Teaching students to be savvy across borders

Lately, there has been much buzz over the idea of an education that will qualify you to get a job anywhere on the globe. This concept of "global education" is more than going overseas to study and live in a foreign country. Education programmes with a global slant emphasise the study of cultures and the issues faced by different nations and communities, and seek to develop skills and attitudes among students as active global citizens. As part of their curriculum, many students go abroad to study one or more semesters. Usually they returned with fond memories of their experience and the bonds of friendship they formed abroad. One former University of London student, Pow Poh Wun, recalls, “I did a summer exchange in Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. It not only broadened my horizon on global accounting practices, it also provided ample opportunities for me to network with people from different countries and to understand their diverse cultures as well.” Poh Wun, 25, graduated in 2013 with a BSc in Accounting and Finance (First Class Honours) and now works as an accounting trainee with Singapore Press Holding. He experienced the different teaching style and student culture in Korea, and he found Korean students to be very hardworking. For instance, most of them were learning three languages in addition to their normal curriculum, he says with admiration in his voice. Learning one or more foreign language is definitely a smart way to fit in. A global perspective frees students from the shackles of racial, provincial and nationalistic prejudices, the “us-vs.-them” attitude, so that their thinking and problem-solving takes into account the whole of human society and the diverse environments we live in. Students develop the consciousness and willingness to accept the other – i.e. individuals of different backgrounds, race and religion. In their course of study, the students get many opportunities to explore social change, poverty and wealth, rights and responsibilities, identity and diversity, peace building, sustainability and global justice. They learn to respect and trust the stranger beyond the horizon, and are willing to offer help when communities beyond their shores are in crisis. Hence, despite the not insignificant sum that goes into study trips and overseas semesters, parents have identified global education as a worthwhile investment for their children. They are willing to put up the fees to support their children’s pursuit of global education either locally or in foreign institutions. The hope is for their children to undergo the valuable experience a global education can provide and gain socio-cultural insights. Thus, the importance of global education cannot be understated because of the vast exposure it can provide to students. Not only can a global education facilitate the broadening of international perspectives and development of global empathy, it also gives students the competitive edge in the working world.