-
Plastic Debris and Great Garbage Patches: Ca’ Foscari University Raises Awareness of Ocean Pollution
By Roberta Attanasio When we think of the Great Garbage Patches — of which 5 exist — we usually think of ocean pollution. Now, when thinking of garbage patches and ways to raise awareness of them, we may think of Venice and Ca’ Foscari University. Venice, the Italian city that seems to float on water, bears no resemblance to the vast concentrations of floating marine debris that makes up the garbage patches. However, you can find an artistic representation of the garbage patches right in the heart of the city and, more precisely, right in the courtyard of the world’s oldest existing building granted LEED certification. Let’s go one step…
-
Global High Tech Hubs, Applied Sciences and Net-Zero Energy Buildings
By The Editors At this time, it only offers a beta class (a one-year Masters of Engineering degree in Computer Science from Cornell University), with a handful of students housed in space donated by Google – in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. In the next few years, it will be a major global research and academic program that will confer graduate degrees and engage in research in the Applied Sciences – on Roosevelt Island, a 52-hectare sliver of land in the East River between Manhattan and Queens. We’re talking about Cornell NYC Tech and the launch of an innovative curriculum that leaves behind the traditional highly academic approach to learning and…
-
Malala Day: Promoting Global Education
By The Editors Malala Day will be held on her 16th birthday, July 12. Malala, the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize in history, was shot in the head in October 2012 because of her fight for girls’ right to an education. Malala has been featured in Time magazine as one of “The 100 Most Influential People In The World”. Former British Prime Minister and current United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched one of the petitions in Malala’s name demanding that all children worldwide be in school by the end of 2015. Other petitions were for her nomination to the Nobel Peace Prize. Three million global citizens signed the petitions. On…
-
Globalization, Global Competence and Education
By The Editors One of the effects of globalization on higher education is (or will be) the gradual shift from the reductionist approach so in vogue now for many disciplines to a more holistic point of view. The limits of the current discipline-specific reductionist approach will be highlighted when attempting to become globally competent, as discipline-specific knowledge will need to integrate global competence concepts to ensure educational success – success measured on the basis of positive contributions to the new globalized environment as part of the workforce or other. In his commencement address to the graduating class of 1990 at Arkansas College, David Orr suggested six principles for rethinking education –…
-
Udacity, Georgia Tech and AT&T – Vision and Revolution Come Together
By The Editors In the last few days, a so-called “bold move” has generated lots of discussion in the higher education community – someone (or more than one) says that the “bold move” has actually generated shock. Others call the move “revolutionary”. Question: What is the “bold move” we’re referring to? Answer: A very special announcement. Georgia Tech and Udacity, in collaboration with AT&T, will offer a sought-after graduate computer science degree, traditionally offered on the Georgia Tech campus, through online instruction. What brings shock, though, is not the online format, but the cost — the degree (a fully accredited Georgia Tech degree) will cost about 80% less than the current…
-
Clinton Global Initiative University: DREAMZone
By The Editors The Clinton Global Initiative University was launched in 2007 by President Clinton to develop a growing community of students on college campuses around the world – a community working to make the world a better place. Who are the students participating in this community? They are leaders – young leaders set to make a difference. They don’t just discuss global challenges – they come up with innovative ideas to solve the global challenges they discuss and then take real, concrete steps to implement those ideas. Students in this community develop their own Commitments to Action: a specific plan of action to address a selected challenge. Central to Commitments to Action is…
-
Global Education
By The Editors In a previous post, I introduced the concept of global education as the education perspective expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The concept of global education is defined in more detail by the Global Education website as a set of five perspectives: 1) Interdependence and globalisation, 2) Identity and cultural diversity, 3) Social justice and human rights, 4) Peace building and conflict resolution, 5) Sustainable futures. The Global Education website, which illustrates all aspects of the Global Education Project, has been developed and is maintained by Education Services Australia, a national, not-for-profit company owned by all Australian education ministers. The five perspectives, detailed below, provide a framework for global education.…
-
Let’s Invent a Global Society – Lee Bollinger on Global Challenges
By The Editors In the video below, Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, and Chrystia Freeland, Thomson Reuters Consumer News Editor, discuss how Columbia University tackles the challenges of rapid global changes – the changes we have described in a previous post on the great acceleration, results of the events that define the space age and the information age. Lee Bollinger’s approach is matter-of-fact acceptance of the global changes we are undergoing – he describes well the uncertainty we’re facing these days and points out how much we don’t know – and especially how much it is that academic institutions don’t know. The solution is to be open and invent a…
-
The Schwarzman Scholars Program: Focus on China
By The Editors The $300 million “Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University” program, jointly founded by Tsinghua University in Beijing and Stephen Schwarzman, was launched on April 21 and will emulate the famous Rhodes Scholarship program, the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship in the world. The launch ceremony was held at Tsinghua University. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama both sent congratulatory letters. Starting in June 2016, every year for the next 50 years, 200 students from all around the world will receive the scholarship for a one-year master’s program at Tsinghua University in public policy, international relations, economics, business or engineering. During the scholarship year, Schwarzman scholars will travel around China and will meet Chinese…
-
Global Education: How Simple Can It Be?
By The Editors I like to think of global education as the education perspective expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Educating shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.” (Article 26, United Nations, General Conference, San Francisco, December 10, 1948)
