A global village in the classroom

Academics Lejla Vrazalic and Lois Smith on becoming an international citizen.

One of the best things about living in the UAE is the cultural diversity of its population. We found out last week that there were almost 130 nationalities in Dubai. There aren't many other countries that can boast such a diverse yet harmonious environment.

As a student, you probably already know this since most classrooms today, in both schools and universities, are mini global villages.

In our previous articles we have given you many tips for succeeding academically and developing your learning skills. In this article, we would like to focus on what and how you can learn from your multi-cultural classmates so that you can become a global citizen.

Change your attitude (if you need to!)

As humans, we may not always be entirely comfortable with things that are different from who we are and what we know. Sometimes that can translate into a negative attitude towards people who come from different backgrounds from our own.

The first step in becoming a global citizen is to change your attitude towards other nationalities. You've probably heard the saying “we are all human” a thousand times before, but think about what that really means to you.

Dismantle stereotypes

Most of us have generalised views about certain groups of people that are based on something we have experienced, seen on TV or read in a book.

These generalised views are stereotypes. Stereotypes are biased views because they do not take into account individual differences.

For example, you may have heard stories in the news about some rappers being involved in shootings. Some people take this to mean that all rappers are criminals and a bad influence.

This is wrong and the actions of small group of people should not be generalised to the larger population

Mingle with other cultures

Sometimes we tend to mix with people from our own cultural background simply because we find it easier to communicate with them and we believe that we can identify with each other.

We see this happen in classrooms when students from the same country choose to work together on a group assignment.

Global citizens thrive on diversity and differences. They actively seek out people who come from different cultural backgrounds so that they can learn from them.

Do your research

You will learn a lot about another culture if you work and interact with people from that culture. However, you can also add to your learning by doing a bit of research. Find a book or a website that has information about another country and go beyond the obvious things. Think of a country (for example, Australia) and ask yourself what do you really know about it?

To understand another culture, you need to get past the surface and the things that most people know about. Global citizens are well informed about other cultures

Try it yourself

One of the best ways of learning about a new culture is to participate in it. That doesn't mean you have to move to another country.

Luckily in the UAE we have the opportunity to participate in lots of different cultural events without ever leaving the country. Join in the fasting and have iftar with a Muslim family during Ramadan. Another way to participate is to learn a few words of a new language.

Someday when you graduate and find a job, you will inevitably be working in a multi-cultural environment or perhaps even in another country.

Studying from textbooks won't necessarily prepare you for this. However, following some of the tips we have shared with you will take you on the path towards becoming true global citizens in our global village.

- The writers are from the University of Wollongong, Dubai