ADRN

Lecture 2

East Asia Institute (EAI) and Korea Foundation co-hosted on the KF-EAI Korea Friendship event, a series of educational and networking program, for international students residing in South Korea. There are 7 consecutive lectures on Korea and 1 field trip on Korean history.

In the second lecture, Mr. Oh, the former UN Ambassador, said that it is important for the world to have a global identity beyond nation states because of the increasing interdependence of countries and the rise of transnational issues. He also emphasized the importance of global citizenship education that espouses universal values.

Unlike Samuel Huntington, who predicted the Clash of Civilisation, Mr. Oh emphasized that it is important to understand culture as a concept that changes and develops. He asserted we should broaden students and youths’ exposure through education on cultural convergence, not cultural conflicts. He also emphasized the importance of educating citizens of the world, saying that the respect for cultural diversity should be inculcated from a young age. The most important concept of global citizen education is respect for universal values and diversity. Universal values are human rights, democracy and justice, and respect for people from different cultures and traditions.

During the Q&A session, he emphasized the importance of expanding Korean education and activities, such as Forum on Global Citizenship, in the world. While education is important and necessary, it is still insufficient by itself.