Visioning Higher Education for Contemporary Global Challenges: In Pursuit of Well-being, Social Justice, and Sustainability

This book presents a roadmap for university leaders to vitalize higher education in response to global problems. It addresses structural, programmatic, and curricular gaps to prepare current and future generations for unfolding socio-ecological challenges.

The book introduces five urgent and interconnected global challenges (Sustainable Development, Climate Change, Migration, Global Health, and Social Justice) demanding attention from higher-education institutions worldwide. Each of these five chapters explores the challenge, then shifts focus to the roles of forward-looking higher-education institutions. These roles include building critical consciousness, developing competencies, inspiring global actions, exercising leadership at all levels, conducting evaluations, and undertaking innovative initiatives. The book also proposes three specific initiatives : (1) creation of linked academic Centers for Contemporary Global Challenges; (2) establishment of a South-North Higher-Education Consortium; and (3) initiation of a Global Challenges Corps, supported by transnational-competence curricula. It also provides an evaluation methodology to assess the traction of the proposed educational vision. The concluding chapter offers a pathway to fill existing programmatic gaps and equip future generations to address global challenges.

This authoritative and insightful book is essential reading for university leaders, educators, and learners worldwide. It provides practical strategies and a future-preparatory vision for universities to address rising global challenges.