International Summit - Archive

Teaching Global Sustainability across the Curriculum

Friday, March 4, 2016

Wojcik Conference Center, Harper College

This event is free and open to all.

The theme of our Sixth Annual Summit is “Teaching Global Sustainability.”  Historically, “sustainability” has been defined as how biological systems endure and remain diverse and productive.  While these elements remain vitally important, a 21st century definition of sustainability must extend beyond these parameters.  In an interconnected world of increasingly limited resources, the scope of the term sustainability not only encompasses the environmental but also the social, economic, and cultural spheres. International Education presents a unique avenue to promote innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching these vital subjects in their global context.

Our keynote this year will be delivered by Ms. Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute.  Anuradha Mittal is an internationally renowned expert on trade, development, human rights, and agriculture issues. The keynote will be followed by breakout sessions focusing on a variety of intersections between sustainability studies and internationalization, and explore ways in which those connections can promote comprehensive campus internationalization.

Program of Events:

8:30 a.m.: Coffee and Registration

9:00 – 10:30 a.m.: Keynote Address

“Land and Resource Grabs in the Developing World: Economic Growth or Re-Colonization?”

Land investments ­ the purchase or lease of vast tracts of land from mostly poor, developing countries by wealthier food-insecure nations and private investors for the production and export of food and agrofuel crops ­ have grown into an international phenomenon. This trend which has come to be popularly known as “land grabbing” has been painted as a development opportunity for developing countries to generate income and employment and draw on private sector initiative to help in transfer of technology and know-how, and investment in processing or economic and social infrastructure.

International aid agencies and multilateral lending institutions have commonly upheld FDI as the only way to eradicate hunger and poverty from the developing countries, as FDI promises employment, improved infrastructure, and technological inputs to “host” countries.  By referring to this surging influx of capital into primarily land markets as ‘foreign direct investment’, such institutions imply that developing nations are beneficiaries in these deals.

However, these promises of FDI are misleading as land deals often appear to be extractive and exploitive, with investors heading straight for the countries where fewer barriers to investment and less oversight exist.  This means that deals are often carried out in a rapid, non-transparent manner, and the consequences to local populations are overlooked. Evidence shows that many land deals to date are not representative of the kind of well-targeted and well-controlled investment that could promote value-adding to local resources and help grow economies sustainably, from the farm up. Rather, land grabs are leading to the increased threat to local food security and land rights and while displacing thousands of families from their homes and livelihoods.

This presentation will provide an overview of the reality of land grabs in the developing world, based on extensive research and advocacy conducted by the Oakland Institute.  Learn about resistance from impacted communities, grassroots and national organizations in Africa, and solidarity networks and ways for college and university students to join and support this struggle. Understand why teaching about these important issues is vital to the education of global citizens.

Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute, is an internationally renowned expert on trade, development, human rights and agriculture issues. Recipient of several awards, Anuradha Mittal was named as the Most Valuable Thinker by the Nation magazine. More recently, the Institute under Anuradha's leadership unveiled land investment deals in the developing world which revealed a disturbing pattern of a lack of transparency, fairness, and accountability. The dynamic relationship between research, advocacy, and international media coverage has resulted in an amazing string of successes and organizing in the U.S. and abroad. See www.oaklandinstitute.org for more information.

10:45 – 12:00 p.m.: Concurrent breakout sessions I:

A. “Costa Rica: Renewable Energy and ‘Carbon Neutrality’” in W 201

Craig Stettner, Biology Department

Costa Rica intends to become the first carbon-neutral nation.  The Costa Rican government is developing plans to begin offsetting all of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions and aims to reach this goal using budgeting, laws, and incentives, and a “C-Neutral” label to certify that tourism and certain industrial practices mitigate all of the carbon dioxide they emit.  The goal for carbon neutrality is 2021, but Costa Rica already uses 100% renewable energy for its national power grid.  Many nations would like to rely on renewable energy and reduce their carbon footprints, but concerns about their economies, “giving up” luxuries, etc., have been prohibitive.  How has Costa Rica managed to successfully take such large strides towards sustainability?

B. “Sustainability in the Language and Culture Curriculum” in W 202

John H. Stark, Dr. Katharina Barbe, and Dr. Ninja Nagel, World Languages Department

Three of the six authors of STEM in German: Environmental Sciences will provide an interactive overview of their work. The team will present selections from the materials they developed. The topics are “Public Transportation”, “Nutrition”, “Sustainability:  Fundamentals and Engagement”, “Ecological Awareness in Daily Life”, “Climate Change and Renewable Energies” and “The German Forest”.

