40th Anniversary Celebration

Sub-Theme One

Doing Business in a Changing, Globalized World

• End of 1980s, beginning of 1990: Globalization becomes a buzz word, eventually leading to new business models on a global scale. Focus on free-trade agreements and liberalizing national markets.
• Beginning of 2000: Anti-globalization movement becomes stronger. Nationalism (traditional values, cultural identity) versus globalization.
• 2020-2022: Impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Dependency and vulnerability of global supply chain becomes visible. Is the pendulum shifting toward nearness/proximity (i.e., production facilities and subcontracting)? Is this the beginning of the end of globalization? How deeply rooted is the concept of global citizenship and global education?

Speaker: Israel Louis Ismail

 

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Sub-Theme Two

Dealing with Adversity in a Digitalized World

• During the 1980s, counseling was neglected and studying counseling discouraged (fastest way to unemployment). Today, worldwide, clinical psychology is one of the most popular studies. Why?
• The last four decades (1983-2023) saw major changes in society. Compared to the 80s, nowadays there is less collectivism and sense of community. Much more focus on individualism. What is the right balance?
• Digitalization, smart phones and social media networks have changed our daily lives. Living in an interconnected world requires new and different communication skills. Digitalization and interconnectivity, a blessing for most people. But for others - a curse, leading to feelings of exclusion and mental health problems. How to recover and be resilient?
• Nonviolent communication and its implications in a digitized world.

Speaker: Julie Sharon-Wagschal

Alumna and Psychologist

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Sub-Theme Three

Entering a New Era or the Beginning of a New Cold War?

• During the 1980s, global politics was dominated by the Cold War with only two sides: the free world versus communism. In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. As a U.S. student from Webster Leiden campus expresses, “It was spectacular to be in the EU at that time.” This was followed by disintegration of the former Soviet Union, with the USA remaining as the only world power.
• After 2005, China becomes a world player and the second largest economy in the world. Today, more countries (Australia, India, Japan and Nigeria) are on the world stage. Exponential growth of the world population since the 1980s also leads to shifts of power. Nowadays, the world is much more fragmented, more complex and less predictable compared to the 1980s.
• Moreover, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has not only impacted the relationship between NATO countries and Russia, but many others as well, e.g., USA-China, China-Russia, Russia-India and Russia-Africa relations. Is this the beginning of a new Cold War?

Speaker: H.E. David Solomania

Ambassador of Georgia to the Netherlands  

Sub-Theme Four

Human Rights for All or a Prerogative of a Few?

• Human Rights in the 1980s versus human rights in the 21st century
• Are international criminal courts/tribunals the way forward?
• Human rights education - what is the right age to start learning about human rights?
• Human rights violation in the context of Human Trafficking and Modern Day slavery?

Speaker: H.E. Shefali Razdan Duggal

Ambassador of the United States of America to the Netherlands

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