What with turmoil across the Middle East, the economic worries of the European Union, the rise of Asian economies, and the challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa, these days the situation across the globe seems more unpredictable than ever.
Yet despite this complex background, Peabody College has been engaging with international partners as never before. In this issue of the Peabody Reflector, we highlight some of the more prominent aspects of this engagement.
For several years, the Peabody faculty has been working diligently to establish new methods of teaching and leading in schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. We are partnering with South China Normal University to exchange school leadership ideas between principals from Nashville and Guangzhou. We are orchestrating another partnership with East China Normal University in Shanghai to encourage teacher excellence in six districts here in Tennessee. Two of our faculty members are collaborating with architects in Melbourne, Australia, on the future design of learning spaces.
Peabody also recently has welcomed our fifth annual cohort of Hubert Humphrey Fellows who have come to the United States to learn how to strengthen education in their own developing countries.
Of course, Peabody students and alumni continue to broaden their own horizons through study and travel abroad. In this issue, Kathleen Russell describes her experience as a Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellow. We also profile Chong-Moon Lee, an early international student who came to Peabody from the young Republic of Korea following the Korean War.
When I consider the challenges of globalization, I often remind myself that the best solution to conflict and chaos resides in education. On the international front, as in all its efforts, here too Peabody is committed to excel.
Camilla Benbow
Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development