2021 Future of Education Summit: Teaching for Global Understanding
On July 29-30, 2021 Asia Society Northern California held a two-day, virtual Education Summit on the theme Teaching for Global Understanding. Important topics covered included preparing the next generation of global leaders, new technological advances in education, how mental health impacts education, and advancing racial justice in classrooms.
The 2021 Education Summit PDF program can be viewed here.
Day 1
The History of Anti-Asian Violence and its Connection to the Present
In the opening session, Gordon Chang, professor of history at Stanford University, addressed the long history of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States and how this history has set a precedent for recent attacks against the AAPI community. Chang spoke with Anna Mok, president of Ascend. (1 hr.)
The U.S. and China Over Time: How to Build Respect and Understanding
Ken Wilcox, honorary chair of Asia Society Northern California, speaks about the historical relationship between the United States and China and how strong leadership can help build respect, cultural tolerance, and understanding between the two countries. Wilcox spoke with Alistair Thornton, co-founder of Young China Watchers and an Asia 21 Young Leader from the class of 2019. (58 min., 30 sec.)
The Changes We Need: Education Post COVID-19
Yong Zhao, foundation distinguished professor in the school of education at the University of Kansas, speaks about the necessary changes for the future of education brought about by COVID-19 — such as a hybrid ecosystem combining both in-person and online learning — and how educators can better foster creativity and innovation in the classroom in a conversation moderated by Milton Chen, senior fellow and executive director, emeritus at The George Lucas Education Foundation (GLEF). (55 min., 55 sec.)
Education for a Global Future
Neelam Chowdhary, executive director of Asia Society's Center for Global Education (CGE)'s Global Learning Programs and Heather Singmaster, CGE's director for Career Technical Education and Global Cities Education Network, discuss resources available from CGE to address and develop global competency in students. (42 min., 28 sec.)
The Education to Employment Gap in the Philippines
Henry Motte-Muñoz, CEO and founder of Edukasyon.ph and an Asia 21 Young Leader from class of 2015, speaks about how culture impacts education in the Philippines and how students are motivated by their families. Motte-Muñoz addressed how his platform provides classroom and career-oriented guidance to Filipino students and his future goals for Edukasyon.ph. The conversation was moderated by Karen Tay, faculty at Singularity University and an Asia 21 Young Leader from the class of 2019. (47 min., 12 sec.)
Rural China’s Mental Health Epidemic
Faculty from Stanford University discuss how depression and mental health issues impact students in rural China and ways to foster resilience in school, home and community. Speakers include Scott Rozelle, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Manpreet Singh, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Huan Wang, research scholar; and Xin She, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics. The session was moderated by Xin Liu, co-founder and president of the Enlight Foundation. (1 hr., 1 min.)
Mindfulness Meditation
To conclude the first day, Elbert Ma, mindfulness meditation teacher at Mount Sinai Health System CALM in New York City and instructional assistant at Teachers College, Columbia University, led the audience in a mindfulness meditation practice.
Day 2
Asia Society Future Global Leaders
The morning opened with a session featuring panelists Roya Mahboob and Somaya Faruqi from the Afghan Girls Robotics Team; Mina Fedor, founder of AAPI Youth Rising; and Rahul Yates, founder and executive director of HumSub GlobalTEEN. These young leaders discuss the work being done by their organizations, the role social media plays in amplifying their messages, and how COVID-19 has impacted their work. The session was moderated by Wenchi Yu, head of global public policy and social impact at VIPKid, and an Asia 21 Young Leader from the class of 2011. (57 min., 49 sec.)
VIPTeach.org and Chinosity
This video features two sessions. In the first, the following speakers from VIPTeach.org discuss achieving equitable access to quality education through technology: Susan Landaira, global online teaching fellow at VIPTeach; Loretta Holmberg, lecturer at Loyola University Maryland and online ESL teacher at VIPTeach, and Jackie Robinson, fellow at VIPTeach. The conversation was moderated by Wenchi Yu, head of global public policy and social impact at VIPKid and an Asia 21 Young Leader from the class of 2011.
The second session featured two speakers from Asia Society's Center for Global Education (CGE): Cleopatra Wise, director of China Learning Initiatives and Sarah Deng, program associate. They discussed their online platform, Chinosity, and how Chinosity engages with students on Chinese language and culture. (57 min., 17 sec.)
AAPI Youth Rising and Asian Kids Pride
This video features two sessions, both moderated by Margaret Conley, executive director of Asia Society Northern California. In the first session, middle and high school students Cooper Hong, Shubh Doshi, Maxwell Wong, and Harita Kalvai share their experiences participating in an AAPI Youth Rising rally that took place in May 2021 in Berkeley, California.
In the second session, Aries Wang, co-founder and education content specialist at Polydott and Katie Lin, education content specialist at Polydott, talk with Conley about their project Asian Kids Pride, which features online bilingual educational content meant to help initiate conversations between students, educators, and their families about race, heritage, and culture. (59 min., 14 sec.)
TiE Silicon Valley and Building Entrepreneurial Mindsets
Four speakers from TiE Silicon Valley speak about how to build entrepreneurial mindsets in students. Participants include AGK Karunakaran, president of TiE Silicon Valley; Reena Gupta, founder and CEO of Mom Relaunch and member of TiE Leadership Circle; and Naeem Zafar, co-founder and CEO of TeleSense. The conversation was moderated by Andy Tsao, managing director of Silicon Valley Bank. The panel discussed how TiE interfaces with young entrepreneurs, including providing a mechanism for networking and participating in mentorship programs with professionals in Silicon Valley. (1 hr., 1 min.)
How to Address Race in the Classroom and Advance Racial Justice in Education
In the closing session, panelists discuss ways to address race in the classroom and advance racial justice in education. Speakers included Stewart Kwoh, co-executive director of The Asian American Education Project and president emeritus of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles; Kate Lee, program manager at The Asian American Education Project; and Christian Aldana, KINETIC and youth organizer at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago. The conversation was moderated by Cat Shieh, anti-hate training coordinator at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago. The discussion featured a call to action for implementing policies that allow for lessons on AAPI history in schools, reactions to the banning of lessons on critical race theory, and tips on how to address race and education issues with parents from different backgrounds. (1 hr., 7 min.)