student opportunities for global engagement
The ISEP 2011 Symposium began with a joint plenary luncheon with AIEA, featuring keynote speaker Keisha Senter, Director of the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), President Bill Clinton’s initiative to engage the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world (http://www.cgiu.org/). Ms. Senter’s presentation, Addressing Global Issues through International Education Collaboration, explored critical global issues, including:
- how to energize and mobilize an international community of student leaders to take action to address global concerns regarding education, environment & climate change, peace & human rights, poverty alleviation and public health.
- how to harness the resources of major universities, both in the United States and abroad, to tackle global problems and advance global understanding.
- how to approach the increasing globalization of higher education from a perspective of collaboration rather than competitive exclusion.
During the lunch, three CGI U students also discussed their commitments to tackling global issues, illustrating the way in which an international education experience can generate ideas and avenues for addressing global problems:
Renee Farwell, an ISEP alumna and featured presenter at the CGI U 2011 conference in San Diego, is leading a project to provide education and housing to orphaned and disadvantaged Ghanaian children. Learn More
Lucky Gunasekara, a medical student, is developing sustainable and affordable health care solutions via mobile phones for the developing world. Learn More
Richard Novak, a PhD student in bioengineering, is developing a solar energy electrical system for an orphanage in Puerto Alegria, Peru. Learn More