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ERIC Number: EJ1132787
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jun
Pages: 13
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2157-6254
EISSN: N/A
Working to Educate Global Citizens and Create Neighborly Communities Locally and Globally: Penn's Partnerships in West Philadelphia as a Democratic Experiment in Progress
Harkavy, Ira; Hartley, Matthew; Hodges, Rita Axelroth; Weeks, Joann
Higher Learning Research Communications, v6 n2 Jun 2016
In the rapidly accelerating global era in which we now live, human beings must solve a vast array of unprecedently complex problems. Given their proclaimed dedication to critical intelligence, and their unique constellation of formidable resources to develop it, institutions of higher education have a unique responsibility to help solve these problems. It seems self-evident to these authors that given the current state of the world, colleges and universities are not contributing as they could and should. They further submit that working to solve universal problems, such as poverty, inadequate schooling, inequality, and intolerance as these problems are manifested locally is a powerful (perhaps the best) means to advance higher education's (particularly the university's) mission of advancing knowledge for the improvement of human welfare. Stated even more strongly, democratic engagement with its local schools and communities may not only be the best means, but also the best indicator of a higher education institution's contribution to the public good locally, nationally, and globally. Given the position outlined, the authors will try in this article to do three things to give credence to this argument: (1) Discuss the central role of higher education institutions in contributing to the public good, as well as the obstacles that have prevented them from effectively fulfilling that role; (2) Explain and illustrate (using the case they know best--the University of Pennsylvania) that by working to solve global problems manifested locally higher education institutions can increase their contributions to the public good; and (3) Describe and propose a strategy (again using examples from their own work) for how local engagement can be part of a process of global engagement and change.
Laureate Education, Inc. 650 South Exeter Street #12, Baltimore, MD 21202. Tel: 410-843-6100; e-mail: hlrceditor@laureate.net; Web site: http://www.hlrcjournal@laureate.net
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A