A Graduate Profile for the 21st Century

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What does it mean to be prepared for success in a global environment? Photo: Eric O'Connell for Asia Society

• International Studies Schools Network

International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) goal is that each of our students possess the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind necessary to succeed and contribute in the 21st century global environment. The following is a profile of an ISSN graduate.

ISSN graduates are Ready for College. They have successfully:

• Completed a globally focused course of study, including classes, extracurricular activities, and international travel, that has enabled them to develop interest and demonstrate expertise in a specific world culture or an important international issue.
• Earned a high school diploma with credits sufficient to pursue a college education in the United States or abroad or to pursue other rigorous post-secondary education.
• Learned how to identify options, evaluate opportunities, and organize educational experiences in college to enable them to pursue a career within the global economy.

ISSN graduates are Prepared for Success in a Global Environment. They:

• Are 21st century literate and are proficient in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English and in one or more other language.
• Analyze and evaluate global issues from multiple perspectives, gather and synthesize relevant information from around the world, and draw conclusions that consider the impact from various viewpoints.
• Understand how the world’s people and institutions are interconnected and know how critical international economic, political, technological, environmental, and social systems operate interdependently across nations and regions.
• Are proficient in the use of a digital media, can evaluate the validity and integrity of information, and can identify sources of bias.

ISSN graduates are Connected to the World. They:

• Understand and value the opportunity to work collaboratively with individuals from cultural backgrounds different from their own and can see the world from the perspective of others.
• Are comfortable and competent in different cultural settings and know how to shift behavior and language to respectfully interact with people from different backgrounds.
• Understand that decisions and actions taken in the United States may have international consequences and that events worldwide may have national and local implications.
• Understand their responsibility to make ethical decisions and responsible choices, to weigh the consequences of their actions for themselves and others across the globe, and to act toward the development of a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.