By Alhijaz Althagafi
Contributor
It has been said by Kofi Annan that “arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity.”
Edward Fiske says that if Americans are to continue to prosper and to exercise leadership in this new global context, it is imperative that we understand the new global forces that have both shaped and been thrust upon us. The alternative is to be at their mercy.
Technological advancement has created a new global culture. Each part of the world today is connected with each other. A company in Korea can sign a contract with another company in the U.S without physically meeting. A family in South Africa can watch the National Geographic channel at the same time as a family in India, both in their own language.
Globalization and technological advances have played major roles in shifting the world toward a common culture, and it also enhances education and peace by allowing learning, understanding and connection between diverse groups.
Diversity is not only about race, ethnicity and gender, but also religion, sexual orientation, status and age. Globalization and diversity go hand-in-hand. The United States has worked to incorporate diversity and globalization to the education system, especially in higher education. But why is globalizing our campus important?
The first reason is expanding experience. For some college students, interactions on campus might be the first time they have had interpersonal communication with people from different groups. A university campus is like opening the door to the entire world without the need to travel.
The second reason is to improve social development. By interacting with people from different backgrounds, you can partner and develop relationships. Sometimes we have boring conversations with friends who have everything in common with us, which is why interacting with people from different backgrounds is so significant.
The third reason is that it prepares students for career success. Emerging markets lead to economic growth; therefore, the need to prepare students for jobs that require new skills is crucial. Students will soon be looking for a place in an interconnected world as never before. The changing roles of the international community, the changing face of U.S neighborhoods, the challenges facing environmental health and science, must be understood and managed by a new generation of workers, citizens and leaders. Dealing with all of these will require an education system that prepares future employees to lead in a global context.