International Workshop on the Role of Higher Education: Fostering P-20+ Community Engagement through Knowledge Production, Human Capacity Building, Innovation and Social Cohesion

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The workshop is the first in a series of international collaborative workshops for academic representatives from three countries, the U.S., China, and South Africa, to discuss the role of higher education. As centers of discovery, learning, innovation, and societal well-being, it is imperative that institutions of higher education in the 21st century foster P-20+ community engagement through knowledge production; human capacity building, including broadening participation and integration of research and education; and innovation and social cohesion. The organizing committees are ethnically diverse and multidisciplinary. More specifically, the participants comprise individuals with substantial national and international experience combined with years of local engagement and expertise, such that the proposal will contribute to collaborations that draw upon many fields and cultures. This international collaboration is necessary because STEM challenges are affected by both national and global conditions; opportunities to learn across cultures and societies would increase understanding of global conditions and national experiences.This workshop will contribute to preparing and engaging a diverse STEM workforce, investing in new STEM fields and shifts in existing fields, and increasing international partnerships and collaborations. This workshop would help launch an ongoing, global learning community focused on STEM diversity. It would also help build trusting relationships over time; create an honest interchange for ongoing learning, sharing, and adapting each others' approaches; develop creative and innovative solutions globally and nationally; and, ultimately, help significantly reduce inequalities and increase diversity in STEM among partnering societies and around the world.