|
» China-Business-Articles » Reading: "Global Business Requires Global Students"
|
 |
|
 |
| Global Business Requires Global Students |
By:
Tom Watkins |
|
An Interview with Tom Watkins: "Global Businesses of the Future Require Global Students”
By Michael F. Shaughnessy Senior Columnist EdNews.org Published 02/27/2008 Commentaries and Reports Rating: Unrated
Michael F. Shaughnessy Senior Columnist EdNews.org
Dr. Shaughnessy is currently Professor in Educational Studies and is a Consulting Editor for Gifted Education International and Educational Psychology Review. In addition, he writes for www.EdNews.org and the International Journal of Theory and Research in Education. He has taught students with mental retardation, learning disabilities and gifted. He is on the Governor's Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council and the Gifted Education Advisory Board in New Mexico. He is also a school psychologist and conducts in-services and workshops on various topics.
View all articles by Michael F. Shaughnessy Senior Columnist EdNews.org
An Interview with Tom Watkins: "Global Businesses of the Future Require Global Students”
Michael F. Shaughnessy
Senior Columnist EducationNews.org
Eastern New Mexico University
Some people have career ladders. It's been written that Tom Watkins' career resembles rock climbing. Tom has worked for four different Governors on both sides of the political aisle (always with a focus of providing a voice for the voiceless and making a difference in the lives of children and families). Tom served as Michigan's State Superintendent of Schools and Director of Michigan's Mental Health system and was the President and CEO of the Economic Council of Palm Beach County, Florida; and helped create the first charter schools in Michigan and Florida. He has led statewide political campaigns and has been elected to office himself. He has been a therapist, a consultant for a major CPA firm. As his first job after college he created a shelter for runaway youth that is still in operation today.
Tom is a prolific author, publishing hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from globalization, China, India, education reform, politics, leadership and governance to name a few. A powerful and humorous speaker that is able to wrap stories and data together to help lead change, he is a social commentator sought-out by state, national and international media outlets to write about topical issues of the day. He most recently served as a business, education and China consultant to CBS-Detroit's special, Building Bridges: From the Great Lakes To The Great Wall. You can view the special and read his China/Tibet blog at www.wwjtv.com.
Alvin Toffler, the futurist and author, put it this way: "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn." Tom's diverse and successful career shows a person who has constantly reinvented himself to keep pace with constant change.
Talent is the only commodity that will matter in the future. Knowledge, jobs and commerce can and do move around the globe and across previously impenetrable political barriers. Tom Watkins has been speaking out about the need to embrace global change and education reform issues for more than two decades.
Tom can be reached at (248) 345-2550 or tdwatkins@aol.com
1) Tom, increasingly we are becoming a multi-national world, with people traveling internationally, products being sold world-wide, and trade occurring between nations around the world. How well are our business schools preparing our students for the global economy that we are going to face in the next 20-30 years?
If we wait until business school to educate our students about the global economy we will have missed the boat. It is not just the "business schools" that should be preparing our students for the transformational, disruptive, hyper-competitive, global, knowledge economy. We need to understand that in this "flat world" all commerce is global. We need parents, students and our K-12 schools to understand that the world has changed in dramatic ways and if we as individuals, families, states and a nation do not simply change -- but lead change -- we will get run over.
Let me assure you, having traveled to Asia, specifically China, a number of times since 1989, they are not sitting idly by as we get our act together in America. Their desire for high quality education is on steroids. The Chinese, and the other billions of new global consumers and capitalists in Russia, Brazil, India and other emerging nations, are seeking their equivalent of the "American Dream."
We live in a time of constant change. Each day brings advances and discoveries in science, technology and math as well as major shifts in global economics and new challenges to every citizen and community.
Our future – those who will live in this ever-changing world -- is sitting in our classrooms today. The viability of our society, the strength of our economy, the quality of our lives, the vibrancy of our democracy, and our place in the world, all depend on our system of public education from Pre-K, under grad, graduate school and life long learning.
We all need to be acting with a sense of urgency, imagination, and creativity, with a sense of purpose, to make our nation the brain bank of the world where everyone wants to come for deposits and withdrawals.
2) Do we truly need to be concerned or worried about the global competition? Many believe the US has the best education system in the world. Isn't the angst being overblown by public education bashers?
