Towards the end of November, Middle and High School students from Korea and Malaysia met in IVECA Live Classes to discuss stories related to traditional culture and critical current issues in their countries. All participants joined the Live Classes individually via Zoom to ensure students’ safety in the pandemic situation.
Considering a serious epidemiological situation worldwide, teachers and school administrators took extra care to support students’ learning and found global virtual exchange opportunities momentous. Despite the challenges surrounding COVID-19, MRSM Betong School, Malaysia returned to IVECA after their successful participation in the Summer 2021 Global Virtual Roundtable Camp. Students were able to join IVECA through an extracurricular school activity.
The school administration actively supported the participation of their dedicated teacher along with enthusiastic students. Principal Ms. Salleh shared that the school “is thrilled to have the chance to partner up with IVECA once again after the very much successful Summer School in July, which has witnessed significant improvements in my students’ cross-cultural competency as well as awareness towards global issues.”
While learning about the interconnectedness between individuals and the larger societies, students actively researched stories about emerging issues such as climate change, pollution, and health crisis relevant to their life, throughout the semester. Ongoing exchanges of their thoughts and feelings about the problems enabled them to suggest solutions with care.
Live Classes became an excellent prospect for students to dive deeper into their cultures and find more about the history and roots of traditional stories. Such self-awareness of one's own culture expands students' understanding and respect for other cultures, which is a vital step towards acquiring the intercultural competence of global citizens. Principal Ms. Salleh also commented, "Students were engaged in critical discussions involving socio-cultural differences of both countries. I personally believe that this is a good move towards creating more global citizens in the future."
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