Dr. Eunhee Jung, the founder of IVECA, was recently invited to lead an interactive conversation with educational leaders from 18 school districts in the New York States. Principals, superintendents, and department chairs attended the workshop titled “Intercultural Leadership for the 21st Century Education.” The participants in the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) program were guided by Dr. Jung to deepen their knowledge of intercultural teaching and learning. The article below is more about the program featured on the Putnam-Northern Westchester (PNW) BOCES website.
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Leading with Empathy and Understanding Across Cultures
What does it mean to be an intercultural leader? Can educators nurture global understanding and leadership? Can students gain cultural awareness and increase their compassion for cultures beyond their own? These were some of the questions posed by Dr. Eunhee Jung, founder and president of IVECA International Virtual Schooling and CEO of IVECA-KOREA during a recent virtual presentation on intercultural leadership.
The presentation was sponsored by Clarkson University, represented by Dr. Catherine Snyder, chair of Clarkson’s Department of Education and Associate Director of the Institute for STEM Education. Putnam | Northern Westchester BOCES and Clarkson offer a partnership Master of Arts in Teaching, Chinese Secondary Language.
As he welcomed participants to the workshop, District Superintendent Dr. James Ryan said that “providing an opportunity for students to develop and grow with a level of cultural awareness is so critical at this time. How do we develop an appreciation for other cultures? This workshop provides exactly the kind of dialogue and connection we need.”
Dr. Jung explained that intercultural global leaders are aware of themselves and identify themselves in relation to the larger society. “The pandemic has shown us how one action can impact all of us globally,” she said.
According to Dr. Jung, the 21st century is characterized by greater technology, cross-cultural human interactions and globalized business. This, combined with societal concerns such as inequality, climate change, and crises in health and wellbeing means that future leaders will need the key attributes of emotional intelligence and intercultural communicative competence.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to use one’s emotions to communicate effectively, empathize with others, and overcome challenges. Intercultural communication competence is the ability to express oneself effectively and appropriately in various cultural contexts.
Dr. Jung explained how, through a “curriculum transformation,” emotional intelligence, intercultural communication competence and global citizenship can all be integrated into existing curriculum.
She cited examples where students from different countries have worked together to solve problems within their communities. “We want students to think about other people’s situations and how they can find ways to be helpful to them,” she said.
Dr. Snyder felt that the presentation was particularly timely and relevant to the work of educators right now. “Dr. Jung provides a framework and a language for us to use as we all look toward interrogating our own practices through the lenses of equity, sustainability and peace,” she said. “Her attention to detail and use of common experiences helps us to understand the importance of attending to issues of intercultural awareness and also makes it more accessible to us as education leaders.”
“Dr. Jung shared a personal story about the awkwardness that can arise when we are unaware of cultural nuances,” said Dr. Frances Wills, New York State Regent. “By personalizing her experience with stereotypes and lack of cultural awareness, Eunhee Jung connected with all of the participants and emphasized the misunderstandings that can occur from lack of curiosity and knowledge about members of our community.”
By offering high quality, innovative programs and services such as Dr. Jung’s recent workshop, BOCES continues to lead the charge on global leadership in the immediate region and beyond.
