Cultural Education and Digitisation: Experiences and Perspectives in German‐Chinese Dialogue

Abstract

Many actors in the field of cultural education work and cooperate internationally. This international context repeatedly provides illustration that the concept of cultural education is not based on a universal understanding. Thus, international dialogue forums are even more important - in particular, when societies are facing similar structural challenges, which also affect cultural education. Digitisation, which is transforming each area of life, is such a challenge. As it constitutes a significant aspect of a fundamental global and local cultural shift, the question of how the challenges of digitisation can be handled is of utmost importance for the extent, form and content of cultural education. It is not only about developing new ways of mediation, but also about understanding digitisation itself as a cultural transformation in order to shape and handle it in the best possible manner."Cultural Education and Digitisation" was the subject of the German‐Chinese expert forum which took place in Berlin from 27 to 30 November 2017. The Mercator Foundation and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation initiated and funded the event as the second in the German‐Chinese forum "Cultural Education Across Cultural Borders", and carried it out in cooperation with ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen). This Input summarises the core findings of the expert forum and shows perspectives for connecting digitisation and cultural education in Germany and China. Which discourses determine the debates on cultural education in both countries? Which hopes and concerns are connected to digitisation in general, but also to cultural education in specific? Which perspectives can be shown for future development, and which significance will be attributed to the international dialogue between Germany and China?