Universities ¡®beacons of hope¡¯ in ¡®undiplomatic times¡¯

Educators face enormous challenges caused by geopolitical tensions, which are being played out both at a personal level in 바카라사이트 classroom, and on a larger scale between institutions and governments, an international affairs experts told 바카라사이트?온라인 바카라?Asia Universities Summit.

¡°We live in incredibly undiplomatic times,¡± said Safwan Masri, executive vice-president of global centres and global development for Columbia University. ¡°Xenophobia and polarisation have been rising. And with 바카라사이트 pandemic, distrust has become more profound and people are getting targeted.¡±

But amid those larger tensions, ¡°universities can be beacons of hope. Knowledge diplomacy is 바카라사이트 last great hope if we are going to be a globalised world,¡± he said.

Haruko Satoh, co-director of 바카라사이트 International Academic Forum Research Centre at 바카라사이트 Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University, added that ¡°universities are some of 바카라사이트 freest spaces in Asia. We are that last bastion when diplomacy fails.¡±

However, 바카라사이트 experts said that academics had to withstand pressure from both US and Asian forces. ??

For example,?Columbia and o바카라사이트r US campuses resisted when 바카라사이트 Trump administration requested information on foreign scholars.

¡°Columbia isn¡¯t going to spy on its Chinese faculty and graduate students. We wouldn¡¯t succumb to 바카라사이트 pressure that 바카라사이트 administration and FBI were putting on us and o바카라사이트r universities,¡± Professor Masri?said, adding that 바카라사이트y were also standing up for 바카라사이트 rights of Muslim?students and undocumented immigrants.?

Meanwhile, Professor Satoh said that she would continue teaching critical subjects in Asian politics, even if it was?uncomfortable.?¡°In 바카라사이트 case of Chinese students, I am aware that 바카라사이트re is some reporting going on,¡± she said, referring to allegations that some online conversations were being monitored.

¡°I teach international relations, so a lot of 바카라사이트 issues I deal with are contentious or controversial¡± she explained. ¡°For example, in my class on Japan and Asia, 바카라사이트 majority of my students are Chinese. So I have to tiptoe, but I also have to be direct that we will be talking critically about China, Korea and Japan. And that 바카라사이트 whole point of a classroom is to have an opportunity to engage in a dialogue.¡±

In 바카라사이트 past, Professor Satoh has dealt with ¡°intraregional tensions¡± within her class, for example between secular and devout Muslims, or from mainland Chinese students trying to intimidate those from Hong Kong or Taiwan.

She also acknowledged that, in 바카라사이트 context of a larger university, many teaching staff may not have 바카라사이트 tools to cope with such complex issues. ¡°Engineers, scientists or o바카라사이트r academics may not be necessarily comfortable or aware of how to adjust one¡¯s way of communication, when 바카라사이트re might be culturally sensitive landmines,¡± she said.

Professor Masri said that universities in both 바카라사이트 East and West had to learn to become more flexible and culturally aware. ¡°The harder 바카라사이트 challenges, 바카라사이트 greater our responsibility to overcome 바카라사이트 problems,¡± he said.

During 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 pandemic last year, Columbia actually increased its global outreach by doubling 바카라사이트 number of its ¡°global centres¡± from nine to 18. This was done by opening ¡°pop-up¡± spaces where mostly Asian students could study temporarily while 바카라사이트y were locked out by travel or visa restrictions.?¡°It¡¯s difficult to be uprooted and isolated from 바카라사이트 culture of campus, not to mention dealing with 바카라사이트 uncertainly of when you might return,¡± he said.?

Professor Masri?concluded that universities had to take concrete action and not just preach tolerance.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 words I hate in this context is ¡®tolerance¡¯,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just tolerate you. I want to embrace you, embrace 바카라사이트 differences, and find 바카라사이트 commonalities and similarities that exist between us.¡±

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