Applied Global Studies:

Preparing Agents of Change to Meet a World of Need

In development for over a decade under the auspices of the non-profit International Beliefs and Values Institute (IBAVI) (www.ibavi.org), the mission of the Applied Global Studies Program is to produce self-reflective, socially aware, and globally engaged leaders who have the necessary dedication, knowledge, skills, and experiences to make a demonstrable difference in the world through the application of informed scholarship and thoughtful practice across one or more of the following five areas of concentration: 1) Conflict Resolution, 2) Global Education, 3) Human Rights, 4) Religious and Cultural Understanding, and 5) Sustainability.

This unique approach – the “AGS Model” – is characterized by eight learning-based components, all of which are informed by an overarching commitment to international and interdisciplinary engagement:

• challenge-based learning, which deliberately focuses the learning experience around addressing the most pressing questions of our day through a tripartite focus on investigation, engagement, and action (see https://www.challengebasedlearning.org);
• depth-based learning, through innovative models and methods, such as the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (https://thebevi.com/), which facilitates self-paced and in-depth learning, growth, and development
• evidence-based learning, including the most current paradigms, such as values-based learning (https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789048186747), high impact learning (https://www.aacu.org/leap/hips), and transformative learning (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformative_learning);
• field-based learning, including engagement with needs and opportunities in the “real world” (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03098265.2013.794333) via internship and other activities that address one or more program emphases;
• media-based learning, through leading international organizations, such as Crossing Borders Education (https://crossingborders.education/), which provides highly stimulating ways of learning that are responsive to the interests and needs of today’s students;
• project-based learning, through big picture initiatives such as the Cultivating the Globally Sustainable Self Summit Series (https://summitx.org/), a multi-year, multi-institution, and multi-country endeavor that offers a unique opportunity for our students to work on dynamic projects with leading educators, scholars, practitioners, and advocates from around the world;
• student-centered learning, which allows students to pursue their studies on a full- or part-time basis, with a focus on meeting their unique educational needs and goals https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/6%20_TEAL_Student-Centered.pdf ), through individual programs of study and stand-alone certificates that may be “stacked” together to comprise the AGS undergraduate and graduate degrees; and,
• technology-based learning, such as Collaborative Online International Learning or COIL (https://www.kansai-u.ac.jp/Kokusai/IIGE/resources/KU-COIL.php), which allows students to interact directly with peers, faculty, and leaders across a wide array of contexts and countries.

In short, the AGS Model uses the most current and innovative approaches to learning, growth, and development in order to help our students gain the confidence and competence necessary to become successful change agents across a wide range of settings, both locally and globally. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us directly at ibavi@ibavi.org.