International Collegiate System Has Been

¶ … international collegiate system has been a result of global economic and cultural changes -- globalization. A significant challenge is centered both on providing students with an appropriate core background and also emphasizing the new spirit of the 21st century. One of the key changes of the late 20th century, certainly enhanced in the early 21st, is that of the economic, political, and cultural movements that broadly speaking, move the various countries of the world closer together. This idea, called globalism, refers to a number of theories that see the complexities of modern life such that events and actions are tied together, regardless of the geographic location of a specific country (political unit). The idea of globalism has become popular in economic and cultural terms with the advent of a number of macro-trade agreements combined with the ease of communication brought about with the Internet and cellular communication.

As a student in Kuwait, I am acutely aware of the divergent needs of the world's population. My plans include attending medical school, with the specific focus of using whatever skills and talents I possess to help make the lives of others a bit more bearable. To that end, I enjoy travel, learning about new cultures and subjects, and remain quite active in numerous organizations that contribute to global understanding. Two such organizations are the Kuwait for Kenya Association and the World Urban Forum.

My work with the World Urban Forum has been most exciting recently. Over the last few years the World Urban Forum has become one of the world's premier conferences on urban life. Formed by the United Nations to examine the way rapid urbanization impacts cultures, climate change and politics, it is a way to not only become informed about global issues, but to interact and network with wonderful people from all over the world.

This year's conference, held from March 22-26, 2010, hosted almost 14,000 participants from 150 countries. United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton addressed the closing message via video conference and praised the work that was being done from the grassroots level to address the challenges for every country in the 21st century.

One very important speech came from United Nations HABITAT director Anna Tibaijuka. Mrs. Tibaijuka believes that change must occur in our minds before it can manifest in actions, and that the key to the survival of our species is to think forward to what type of world we leave our children and grandchildren: "How will our world look in just two generations to come when it is projected that 70% of humanity will be living in towns and cities? What percentage will continue to live in abject poverty? How much dirtier will cities make our planet? As we also learned this week, the means to bridge the urban divide are not lacking. We must, however, muster the political will to make our cities fit for our children, and the time to act is now!"

For me, the most important parts of the conference were the opportunities to meet new friends from all over the globe, and to attend some of the training events and seminars that help us focus on the things we can do on a daily basis to improve the potential for our own countries as well as globally. It is clear that we all have a global responsibility -- something done in China or Iceland, for that matter, has global consequences. We can no longer isolate ourselves as a species or as a culture. Indeed, with the Internet and modern technology and social networks (Facebook, etc.), it is not unusual to have friends in several countries. This should be a good thing- and it seemed as if most of the delegates were committed to the adage: think global, act local. It is vitally important that we look at ways in which we can reduce inequality and poverty in our own countries, increase participatory democracy, cultural diversity, gender equality, and sustainability. The main focus, according to most of the speakers, is to "rethink urban utopia is the main task. Our challenge now is to learn with the rest of the world, taking into account the needs of our partners so that best practices and actions are multiplied in every city, creating a better world where everyone can live with dignity, respect and citizenship."