No. If anything we are being lulled by our past success and believing our own rhetoric that somehow, because we have been great in the past, it gives us some lifetime lock on being number one in the future. The students in schools today, and the workers in offices and factories, will confront a rapidly changing, disruptive, global information and technologically driven world that will defy predictability. Are we preparing for that future? I think the answer, in far too many of our communities, is a resounding NO!
Clearly, there are islands of excellence, yet we know there are many schools that would best be described as sinking in a sea of despair.
Yes, there are great schools doing great things. What has changed is that we need to prepare more and more of our students for a new world reality.
Arizona's Governor Janet Napolitano, stated in releasing the 2005 report A Progressive Education Agenda for a Strong Nation, "The world is changing much faster than our education system. We need to take it up a notch."
Her words are correct. We need to create a greater sense of urgency, within and without our schools, not only to change, but to lead change. In this world, staying even is falling behind.
Lou Gestner, the former CEO of IBM, captured the essence of the issue when he stated, "No institution will go through fundamental change unless it believes it is in deep trouble and needs to do something different to survive." For those of us who have lived through the changes in the "Motor City," the state that put the world on wheels (and with the domestic Big Three being clobbered by foreign car makers), have witnessed what it means while hoping the competition will disappear and pretending their surge is only temporary. The world has changed. World-wide competition is here to stay. What we make of this new reality is up to us.
We need to stop pretending everything is okay. It is not. Quality education matters. In this century, the state and nation that gets its system of education right will be the most prosperous on multiple levels. It needs to be our collective goal to make sure America is that nation.
3) What do our high schools and community colleges need to be doing?
First, there are great things going on in a number of our traditional, charter, private and parochial schools across this country thanks to the dedication, hard work and commitment of many great teachers. Stop and think for a minute. I believe all of us can recall how a teacher helped make us better people. Like everyone, I've had my share of mediocre, indifferent and even downright lousy teachers. But it is the outstanding teachers who shine in my memory.
I recall with real joy the educators who entranced me, supported me, nurtured me, and held my mind happily captive – in short, the ones who left an indelible impression on my spirit. In fact, it was a wonderful fourth grade teacher that opened my eyes to China and created my life-long interest and love for the people and culture.
Having said that, we need a commitment that we are going to educate all of our children to be productive global citizens that can compete, not just with the kid next door, in another city or state, but with the children of the world. Gone are the days when one could drop out of school and step into a job that would enable one to "lift for a living." We need to prepare all our children to "think for a living."
We need greater focus on science, math and technology while not losing sight that one of the great strengths we have as a nation is our creative, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. Clearly, we are not going to compete with China, India, Mexico, Vietnam and other emerging nations on "cheap labor." Our competitive edge will be creativity and talent in all fields. The arts are critical and should not be lost as we strive to meet the lofty goals and the moral imperative called for in the federal No Child Left Behind law,
It should be noted that, while we are rushing towards standardization and testing, the Chinese are trying to learn from America. From the National Minister of Education to teachers in rural classrooms, they are very interested in how we teach creativity, imagination, and innovation when they constantly ask, "how do we create a Henry Ford or Bill Gates?"
They are beginning to grasp that greatness is not spun solely from doing well on standardized tests-- creativity, innovation and talent matters!
4) What does the typical American businessperson need to learn about China? What should be taught in our high schools and colleges about China and its culture?
After 9-11 our intelligence community acknowledged we need more people who can read, speak and understand Arabic, Farsi and Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin). This crisis was a wake-up call about how far behind we are as a nation in understanding the languages and cultures of the world.
In business, it is critical that more of our students learn Mandarin Chinese if we are going to thrive economically. I have learned through more than a dozen trips to China that the Chinese are serious about recovering their past glory and becoming the world's economic superpower.
One-fifth of the world's population lives in China. There are more English speakers in China than English speakers in America. Mandarin Chinese has surpassed English as the most used language on the Internet. It is not unusual to have Chinese kindergarten students greet you in English and high school students be fluent in English and Chinese. How many students in your community can do the same?
It is critical that we get serious about learning Chinese. Not learning the language will make us less competitive at all levels. Michigan's Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson understands the competitive challenge that another language, particularly Chinese, means to our economic survival.