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.: International Buffet lunch

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.: Concurrent breakout sessions II:

A. “Teaching Sustainability and Intercultural Competency in Chemistry” in W 201

Dr. Joe Wachter and Julie Ellefsohn-Kuehn, Chemistry Department

It is impossible for societies to promote infinite growth on a finite planet, so instead educators need to promote sustainable lifestyles by preparing students to be culturally competent global citizens and to offer students a more equitable educational experience.  This session will focus on what several faculty have done in their Chemistry classes to incorporate curricular units on water issues, climate change, energy production and alternative fuels, and the inequity that accompanies unsustainable living.  Examples of what intercultural education might look in a chemistry course (such as a lab experiment comparing methods of rubber vulcanization and a unit on critical theories of science) and an open discussion on how intercultural education fits into curriculum will follow.

B. “Teaching Sustainability with Earth Imagery and Maps across the Curriculum” in F 164d

Mukila Maitha, Geography Department

A picture is worth a thousand words. Learn how to use free Earth imagery and online GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping tools to engage students on sustainability issues, such as deforestation, pollution, climate change, urban sprawl etc. Resources and practical methods will be shared for implementation across disciplinary boundaries.

 

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Peacebuilding as a Framework for Campus Internationalization

Friday, March 6, 2015

Wojcik Conference Center, Harper College

This event is free and open to all.

The theme of our Fifth Annual Summit will be “Peacebuilding as a Framework for Campus Internationalization.”   Our keynote speaker will be David Smith, a former senior manager of Education Outreach at the U.S. Institute for Peace’s Global Peacebuilding Center. A peacebuilding trainer and educator, David Smith is the editor of Peacebuilding in Community Colleges: A Teaching Resource (U.S. Institute of Peace Press, 2013). The keynote will be followed by breakout sessions focusing on a variety of intersections between peace studies and internationalization, and explore ways in which those connections can promote comprehensive campus internationalization.

Program of Events:

8:30 a.m.: Coffee and Registration

9 – 10:30 a.m.: Keynote Address

“Purposeful International Education: Using a Peacebuilding Frame to Advance Global Objectives in Community Colleges”

David Smith, JD, MS, Educational Consultant and Peacebuilding Trainer

Peacebuilding trainer and educator David Smith will share perspectives on the importance of using peacebuilding as meaningful strategy to advancing international education. He will speak about the unique assets in community colleges and how they can be used to advance global awareness and skill-building. In his talk, he will consider how community college students can utilize global understanding to contribute to their local communities, and how peacebuilding aptitudes are important to advancing careers in the 21st century.

10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Morning concurrent breakout sessions

“Global Peace and Conflict Studies: Making Non-Violence Relevant for American College Students”

A. Dr. Susan Russell, Department of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University

This presentation reviews the way in which Dr. Russell teaches an upper-level undergraduate course on “The Anthropology of Peace and Conflict Resolution”. She reviews the various course objectives, imparted skills, materials and role plays that make up the course. She also discusses the 12 years of funding she has had from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, to introduce young Muslim, Christian and indigenous youth from the conflict areas of the southern Philippines to peacebuilding and mediation through one-month intensive training programs at NIU each spring.

“Transformative Teaching: Peace Studies Meets General Education”

B. Dr. Mary Trujillo, Department of Communication Studies, North Park University

Students and faculty alike often think of the gen eds as something to “get out of the way” in order to move onto the “important stuff “ at the four year college. However, anyone who has ever taught a general education course knows that this is the important stuff. General education courses can excite intellectual curiosity in students and can help them to build them to lifelong learning habits. Similarly, the field of peace studies helps students to find significance and connection in a world that is increasingly depersonalized and violent. Community colleges are uniquely positioned to bring the worlds of general education and peace studies together. In this session, we will explore ways to infuse a peace studies approach into the general education classroom through a “Writing Across the Curriculum” model. Participants are encouraged to bring sample syllabi, questions, and success stories.

12 – 1:30 p.m.: LUNCH

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.: Afternoon concurrent breakout sessions

“The Role of Peace Education in Conflict Transformation and Peace Building”

A. Dr. Andrea Molnar Department of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University

This presentation will explore the principles and theories of the Cosmopolitan model of conflict resolution and peace building, highlighting the role of civil society and NGOs as well as the role of peace education. Dr. Molnar will emphasize field experiences with peace NGOs and youth groups in Southern Thailand where an asymmetric conflict is still raging--what worked and what does NOT work and why.

