Global citizenship and higher education

In this dissertation, I will present a new integrated model for international/global education at Canadian universities which is rooted in the achievement of a defined set of core civic competencies. The proposed core civic competency-based approach to international education outlines knowledge, skills and attitude requirements to be met by students in the areas of cognitive, affective, social, aesthetic and moral development. These fundamental competencies are referred to as "civic" competencies, as the proposed approach is intended to prepare students for their role as global citizens in the international community. Global citizens have to be able to participate effectively in democratic public discourse in the international arena. They have to be able to deliberate on contemporary world issues and appropriate solution strategies together with people from across the world. Effective participation in international public discourse requires a set of core civic competencies which constitute the fundamental basis for more specific in-depth knowledge in particular disciplines or fields of study. The adoption and implementation of the core civic competency-based approach to higher education will entail systemic changes to the global civic mission of the university, curricula structures, pedagogy and the extracurricular environment. The dissertation will present a sketch of the ideal university which is guided by a global civic mission. The features of this ideal university with a global civic mission will be illustrated by drawing upon models of excellence in international/global education. The proposed core civic competency-based approach to international education and its corresponding blueprint of a university with a global civic mission are based on the assumptions of an integrated perspective on world order, the unity of knowledge and a holistic view of the learner. The core civic competency-based approach to international education and the blueprint of a university with a global civic mission are ideal-typical normative models as defined by Weber (1949) and Holmes (1965; 1981). These two ideal-typical normative models are designed as tools to sharpen the focus of the contemporary discussion on the purpose, role and objectives of international/global education at Canadian universities by highlighting the need for a learning outcome-based perspective on international/global education. The core civic competency-based approach to international education and the blueprint of a university with a global civic mission are subject to debate among scholars and citizens alike in terms of the selected types of competencies, their interpretation and refinements and the multifaceted implementation issues associated with the introduction of the core civic competency-based approach into the university environment. A learning-outcome based perspective on international/global education is necessary in order to prepare students for their personal and professional lives in the global village of the 21st century. A focus on learning outcomes in international/global education at Canadian universities will furthermore bridge the gap between the expectations held by the international community about the knowledge, skills and attitude requirements of higher education graduates and the actual competencies achieved by graduating students.