. The need for educators to meet, to learn, and to understand each other throughout the world is becoming　ever more important　in this increasingly global era. I believe the readers will find very useful information that will help them to understand the philosophy and ideas of Asian educators. Reading the book can be an important step to understand Asian success or experience in education.’ – Wang Yingjie, Professor of Education, Beijing Normal University, China

'The world is witnessing the rise (or perhaps renaissance) of the East, a development in which education continues to play an important role. Now, for the first time, we have a treasury of Asian Educators, which sketches the diverse contribution of some of Asia’s great scholars and reformers.' - Anthony R. Welch, Professor of Education, University of Sydney, Australia

'This encyclopedia provides readers with a rich, diverse source of data consisiting 390 teachers of all kinds drawn from throughout East, South and Southeast Asia. A common theme is how educators in these regions helped their countries cope with the challenges of modernization and westernization. Also addressed are problems of language policy, the changing position of women in society, the various ways in which educational ideas, models and institutions have been “borrowed” from the West, and the challenges inherent in preparing young people for the fast-changing economies they are destined to inhabit.' - Robert W. Aspinall, Professor, Center for Global Education, Doshisha University, Japan

Table of Contents:

Routledge encyclopedia of modern Asian educators Part 1: East Asia 1. Chinese Modern Educators 2. Japanese Modern Educators 3. Korean Modern Educators Part 2: South Asia 4. South Asian Modern Educators Part 3: Southeast Asia 5. Southeast Asian Modern Educators Annex I International and Regional Committees Annex II Educator Biographies Name Index Subject Index