I argue that the study of nation-building and nationalism should associate top-down forces with bottom-up interpretations and practices. I propose the conception of ‘learning the nation’ as a lens to discover the dynamic interactions between nation-state and individuals, as well as elites and ordinary people.

My research will mainly explore two questions:

1 How do students ‘learn the nation’ through their everyday interactions with other people within and outside schools?

2 How do individuals engage with the state-led patriotic education campaign?