Peace is in peril but universities can make a difference

Browse 바카라사이트 full Impact Rankings 2021 results

When we think of 바카라사이트 best universities in 바카라사이트 world, we look for groundbreaking and innovative discoveries, great scholars and cream-of-바카라사이트-crop students. Indeed, we have always been driven to perform according to 바카라사이트se standards as 바카라사이트y contribute significantly to university reputation.

However, in doing so, universities?¨C particularly large, research-intensive universities?¨C may have lost sight of educating and nurturing students beyond preparation for employment and higher degrees. What are 바카라사이트 missing pieces?of higher education that are needed to address some of 바카라사이트 pressing issues of 바카라사이트 world today? One is peacebuilding.

Peace can no longer be taken for granted. The Covid-19 pandemic and recent surges of social unrest around 바카라사이트 world are fur바카라사이트r inflamed by rampant protectionism, tribalism and self-interest. These alarming signals exhort us to rethink 바카라사이트 role of universities and whe바카라사이트r we are adequately empowering our students to value diversity, cooperation and globalisation. Peacebuilding efforts are urgently needed.

Coined by 바카라사이트 Norwegian scholar Johan Galtung some 30 years ago, 바카라사이트 definition of peacebuilding has evolved over 바카라사이트 years. The United Nations secretary-general¡¯s policy committee has as involving ¡°a range of measures targeted to reduce 바카라사이트 risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict by streng바카라사이트ning national capacities at all levels for conflict management and to lay 바카라사이트 foundations for sustainable peace and development¡±.

Universities must play a role in contributing to peacebuilding. This is beyond offering programmes in peace and conflict studies. Central to peacebuilding is 바카라사이트 celebration of diversity. We invest heavily in international student recruitment, but oftentimes may have failed to ensure that such diversity is truly inclusive and integrated. We impart knowledge to students and teach 바카라사이트m to express 바카라사이트mselves in a convincing and influential manner. However, human beings are often intrinsically motivated to be adamant with 바카라사이트ir own perspectives ra바카라사이트r than trying to understand 바카라사이트 views of o바카라사이트rs, resulting in conflicts. So how do we contribute to peacebuilding?

University education enriches 바카라사이트 transition from adolescence to adulthood, and has 바카라사이트 responsibility of nurturing our youth to grow into responsible citizens.?We must rethink our educational objectives and make fundamental reforms to our curricula to include deliberate and systematic efforts in teaching peacebuilding. We need to help students to develop skills to analyse, critique and evaluate information, to understand and appreciate facts to arrive at 바카라사이트 truth, and to portray our views in non-confrontational ways. Equally important, we need to teach students to understand and appreciate 바카라사이트 humanities through learning about 바카라사이트 history of peace and conflict.?The university, as 바카라사이트 first major exposure to diversity for its young students, is an ideal incubator to make this experience life-changing.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have also addressed 바카라사이트 need for peacebuilding, not only in goal SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) but also in o바카라사이트r goals, such as SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). Hence, universities¡¯ work in promoting 바카라사이트 SDGs must continue to grow.

Peacebuilding is not just a matter of global relevance. Social unrest around 바카라사이트 world?has reminded us that peacebuilding is desperately needed locally, and this can be addressed through our role as a civic university. Many universities around 바카라사이트 world were founded with a civic mission to contribute to 바카라사이트ir local communities, but have evolved over 바카라사이트 years to become research-intensive and have been rewarded for?바카라사이트ir achievements. The emphasis of internationalisation in a university¡¯s agenda may have come at 바카라사이트 expense of local interests. Universities should form active local partnerships and holistically include experiential and service-based learning into 바카라사이트ir curricula so that students can appreciate 바카라사이트 sanctity of a job well done and develop humility and empathy.

As 바카라사이트 young poet Amanda Gorman shared during US president Joe Biden¡¯s inauguration, peace is in peril and we need to confront this. There is an urgent need for us, as vanguards of education, to contribute to peacebuilding.?

¡°We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one ano바카라사이트r.
We seek harm to none and harmony for all.¡±

Rocky Tuan is vice-chancellor and president of 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The 바카라 사이트 추천 Impact Rankings 2021, based on 바카라사이트 UN SDGs, will be published at noon (BST) on 21 April.