1. Globalizing the Curriculum
Tim Wedig, PhD
Interim Director
LAS Global Studies

2. Agenda Commercial for Global Studies
Connecting to globalization/Globalization™
Identifying priorities as educators
Designing a globalized curriculum
Making global connections real

3. About LAS Global Studies
Global Studies (International Studies)
Interdisciplinary focus
Topics of study are global/national/local
Emphasis on interconnection
Individualized plan of study
Structure of the undergraduate program
~250 majors, ~30 minors
2 full-time Lecturers, 1 full-time Academic Advisor, Associate Director, half-time Director, Graduate TAs from core units
Core units are ANTH, ECON, GEOG, HIST, PS, SOC
Advanced language courses and a semester abroad are required
Optional capstones, Distinction projects, Certificates in Development and Global Health, Minor in Global Markets and Society

4. Philosophically Speaking…
The call to globalize the curriculum can be seen as a response to globalization more generally:
Interconnection and increased interactions with people, trade, culture, and everything that this entails
We want our students to be prepared for this globalized future
But what is globalization? What is globalized, what is not?

5. Globalization is NOT a Given Migration, financial integration and trade openness, (indexed to 1900 = 100) – Cambridge Economic History Vol. 2

6. What Does Globalization Mean?
What is globalization not?
The world is distinctly NOT flat, as Globalization™ fans insist
It is neither equal nor inclusive
What is globalization, really?
Process? Era? Collaboration or conflict?
Tools? Social structures? Governance? Economics?
Winners and losers?
Interconnection of people? Does virtual count?
And yet:
Over 95% of all people live their lives in their country of birth
Majority of Americans live their lives less than 20 miles from their parents and hometowns
Globalization in all of its forms is contested terrain

7. Globalization and the Curriculum
Given what we know, what do we seek to accomplish as educators?
I would suggest, from basic to complex:
Educate our students in our disciplines
Prepare students with skills and knowledge relevant to their future career paths
Create globally-conscious citizens
Empower students to participate in the process of globalization itself
And the framing question:
Should we prepare students for Globalization™ or should we prepare them for all possible globalizations?

8. Strategies to Globalize the Curriculum
Framing the world as a single unit, with multiple constituent units
Identifying inward and outward connections
Portability of knowledge
Applied/Experiential learning

9. Framing the World as a Single Unit
Students see schools, cities, state, countries as single units – but often struggle to comprehend the whole world as one unit of analysis
Multiple case examples across locations and fields tied to your topics
Ebola crisis

10. Identifying Inward and Outward Connections
Let students see their own choices and actions impacting global events
Systemic thinking focused on interconnections
Coltan and the Playstation war

11. Portability of Knowledge
Teach not just for today, but also for tomorrow to create lifelong learners with skills that are always in demand
Project-based learning
GLBL 100 Comparative Analysis

12. Applied/Experiential Learning
Give students opportunities to apply their knowledge in active ways
Emphasizing skill development within curriculum
Simulation – Negotiating Humanitarian Aid: Stand-off in Haiti

13. Connecting Global and Local
Beyond the classroom – campus and community opportunities
Student groups and organizations
Classroom partnerships
Campus initiatives
Internships and service learning

14. Wrapping Up
Globalization is not set in stone, but is permanently contested – change is the only constant
We should seek to prepare students to succeed under any potential conditions
The global is not “over there” but all around us in the communities in which we lead our daily lives, look for ways to connect that to your lessons
We are all active participants in the global community, students can influence the world by daily actions in their own community

15. Contact Timothy Wedig, Ph.D. Interim Director, LAS Global Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
616 East Green St., Suite 201, MC-380
Champaign, IL 61820
t: (217) e: w: