7 TED talks that will change your view on international education

As the end of the year is approaching, it is time to reflect and gather input for a better 2017. International education is changing quickly, and we wanted to share with you some inspiring TED talks to spread some inspiration and spark new ideas for an even better 2017! These are talks that inspire us, make us evaluate the future of education, and the value of studying abroad. Enjoy!

The future of higher education – Kevin Manning

Kevin Manning is the former president of Stevenson University and has over 40 years of experience in higher education administration. Manning argues that the future of education is in distance learning, and during his TED talk he explains the importance of cell phones. According to him, this will provide a cost-effective solution to worldwide education.  Manning describes the transition from traditional learning to incorporating internet and online courses and gives 3 different developments that might happen over the next 25 years. The structure of higher education is going to change dramatically, in a positive way. A lot of changes will be driven by the expansion of cell phones and the internet, and all of the changes will permit us to offer better education worldwide and improve many lives.

International education – Mary Hayden

Mary Hayden provides the audience with an interesting talk on international education and the promotion of intercultural understanding. In this TED talk, Mary focuses on the united world colleges and the International Baccalaureate (IB) and its importance for international education. She discusses the importance of not only offering excellent education, but also a real intensive experience around it, so that students are prepared in the best way possible for their future. I think we can all agree with this viewpoint.

Education revolution – David Baker

David Baker discusses the phenomenon of ‘the education revolution’, and the positive impact it has on people from all over the world. Can we understand the dynamics of the revolution and rise to the challenge of making it potentially major force for positive global change? Baker stresses the importance of education by giving examples from underdeveloped countries and the effects education has there. He strongly believes that education is the major social vaccine against different diseases, rising childhood obesity, high numbers of child mortality, high birth rates, and other major problems worldwide. Education empowers people, which leads to an education revolution and ultimately a better world.

Why study abroad – Marina Meijer

Marina Meijer explains the importance of going abroad and what positive influence it has had on her life. This is one example that shows the importance of international education and the possibility to go abroad, it enhances a person in numerous ways that can be considered invaluable. Studying abroad helped her grow in several ways and she thinks every student should have an experience abroad, as it provides a different perspective on life and personal identity. Also, studying abroad provides a solid foundation for future work experiences.

Higher education is not in the business you think it is – Glenn Platt

Glenn Platt is the director of Miami University’s Interactive Media Studies Program and the founder of the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies (AIMS). In this TED talk, Glenn gives several examples of companies that are not in the business you think it is, including education. Platt is a strong advocate of using technology to move active learning into the classroom and lecture outside of it. Platt: ‘we need to look at education as a collaborative network. We need to build platforms that allow learners to collaborate, and structures need to be flexible, unlike university structures that are fixed. ‘Mesh networks’ are the 21st-century conditions for learning.’

Education for global citizenship – Seth Leighton

Seth Leighton is the CEO and co-founder of Envoys. This TED talk discusses how students can develop global citizenship through high-quality experiential learning programs. We need to have actively involved students, and to do this, we need to support digital literacy and global citizenship. Seth points out the importance of going abroad to develop a set of skills needed for global citizenship.

The value of travel – Rick Stevens

From a broader perspective: Rick Stevens shares some of the valuable lessons he learned during his travels all over the world and concludes that there is so much to be explored and so much to learn from new people from all over the world. This is a great TED talk to realize the importance of internationalization and the effects of meeting new cultures.