In this paper I explore some of the sociocultural factors that shape global education today (with the special focus on the Polish context) and argue for a critical, transformative conceptualisation of global education. First, I briefly discuss more general issues like cosmopolitan turn in social sciences, migrations, radicalisation of attitudes, increase in xenophobia and securitisation discourse; new phenomena affecting education in the world – culture of accountability and measurement as well as striving for evidence-based education. I outline also their possible consequences for global education including the risk that global education will focus only on a competence dimension of education, the risk of homogenisation of global education and that it may become a new tool of colonisation. Second, I examine the Polish context of global education, focusing on Poland’s perspective as a semi-peripheral country (as a former aid recipient and now ODA donor, a country without a colonial legacy which itself has an experience of totalitarian oppression) (Starnawski 2015). Together with a Polish paternalism and expansionism towards Eastern neighbours dating back to the pre-war period, recent political changes and neo-conservative turn, it creates significant challenges for global education. Third, drawing on the works of Vanessa Andreotti (2011, 2016), Gert Biesta (2009, 2012) and Sharon Todd (2009, 2015), I outline some recommendations for global education that may help it to face these challenges. I suggest transformative global education rooted in values of equality, solidarity and social justice. However, it is not an easy task. Although global education has been incorporated into the Polish core curriculum, neither teachers nor pedagogy students are familiar with it. That is why we need to start from the very beginning. In the last part of the paper I focus on my pedagogical experiences with 1st year pedagogy students to illustrate some potentials and limitations of critical approach to global education. Keywords: Global education, transformative education, critical and postcolonial pedagogy, Poland, semi-peripheral country.

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