Cooperatives in Educational Institutions: Strengthening Cooperative Identity – Parallel Session at ICA Global Cooperative Conference
On November 27, 2024, the ICA-AP Committee on Cooperatives in Educational Institutions (ICEI) hosted a panel discussion titled “Cooperatives in Educational Institutions: Strengthening Cooperative Identity through Praxis and Leadership” at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference 2024 in New Delhi. The session spotlighted the pivotal role of Cooperatives in Educational Institutions (CEIs) in cultivating leadership and embedding cooperative values among youth, ensuring generational renewal for the cooperative movement.
Mr. Ganesh Gopal, Secretary of ICEI and Lead – Entrepreneurship Development at ICA-AP, in his opening remarks, highlighted the transformative potential of CEIs in promoting cooperative identity, emphasising the importance of the fifth cooperative principle—Education, Training, and Information—in shaping future leaders for the movement. This was followed by Prof. Yashavantha Dongre, Co-Secretary of ICEI and Vice-Chancellor of Chanakya University, who elaborated on how CEIs serve as incubators for values-driven leadership and cooperative governance, bridging generational divides in the movement.
The first presentation was delivered by Dr. C. Pitchai, Professor at Gandhigram Rural Institute (GRI), India, who shared a compelling case study on school cooperatives in Tamil Nadu. He illustrated how these initiatives cultivate self-reliance, financial literacy, and democratic governance among students, laying the foundation for lifelong cooperative engagement. Dato Kamarudin Ismail, Member of the ICA Global Board and Former Deputy President of ANGKASA, Malaysia, highlighted Malaysia’s successes in integrating cooperative education into universities and described ANGKASA’s efforts in developing entrepreneurial skills and cooperative management expertise among students. Mr. Patxi Olabarria, President of the Basque Cooperative High Council, Spain, shared insights from the Basque region, discussing the longstanding tradition of cooperatives in Spain and showcasing how the Basque model effectively combines cooperative education with real-world applications, fostering innovation and leadership among youth.
Representing Japan, Mr. Junki Ito, Student Committee Member of the National Federation of University Co-operative Associations (NFUCA), shared his experiences in student-run cooperatives. He emphasized the role of these cooperatives in nurturing leadership, building collaborative skills, and instilling cooperative values among students.
The discussion was further enriched by contributions from ICEI members and senior delegates, including Mr. Iosefo Koroidimuri, Registrar and Director of Cooperative Business, Government of Fiji, Dr. Cynthia Giagnocavo, University of Almería, Spain, and Chair of the ICA Global CCR, and Ms. Jacqui Thomasen, CEO of the Cooperative College, UK, and several others. Mr. Koroidimuri, Registrar and Director, Department of Cooperative Business, Government of Fiji, shared insights from the Pacific region, emphasising the role of cooperative capacity building and training in strengthening grassroots cooperative networks. The panel discussion saw good participation with nearly 150 attendees taking part in the session.
The session concluded with a consensus on the need for sustained investments in CEIs to strengthen cooperative identity and values-based leadership, foster global collaboration for sharing best practices, and encourage the adoption of cooperative education in schools and universities worldwide. Prof. Yashavantha Dongre summarised the discussion, calling for collective action to scale CEI initiatives globally and ensure their sustainability. The panel underscored the transformative power of CEIs in advancing cooperative identity and leadership for a prosperous, inclusive future.
