At the turn of the millennium, the world seemed to be moving towards ever closer economic integration matched by the seemingly inevitable spread of liberal democracy. Less than 20 years later, many of the nations that had championed the benefits of global economic integration are experiencing domestic populist backlashes against globalization. Meanwhile, China and Russia have increasingly sought to use their power to challenge the liberal order, while rising powers like India and Indonesia create new centers of influence in the global system.
Do these developments presage the erosion of globalization or perhaps a reset on new terms? Is the global system heading towards greater fragmentation, or will the need to meet global challenges like climate change and migration drive further cooperation and integration?
These were the questions nearly 30 educators from University of Washington, University of Oregon and community colleges in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington state grappled with on July 21-22, 2022 in the annual summer Community College Master Teacher Institute (CCMTI). Held in person this year at the UW’s Madrona Hall, the curriculum development workshop focused on changes and challenges to the process of globalization.
CCMTI is co-sponsored by the National Resource Centers of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies (Canadian Studies Center; Center for Global Studies; East Asia Center; Middle East Center; South Asia Center; Southeast Asia Center) – University of Washington, Northwest International Education Association (NIEA), the Global Business Center at the Michael G. Foster School of Business – University of Washington, and funded by the United States Department of Education.
“The CCMTI has always been built around giving community college educators a venue to share and work collaboratively,” said Phil Shekleton, managing director of the Center for Global Studies, which founded CCMTI in 2003. “This year’s theme and format built upon the strength of previous CCMTI events while giving participants a great opportunity to reconnect with their peers.”
The goal of CCMTI is to give community college educators, who are competitively selected to participate, an opportunity to learn and share strategies for how to incorporate timely global topics into existing curricula, plus develop new classroom activities. The CCMTI features a range of academic and practitioner experts from a range of disciplinary and regional perspectives.
Stated one participant, “I found the presentations on different aspects of globalization to be timely, very informative and well-organized. It was also great to connect with people from across the U.S. with interests in globalization who are doing similar work.”
Presenters at the CCMTI 2022 this year included:
- Challenges of Globalization in the 21st Century, Anand Yang, Professor, International Studies and History, UW
- Global Supply Chains Saved the World: And, er, had a few problems, Sam Kaplan, Director of the Center of Excellence Global Trade & Supply Chain, Highline Community College
- Global Trends and Fragmented Southeast Asia, Tuong Vu, Professor and Department Head, Political Science, University of Oregon
- When Did World War III Begin, Why, and How Will it End? Russia, China, and the United States in today’s chaotic world, Scott Montgomery, Lecturer, International Studies, University of Washington
- The Russia-Syria Connection: How will the war in Ukraine affect the situation in the Middle East? Rick Lorenz, Affiliate Instructor, International Studies, UW
- Narrating Displacement: Telling a refugee story, Rawan Arar, Assistant Professor, Law, Societies & Justice, UW
In addition, three Community of Learners sessions gave participants a chance to present curriculum ideas, share best practices, and discuss potential ways to incorporate the workshop themes into their teaching. These were hosted by:
- Anita Erdős Forrester, Associate Professor; Global Studies Program Coordinator, Northampton Community College
- Jennifer Jones, Faculty, Geography, Diversity and Globalism, Highline College
- Yi Li, Professor, History, Tacoma Community College
- Amiko Matsuo, Faculty, Transfer Fine Arts, South Seattle College
“If you can only carve out the time to go to one conference or institute of learning this year, CCMTI is the one to attend,” said another participant in the post-workshop survey. “This gathering of academics will offer you an in-depth view of global issues that can be added to your class curriculum and discussions immediately. The topics and presentations are poignant and thought provoking. Totally worth your time!”