“Teaching Human Rights”

B. Dr. Cris Toffolo, Department of Justice Studies, Northeastern Illinois University

Since the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10^th 1948, human rights have become a cornerstone of global moral discourse, international law, post- conflict peace-building efforts, and various civic society practices. And in the last decade human rights have also become increasingly important in various domestic political struggles to advance human dignity. Cris Toffolo, who in addition to being an educator is also a human rights and peace activist, discusses how to effectively introduce the various facets of human rights in ways that excite and empower students to become more engaged citizens at both the domestic and international levels. The presentation will include discussion of pedagogies, case studies, readings, films, activities and other resources to help educators create a stimulating learning experience, and at the same time teach the rudiments of the UN system and other basic things about the international system.

 

CEU Registration Information:

For directions about to register for either or both of the sessions, please visit the following URL: http://dept.harpercollege.edu/cii/facdev/register.html

Morning keynote and workshop: "International Education Summit: Morning Session"

Course Number: CRN 51018

Credit: .3 CEUs

Afternoon workshop: "International Education Summit: Afternoon Session"

Course Number: CRN 51019

Credit: .1 CEU

If you are interested in registering for the Summit (so that you’ll get a printed name tag) without the CEUs, please contact Jill Izumikawa on 847-925-6756 or jizumika@harpercollege.edu

Technologizing Internationalization

Friday, March 7, 2014

Wojcik Conference Center, Harper College

This event is free and open to all.

The theme of our Fourth Annual Summit will be "Technologizing Internationalization." Playing off of the title of Walter Ong’s seminal work exploring how the transition from orality to literacy influenced culture and changed human consciousness, we hope to explore the equally enduring opportunities afforded by technology for advancing an internationalization agenda. The keynote and breakout sessions will focus on a variety of intersections between technology and internationalization, especially those that promote comprehensive campus

Our keynote speaker this year will be Professor Jon Rubin, Director of the SUNY Center for Collaborative Online International Learning. Professor Rubin will give a talk entitled “Strategies, Pedagogies, and Technologies for Collaborative Online International Learning.” The keynote will be followed by a workshop and dialog facilitated by Jon Rubin and John Fowler, Assistant Director of the COIL Center.

For more information on SUNY COIL, please visit their website: http://coil.suny.edu/

Program of Events:

8:30 a.m. Registration and coffee

9:00 a.m. Keynote Address

“Strategies, Pedagogies, and Technologies for Collaborative Online International Learning”

Professor Jon Rubin, Director of the SUNY COIL Center

Leaders in higher education often discuss their desire for students to engage the globalizing world, but not all students are able to participate in study abroad or exchange programs. There are, however, other paths through which students can gain a meaningful intercultural and global awareness. New teaching and learning paradigms, like those in place at the Center for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at SUNY, permit students to develop cross-cultural competencies across shared learning environments. COIL fosters meaningful, course-based exchanges between faculty and students with peers abroad, through the use of Internet-based tools. Jon Rubin, Director of SUNY COIL Center, will offer attendees an overview of this innovative approach to networked education, give examples of its successful application, and suggest strategies for building similar initiatives at other campuses.

10:00 a.m. Q & A

10:20 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. “Developing Collaborative Online International Courses”

Jon Rubin, Director, and John Fowler, Assistant Director, SUNY COIL Center

A workshop and dialogue between Jon Rubin and John Fowler with participating faculty focused on the conceptualization of international collaborative courses or modules. Participating faculty will examine case studies and examples from different disciplines, learn about issues related to the faculty partnering process, and discuss the need for sensitivity to other institutional practices and cultures when developing collaborative online courses. Those present will break up into groups, based on institution, discipline or country interest (depending on the demographics of those in attendance) to develop potential collaborative course ideas and a model for campus infrastructure upon which this initiative might be supported.

CRN: 50882
Credit: .2 CEUs
Adjuncts can earn a $50 stipend

Register for the sessions above

12 p.m.  International Buffet Lunch

1:15 – 2:30 p.m.“Engaging Students in International Team Collaborations”

Professor Tim Newby, Learning Design and Technology, Purdue University

There is a growing need to engage our undergraduate students in international, cross-cultural experiences. In an effort to involve every education student in an international experience, we explored the idea of using a shared wiki to enable students in a required, core course to interact with international peers. In this workshop, we’ll explore the evolution of this project including the initial design decisions made, the participants and context, the constraints encountered, as well as the subsequent design decisions. Workshop participants will be guided through the design process of outlining and structuring their own wiki based international experience using insights gleaned from previous international collaborations.

CRN: 50883
Credit: .1 CEUs
Adjuncts can earn a $35 stipend

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