Globalizing the Curriculum: Trends, Driving Forces, Cross-Cultural Exchanges

“The world is flat.” ~ Thomas Friedman, 2005

“It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity.” ~ Kofi Annan, Nobel Peace Prize 2001

The latest statistic offered to us is that only 7% of Americans currently hold passports (the estimated figure is less than that for our elected officials in Congress).  A common response to this is that “Americans don’t travel outside the United States – we don’t need to – we have Disney World and Hollywood right here.” With all due respect to Mickey Mouse and Marilyn Monroe, Americans do not need to travel outside of the U.S. to encounter the world.  In fact, the world UGA students will encounter in their own backyard is changing – immigration and the development of technology has brought diversity of culture and history to even the most rural of towns in Georgia.  Within 50 miles of Athens there are three Islamic Centers.  There are over 30 international student clubs, fraternities, sororities, and associations on campus.  The numbers of international students and faculty at UGA are also on the rise, increasing the chances of cultural exchange throughout the university, Athens and surrounding communities.  Are UGA students prepared to interact and thrive in this new community of diversity? 

The goal of this FLC is to offer an opportunity for faculty to share their best practices, techniques and resources about how they make their curricula “global” in terms of preparing UGA students for the world within and beyond U.S. borders.  It will serve as a supportive forum for faculty to experiment and explore the flattened, interconnected world we now live in.

Topics of discussion could include:

• Research on the issues of a global curriculum,
• Partnerships with organizations and institutions for international exchange,
• Opportunities for international service learning and study abroad,
• Models of global trends of what will effect change in our world.

Deborah Gonzalez, Asst. Director of International Public Service & Outreach, will be the facilitator for this community. For more information about this FLC contact her at 706-542-6654 or dgonzale@uga.edu.

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This page last updated on February 22, 2008.