He called on all Oakland County, Michigan, schools to offer Mandarin. Currently, 20 of the 28 school districts have answered his call. The others expect to follow suit next year. Dr. Vickie Markavitch, the Superintendent of Oakland County schools, her staff and the great educators throughout Oakland County are to be commended for their leadership on this critical educational and economic need. Oakland Schools deserve credit for their leadership on this important issue. It will help prepare their students for the hyper-competitive global economy and make Oakland County and all Southeast Michigan an economic magnet for Chinese investment in the future.
More school districts across the Michigan and the nation need to follow Oakland County's lead. All business is global today.
Having the ability to read, write and understand Chinese or other languages will give future graduates an upper hand in landing a great job.
Learning or retaining other languages is a national security and economic necessity if we want America to lead in the world's 21st century knowledge economy. We need a greater focus on learning other languages that starts, not in high school, but at the earliest age possible. Offering language at the high school level is too late if we are serious about mastering languages. If we want to prepare our nation for the future we should be mandating that all students master another critical language prior to graduation.
Today, many high school students graduate after studying another language for 3-4 years. They are great at conjugating verbs but can't order a drink or find a bathroom while traveling abroad. If we want to maintain and, in some cases, regain our competitive edge this must change.
Our community colleges can help fill the void in language instruction by doing what they do best: offering high quality instruction, small class size, and affordable tuition.
Language is the eye to other's cultures, taking us deep inside their souls and helping us appreciate the world from different perspectives. Thomas Friedman warned us in his book that the world is indeed flat. If Michigan and America want to retain their economic might, and retain elevated standing in the world, we must get serious about having more of our students master a language other than English.
5) I have heard the term 21st century knowledge economy and knowledge worker used by you and others more and more recently. What is a 21st century knowledge economy/worker? What will these changes mean to us in the US?
We should begin by what it is not. It is not the remnants of the industrial economy that is rusting in places like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Gary, Indiana or Toledo, Ohio. What these places once had, e.g., being the "arsenal of democracy" or the state that put the world on wheels, is dead and is not coming back. If it can be done cheaper somewhere else -- it will be.
The knowledge economy is more than what the neoclassical economists have recognized for the last two hundred years: labor and capital. Today's advanced economies now involve technology, innovation, creativity and knowledge as key components of production.
We know, if by nothing else than the name, that the "knowledge economy" is built on brain power, not brawn power. Gone are the days when one could drop out of school and make a decent, middle class living with a broad back and a narrow mind. Today, to stay internationally competitive, we need more people thinking for a living, not lifting for a living.
In 1999, the World Development Report had this to say about the knowledge economy: "For countries in the vanguard of the world economy, the balance between knowledge and resources has shifted so far towards the former that knowledge has become perhaps the most important factor determining the standard of living -- more than land, than tools, than labor."
Today's most technologically advanced economies are truly knowledge-based. The accumulation of knowledge and its creative use drives the advanced economies of the world.
Knowledge is expanding exponentially. Individuals and institutions must keep pace with this change or risk viewing the world in a constant blur. Thomas Friedman alludes to the speed of change and its impact on the knowledge economy in his book, The World is Flat, A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. He writes, "We are entering a phase where we are going to see the digitization, virtualization and automation of almost everything.
The gains in productivity will be staggering for those countries, companies and individuals who can absorb the new technological tools." He goes on to point out that, "Whenever civilization has gone through one of these disruptive, dislocation technological revolutions -- like Gutenberg's introduction of the printing press -- the whole world has changed in profound ways."
The only constant will be change, talent, creativity and expanding knowledge.
Charles Darwin had it right when he said, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent -- but the one most responsive to change."
What must we do to assure that America's students and workers are prepared to confront the rapidly changing world in which we live? This will require an ever-greater need to learn, unlearn and relearn. We need to create a culture in America where learning is a lifelong pursuit that will take place from the cradle to the grave.
This means greater investments in quality preschool education, assuring that ALL children receive the education they need and deserve; putting the needs of teaching, learning and children ahead of power, control, politics and adults; making sure the invested resources provide the teachers with continued professional development and reach the classroom; and continued investments in community colleges and higher education.
6) Certain countries have a very specific culture -- I have been to Germany and everything runs on time. There is almost a perfectionist attention to detail. In other countries, things seem to be chaotic and haphazard at best. Your thoughts?
Isn't it great!? One of the most wonderful things I love about traveling abroad is the constant change -- food, sites, smells, and customs. When in China I feel like a kid in a candy store! There is so much to take in that I often don't want to blink or sleep out of fear of missing some new experience.
