The Impact of Globalization on Our Societies

On December 11th and 20th, high school students in the United States and South Korea virtually assembled to discuss the theme of the "Impact of Globalization on Our Societies." As classrooms from both sides of the globe logged into the IVECA Live Class, the stage was set for a dynamic exploration of how globalization has shaped our societies. To lend focus to their exploration, the students turned to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These global benchmarks provided a lens through which the impact of globalization could be analyzed and related to broader societal goals. Each group chose specific SDGs, such as Clean Water and Sanitation and Climate Action, to anchor their research and discussions.

Guided by the SDGs set forth by the United Nations, US students drew connections between globalization and societal progress. For instance, the discussion around SDG 6, clean water and sanitation, unearthed historical practices of purifying water through gravel and sand. Drawing parallels to the present, students celebrated the power of contemporary influencers, such as Mr. Beast, a social media content creator who leveraged his platform to fundraise and drill over 100 wells in Africa. This compelling example highlighted the positive impact that globalization, when harnessed effectively, can have on addressing pressing global challenges.

Starting from the ancient civilization of Gojoseon, the first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula, Korean students guided their audience on globalization’s impact over time. In one group, with a focus on SDG 13 - Climate Action, students recounted the fear of Gojoeson civilians of freezing to death from frigid temperatures. Fast forward to the present, Earth’s temperature has been rising steadily over hundreds of years. Countries are banding together to work towards the climate crisis solutions with the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015. Through this agreement, countries have set goals to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, in alignment with their US partners, Korean students highlighted the importance of platforms such as the Climate Action Challenge, a social media competition that encourages ordinary people to respond to the climate crisis. The boundaries that have once separated us are now blurred, allowing for a free flow of ideas and cultures.

The overarching message resonating from these virtual exchange sessions was clear: the more connected we are through globalization, the greater our ability to communicate and collaborate toward achieving shared goals. As these students continue to learn from each other and build connections across continents, they are not just participants in a virtual exchange; they are shaped into global citizens who create an impact on their societies. A Korean student stated, “The international exchange is not something that happens easily, and sharing stories with people from different cultures is incredibly valuable. Through this experience, my school years have become even more meaningful.”

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Improving Artificial Intelligence for Intercultural Understanding

Students from the United States and South Korea took part in profound and enlightening discussions during their IVECA Live Classes on December 11th and 13th. Tackling the topic of “Promoting Cultural Diversity in AI”, students spent the last several months researching and analyzing the increased use of Artificial Intelligence within their countries and the impact these programs have had on society.

South Korean students critically analyzed the effects of AI bias from creating cases of misunderstanding and discrimination between individuals to the erosion of trust and instability of international partnerships. Acknowledging the potential for AI to impact direct users through responses given to questions, South Korean students also touched on other possible effects of AI bias, including the issue of convincing material, such as “deep fakes” being used to influence large groups of people through social media. Students also noted the difference between the use of AI in the two countries. The students claimed that one way to bridge the gap between diverse groups was to ensure access to technology across all social groups. As one student thoughtfully suggested, “It is important to understand and fix the unfairness in AI” by promoting intercultural learning through accessible cost-effective education and avoiding exclusive technologies.

Meanwhile, student groups from the United States also shared their perspective on cultural bias in AI, noting several contributing factors and ways to avoid increased bias in the future. As one group explained, monoculturalism (the policy or process of supporting, advocating, or allowing the expression of the culture of a single social or ethnic group) stems from the suppression of differing voices and opinions. Therefore, they argued that creating diversity in AI requires algorithms that “overrules anything that resembles monoculturalism” while also acknowledging that further education on the subject is necessary on the user’s end. They suggest AI programs contain “a warning label that alerts the questioner if the given response will contain cultural bias”. Another American student group suggested a way to develop unbiased AI programs from the start by including a balanced group of diverse programmers, writers, and researchers in the algorithm creation before combining all sources of input into one.

Agreeing on the importance of fair, unbiased artificial intelligence was easy. Students from both countries shared the position of understanding that AI, while an invaluable asset to modern day society, must also be carefully integrated with balanced sources of information to avoid increasing impact on users around the globe. Further solidifying the sense of community between the two schools, students participated in sharing cultural performances, Q&A sessions, and thoughtful farewells after presentations had finished.

Brought together through serious discussion, critical insight, laughter, and even cheeky jokes from each side of the globe, the teenagers in both countries were the image of global citizenship. By being part of the conversation around cultural bias, they actively became part of the solution.

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Four Countries: Making Connections and Creating Change

Coming together in two Live Classes on November 21 and December 12, partner schools in Sri Lanka and China, as well as South Korea and the United States exemplified the importance of global citizenship education and intercultural competence. The participating students from all four countries tackled pressing issues they observed from local and global perspectives.

Focusing on issues such as the economic crisis, human rights, natural disasters and the human-wildlife conflict, Sri Lankan students shared an invaluable viewpoint on local challenges within their country. They emphasized the need for improved economic systems, environmental protections, and change in approach to wildlife–particularly the national symbol–the elephant. Meanwhile, Chinese students took the time to share their views on matters such as the food crisis, adolescent mental health, and psychological well-being. Giving critical insight into these issues, students shared why we should all be coming together to solve these problems without delay. The two groups of students explored the impacts of these challenges within their countries, enlightening one another in unexpected ways. Truly, the similarities within challenges the students face from different locations and their shared drive to solve them for global impact prove just how interconnected we all are as global citizens.

Korean students and their American counterparts approached similar issues through a different lens, reflecting on how personal spending can impact one’s community with the potential to create a domino effect throughout the nation. Korean students discovered, through monitoring their own spending and saving habits, that their monetary habits could affect change in their communities. Being more conscious of where their money is spent, the sustainability of the items they buy, and the contributions they make to worthy causes could make a big difference. Their partners in the United States expanded on these ideas, connecting individual spending to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. From investing in sustainable energy, human rights organizations and charities such as Habitat for Humanity and the World Food Program, the students emphasized their common goals, exemplifying global citizens who understand individuals’ impact on the larger society and take action for the solution, “If we can convince more people in the U.S. to direct their spending towards helpful organizations, we can fix [our problems].” 

While the issues were pressing, the cross-cultural collaboration was inspiring and full of rich, meaningful discourse, fostering a true sense of camaraderie. Towards the end of each Live Class, students also eagerly shared cultural performances, showcasing peeks into their daily lives. Chinese and Sri Lankan students shared some of their rich cultural traditions. Several Sri Lankan students performed a beautiful traditional melody and the class shared a video overviewing traditional customs. Chinese students crafted a delicately lit lantern and displayed fantastic calligraphy. During their Live Class, one Korean student played a traditional instrument, the dae-geum, while American students showed off skills in various sports such as volleyball, golf and basketball. 

Though the students began with nervous excitement and shared their thoughts with caution, they soon realized that while they may be from dynamic backgrounds in culture and environment, their potential for collaboration and creating change for a better humanity is universal. Perfectly summarizing the feeling of intercultural understanding and new-found friendship, a Korean student shared, “Even though we have known each other for a short time, I believe that this meeting will be a small spark that will light our future.”

By having opportunities to understand similarities in life and acknowledge the locally specific differences that make them each an invaluable part of the global community through IVECA’s virtual exchange, the students have made strides in their intercultural competence and become stronger global citizens. Leaving the sessions with new friendships and fresh perspectives, the students certainly left a lasting impact on one another and will continue to change the world around them for the better.

#IVECA #LiveClass #InterculturalExchange #GlobalCitizenshipEducation #InterculturalEducation #21stCenturyEducation