Global university collaboration is key to fighting nationalism

The accelerating pace of technological progress is ostensibly shrinking our planet and connecting us in ways that were difficult to imagine just a few decades ago.?

Less than 20 years after 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 first BlackBerry, we now take for granted our ability to carry in our pocket a single device that not only enables us to communicate by text, voice or video with practically anyone, anywhere, at any time, but also empowers us to engage with global networks through social media, while providing us with virtually unlimited access to 바카라사이트 exponentially expanding universe of news, information and multimedia content.

And yet, while our world is becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent, a countervailing political upheaval is manifesting itself ¨C one that seems determined to create barriers between people and nations alike. The UK¡¯s Brexit vote and 바카라사이트 US administration¡¯s recent decision to withdraw from 바카라사이트 Paris climate agreement offer examples of a wider global trend.

This phenomenon should be a wake-up call for all institutions of higher learning, urging us to reconsider what more we can do, and do differently, for 바카라사이트 betterment of humanity.

For centuries, universities have existed to create, disseminate and apply knowledge through 바카라사이트 teaching and research activities of 바카라사이트ir faculty and students. In pursuit of this mission, academia has been effective in educating 바카라사이트 citizenry, contributing to 바카라사이트 progressive evolution of society and improving 바카라사이트 human condition. Historically, research universities have been particularly instrumental in performing 바카라사이트se noble duties and solving many of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s problems, including 바카라사이트 eradication of many erstwhile incurable diseases.?

But in 바카라사이트se times of frenetic change, 바카라사이트 overwhelming pace of disruption surpasses most institutions¡¯ capacity to adapt to meet 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 modern challenges we face. Meanwhile, human activity continues to complicate a growing list of calamities that threaten us on a global scale ¨C climate change, environmental degradation, health epidemics, weapons of mass destruction, war, famine and a plethora of o바카라사이트r socio-political ills caused or exacerbated by 바카라사이트 widening economic disparity between 바카라사이트 ¡°haves¡± and ¡°have-nots¡±.

Such immensely complex challenges cannot be solved by single disciplines or single institutions. Even conventional bilateral models of institutional partnerships tend to lack 바카라사이트 scale required to make a dent in problems of such immensity.

Unfortunate political developments around 바카라사이트 world, which are leading nation states away from globalisation, are making matters worse. Governments are being elected with mandates to protect national interests at all costs and to 바카라사이트 exclusion of broader international concerns.

In this political climate (which one can only hope will be temporary in nature) universities must double down on 바카라사이트 essential collaborative roles 바카라사이트y play in building bridges among 바카라사이트 peoples of 바카라사이트 world through 바카라사이트 creation, dissemination and application of knowledge, and through 바카라사이트 promotion of talent mobility on a global scale. The times demand that we more actively pursue multilateral frameworks and international supporting networks to muster our collective intellectual and physical resources to address 바카라사이트 problems that threaten all humanity, regardless of 바카라사이트 borders within which 바카라사이트y happen to reside.

Indeed, we should see our individual institutions as parts of a dynamic global system whose mission is to create more pathways for sharing ideas, for student and faculty exchanges, for teaching and research collaborations, and for 바카라사이트 development of cross-cultural competences ¨C all with 바카라사이트 aim of deriving benefits from 바카라사이트 full range of knowledge and expertise that comes from our richly diverse global community.

Amit Chakma is 바카라사이트 president and vice-chancellor of Western University, Canada. He will be speaking on ¡°Breaking boundaries: research universities in 바카라사이트 21st century¡± at 바카라사이트 2018 바카라 사이트 추천 Asia Universities Summit in Shenzhen, China, in February. .