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

这次研讨会是为来自美国、中国和南非三个国家的学术代表举办的一系列国际合作研讨会中的第一次，讨论高等教育的作用。作为发现、学习、创新和社会福祉的中心，21世纪的高等教育机构必须通过知识生产、人力能力建设，包括扩大研究和教育的参与和整合，以及创新和社会凝聚力，促进P-20+社区的参与。组织委员会是种族多元化和多学科的。更具体地说，参与者包括具有丰富的国家和国际经验的个人，再加上多年的当地参与和专业知识，因此，该提案将有助于利用许多领域和文化的合作。这种国际合作是必要的，因为STEM的挑战受到国家和全球条件的影响；跨文化和跨社会学习的机会将增加对全球条件和国家经验的了解。这次研讨会将有助于培养和吸引多样化的STEM劳动力，投资于新的STEM领域和现有领域的转变，并增加国际伙伴关系和合作。这一研讨会将有助于启动一个持续的、以STEM多样性为重点的全球学习社区。它还将有助于随着时间的推移建立信任关系；为不断学习、分享和调整彼此的方法创造诚实的交流；在全球和国家范围内开发创造性和创新性的解决方案；并最终帮助显著减少不平等现象，增加伙伴社会和世界各地的STEM的多样性。

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.