Publication Date
August 2010
Abstract
While universities can act as important mediators amidst the highly disruptive and contentious change processes of globalization, very few institutions are intentionally fulfilling such a mission. Moreover, there are significant ethnocentric and ideological barriers to overcome before intercultural understanding and cooperation may occur. Nonetheless, universities in the global age are increasingly called upon to help prepare students to better perceive, understand, interpret, translate, and negotiate complex interdependent global contexts. This article examines the significance of several common reactions to the challenges of globalization for teaching and learning in higher education. It also outlines primary areas of focus for global educators who wish to help students and scholars connect local and global issues, develop an ability to effectively and appropriately communicate and interact across cultures, and foster a commitment to social justice and sustainable communities throughout the world. Such efforts require bringing together, across disciplines and communities, diverse perspectives to engage in a process of building shared understanding.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