I reflect on what my first boss told me and it was great advice: "if both of us agree on everything, then one of us is not necessary." Variety is the spice of life and it should be sought out and celebrated.
Both of my children have traveled to China with me and feel it was one of the best "eye opening" experiences in their young lives. They learned that not everyone thinks like we do in the West. Every American should have that same perspective. Having language and different cultural experiences on your resume is going to be a major plus regardless of what field of study you pursue in the future.
Hanging inmy office is a map of the world I purchased while in China. For most western people looking at the map, it appears odd. What is different? The map was created from an Eastern perspective and has Asia in the center -- not the US. The map is a reminder that not everyone in the world sees it from our perspective.
7) I hate to use the word "ethnocentric " but is the United States, in your mind, still somewhat ethnocentric?
Absolutely.
As the amusement ride at Disney World repeats over and over, "It's a small world after all. It's a small world after all. It's a small, small world!" We have been a world leader and the oceans separate us from many people of the world. Yet with technology, jet travel and certainly the horror of 9-11, we have come face to face with some of the new global realities.
We have much to share with the world and we have much to learn.
If I had a magic wand, I would create opportunities for all Americans to travel abroad and not stay at the sterile, Americanized hotels but to get out and mingle with the children in Brazil and Costa Rica, laugh and have a pint with the lovely people of Ireland, try some authentic Chinese food (without the fortune cookies) in China, or enjoy Yak tea while warming your hands over the stove fueled by Yak dung in Tibet. Learn to let loose and dance in an African village. There is so much to learn and the best learning experience, from my perspective, is to step outside of your "normal" and place yourself in another's culture. It is a learning experience to realize, perhaps for the first time in your life, that as a white male -- you really are not the majority.
We need to understand that we share this planet with many wonderful people and, the more we can get to know people and understand their ways of life, the more we will grow and learn.
8) There is a lot of talk in the Presidential campaign about "globalization." In your opinion is this something we should embrace or fear?
My belief is the genie has been let out of the bottle and we must find ways to harness the power of global trade and make it work for us. We need not simply free trade -- we need fair trade. Fair to our workers, families and communities and our trading partners.
Not everyone agrees with me. Some view globalization as a way to grow our economy and believe no local, state or national politician is going to stop it or slow it down. Some see it as a way to entice international investment and job creation. And still others charge that it is "unfair" and "exploiting" workers in this country and developing nations. For those who have lost a job and see foreign completion as the culprit, globalization becomes a boogeyman and is viewed with anger, fear and hostility.
Others simply proclaim that it is inevitable and irreversible and believe that only question is how we make work for our country. "Globalization is no longer a theory; it is a reality," proclaims Kenichi Ohmae in his book, "The Next Global Stage: Challenges and Opportunities in our Borderless World." Ohmae sees the global economy in its infancy, with tremendous growth potential for developed and undeveloped countries alike. He sees excessive world capital "looking for opportunities to breed."
However, one needs to go no further than turning on CNN and seeing Lou Dobbs rant and rave about the evils of "globalization" to understand not everyone is sold on its virtues. US Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) does not see a rosy picture for the US with globalization. He believes we have "mortgaged our fortunes, our principles and our way of life." He sees a global economy as an anchor on the American economy -- rather than a sail.
As the world turns, America and each of us individually need to strive to turn ourselves, our region, our state and nation into innovative, creative, entrepreneurial knowledge workers that can compete on the world stage. It is our human capital that will make globalization work for us and not against us.
America's success is dependent on our continued exportation of knowledge, creativity, and innovation on the world stage.
When Bill Clinton first ran for President in 1992 he captured the mood of the country when he kept the focus on his mantra: "It is the economy, stupid!" Well, in the 21st century, it is "knowledge, globalization and talent -- stupid!"
9) What question have I neglected to ask?
We have to ask ourselves, "Are we ready to change?" I can tell you that the rest of the world is changing at warped speed and are not waiting for us to answer the question.
As always, I want to thank you and Jimmy Kilpatrick, the founder and editor of Education News, for this forum to share information and help stimulate change.
Zhe shi yiguo xiaoshijie, hengxiao de xiao shijie (Chinese) -- It's a small world after all -- it's a small, small world.
Tom Watkins welcomes readers thoughts and comments. You can email him at: tdwatkins@aol.com
Published February 28, 2008 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
