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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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Internationaliz<strong>in</strong>g geography <strong>in</strong> higher education:<strong>in</strong>itiatives of the association of american geographersMichael N. SolemAssociation of American Geographers, 1710 Sixteenth Street NW,Wash<strong>in</strong>gton, DC 20009, USAe-mail: msolem@aag.orgAbstractThis paper reviews the <strong>in</strong>ternationalization program at the Association of American Geographers(AAG). Two projects are highlighted: (1) A research study exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g patterns of<strong>in</strong>ternationalization <strong>in</strong> US postsecondary geography, funded by the American Council on<strong>Education</strong>. (2) The Onl<strong>in</strong>e Center for Global <strong>Geography</strong> <strong>Education</strong>, funded by the NationalScience Foundation to develop onl<strong>in</strong>e course modules that support <strong>in</strong>ternational collaborativelearn<strong>in</strong>g. Both projects are provid<strong>in</strong>g geographers with an empirical basis for <strong>in</strong>fus<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>ternational perspectives <strong>in</strong> the undergraduate curriculum and support<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ternationalcollaborations among faculty worldwide.Key words: Internationalization, geography <strong>in</strong> higher educationIntroductionStudents need <strong>in</strong>ternational perspectives and high levels of competency <strong>in</strong> geographyto understand contemporary issues related to the environment, economy, development,national security, and human rights. In an age of global <strong>in</strong>terdependence,students also need social skills that enable them to <strong>in</strong>teract constructively with peoplehav<strong>in</strong>g different cultural backgrounds – and often with very different po<strong>in</strong>ts-of-viewon matters of foreign policy and <strong>in</strong>ternational affairs. As global citizens, <strong>in</strong>dividualsmust feel committed to <strong>in</strong>ternational goals, value multilateral approaches to policymak<strong>in</strong>g,and reject isolationist th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. In short, global citizenship requires globallyoriented hearts, m<strong>in</strong>ds, and actions.<strong>Geography</strong> is a cornerstone of global education because it provides a uniqueperspective of the world, one that recognizes the <strong>in</strong>terplay of human and environmentalphenomena across local, regional, and global scales. And yet, many geographystudents are taught primarily through lectures and textbooks, provid<strong>in</strong>g them withfew opportunities to engage directly with the perspectives of their peers <strong>in</strong> otherworld regions. Although knowledge of global geography is necessary and important,such knowledge does not fully encompass the affective and behavioral dimensionsof global citizenship education. A global citizen must also be able to expla<strong>in</strong> whysuch knowledge is worth know<strong>in</strong>g and understand how it can be applied for theglobal good.To what extent is educational practice <strong>in</strong> geography prepar<strong>in</strong>g future globalcitizens? In recent years, the Association of American Geographers has launched212

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