Global Learning for Global Leadership in the New Multipolar World
In collaboration with our education partners in Oceania, Greater Asia and the Americas, we are developing and delivering a new knowledge and learning platform that embraces and encourages the emerging multipolar world. Like all of our programs, it is inspired by APEC, honors and renews the Blue Green Wisdoms of the epic Asia to Oceania voyages, and invites you to learn and grow with the Beijing Olympics Generation, the ASEAN Way and the Pacific Alliance.
A preview of our campus enrichment program follows, which is supported by specially designed, optional engaged learning programs in the Asia Pacific.
Global Learning and Leadership Enrichment Program
Delivered in Week Intensive Weekend Seminars, Interim and Full Semester Schedules
Learning Objectives: Consistent with the mission and values of our education partners’ host campuses, this program inspires, encourages and equips students for a lifetime of global learning and global leadership in the emerging multipolar world. This new world will present many opportunities and challenges for interdisciplinary and international collaboration that students need to prepare for.
Learning Outcomes: Students will develop and discuss a personal and shared understanding of 1) the cross currents of connectivity and uncertainty in the current era of globalization; 2) the opportunities and challenges these create for global learning and leadership; 3) the need and tools for a personal and professional portfolio of global learning resources and the skills and maturity to continuously evaluate, enrich and integrate these; and 4) the trends, transitions and telescopes in the relevant processes. Multidimensional frameworks that will help guide this learning include the Modern Olympics, APEC the ASEAN Way, the One Belt, One Road projects linking Great Asia, the worldwide voyage of the Hokule`a (today’s waka moana), and global Restorative Justice movements.
Context and Challenge: Globalization is primarily driven by the dynamic and counter forces of connectivity and uncertainty. As Benjamin Barber reckoned in his prescient book Jihad vs. McWorld, we seem to be coming together and apart at the same time and in ways never before imagined. Global learning and leadership systems can be designed to address and manage these forces – and all that happens in between. Especially what happens in between since that is where most global knowledge intermediaries – such as the rising students in this generation connecting their communities with the world – live in the here and now. Yet thought leaders are still trying to define this space in the contemporary era of globalization. Somewhere between collaboration and conflict is ‘coopetition’. Straddling convergence and cross currents is ‘cross-vergence’. And no one really knows what to call the news and information space between commercial and social media because it is always evolving. But properly engaged with responsible global learning resources and action networks, and mindfully mining a multidimensional framework with a student-leader’s heart, a scholar can become a personal and professional evaluator, interpreter, mediator and transformer of disciplines, sectors, organizations and their communities.
Getting There: By my scholarship and experience in APEC, I believe the best of these systems encompass and integrate what I call the 8M Global Leadership and Learning platforms: Multilateral, Multicultural, Multi(Inter)disciplinary, Multi-sector (as in engaging business, government, NGOs and other civil society stakeholders), Multi-firm (as in supply/value chains), Multimedia, Multiple-Meanings, and Multiple learning systems. Here is what each offers in the interdependent framework:
- Peer-to-peer and collaborative learning platforms are provided by the multilateral and multicultural components.
- Integrative and comprehensive learning platforms are provided by the multi(inter)disciplinary, multi-sector, and multi-firm components.
- Awareness, understanding and respect for diverse faiths and the spiritual journeys of communities, peoples and nations are provided by multiple meanings.
- Emergent and energizing learning platforms are provided by the integration of the relevant forms of globalizing multimedia and multiple learning systems. Electronic and engaged global learning – e.g., e-connected classrooms and research labs – are essential. Recognizing and incorporating multiple learning styles respects, honors and draws value from every student and her/his family, community, culture and economy. These two components also further research channels into high tech/high touch solutions to transnational public problem solving.
Even combining the best of the 8Ms, given the dynamic and counter forces of globalization, continuous attention needs to be focused on trends, transitions, and telescopes in the relevant global learning and leadership processes along with the overarching goals of collaboration for shared strength and sustainability.
Delivery and Take Aways: In what will be a continuously integrative process, each day several of 8Ms will be spotlighted and then discussed using one or more of the multidimensional frameworks. Exemplary online global learning resources will be shared to show how to develop a personal and professional portfolio. Since the students will also be preparing for other classes, no formal homework will be assigned. Yet each student will be building a mind map and navigational chart during class throughout the week which will create compass points for further global learning resources.
Future Visions: During my time on your campus, I hope to discuss the possibility of developing a pilot, bi-directional distance learning program to incorporate and actualize the 8Ms by connecting your students and educators with key contacts and collaborators for global learning resources and global leadership models in major knowledge markets around the world.
Noel Gould, JD MPA ©2014