In Focus:

Student Research in Today’s Global Society

In our increasingly interconnected world and in the context of an increasingly diverse U.S. population, there is an identifiable need for improved global awareness among our population.

American institutions of higher education must prepare students to be globally competent citizens, equipped with the necessary tools to understand and deal with globalization and increased cross-cultural contact. In fact, the American Council on Education published a Comprehensive National Policy on International Education in 2002, which advocated for an education system that would develop international experts and knowledge to address national strategic needs, strengthening the ability of the U.S. to solve global problems, and developing a “globally competent citizenry and workforce.”

While not everyone agrees that globalization is a positive force, we would all agree that we live in the world characterized by global connectedness and an increased need for intercultural understanding.

Sharing the comparative knowledge is at the basis of developing awareness and understanding among countries and cultures. Research and knowledge recognize no boundaries as the international mobility increases every day. Students’ engagement in educational exchanges and interest in global issues is evident not only in courses they study, but the research they do.

This journal issue is dedicated to those students who stepped outside their comfort-zones and went beyond the borders of one country to share their global knowledge with us. From Hutong neighborhoods in Beijing to tourism in Galapagos Islands, this issue of the Journal of Undergraduate Research brings you a broad range of topics that cross disciplines, borders and language barriers.