This special issue (SI) highlights how the transnational flow of people in a ‘global age’ shapes the needs and aspirations of learners, how citizenship education can engage with this, while taking account of differences across groups and contexts. In this editorial introduction, we introduce a thematic analysis of GCE scholarship to date and consider the contributions of British-based research to this rapidly growing field. We then use this thematic analysis as a framework for examining the unique contribution each paper in this SI makes to the current scholarly landscape and highlighting the specific sub-fields each paper aligns and connects with.