WAB Hosts Global Issues Conference, Inspires Students to be Global Citizens

The Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) welcomed over 300 students and teachers from over 40 schools in ten different countries for the EARCOS Global Issues Network (GIN) Conference, April 4 - 6. This global event, the first of its kind to be held in Asia, brought together young people from international schools across Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Hong Kong and from as far away as Japan, Korea and even Turkey. Participating Beijing schools included the Canadian International School, Beijing Concord College of Sino Canada, BCIS, Dulwich College, ISB and WAB, in addition to School Year Abroad-China and Beijing Bayi Middle/High School (affiliated with Peking University).

The theme of the conference was Earth's Hope, which reflects GIN’s mission to help students realize that they can make a difference in the world by empowering them to work with their peers internationally to develop solutions for global issues.

“These young people are Earth's Hope, the generation we have been waiting for,” said Sheila Burch, former WAB teacher and conference organizer. “We are counting on them to be the change.”

Keynote speakers include Jean-Francois Rischard, author of "High Noon: Twenty Global Problems, Twenty Years to Solve Them," which inspired the formation of the Global Issues Network. WAB also welcomes Marc Kielburger of Leaders Today/Free the Children (his brother, Craig Kielburger was scheduled to speak but will be filming the Oprah Show that day!). Other keynote speakers include Austin Gutwein, a 13-year-old American boy who started Hoops for Hope to benefit AIDS orphans; Jane Goodall, via live interactive video conference; John Liu from Earth's Hope (Beijing); and Hafsat Abiola, daughter of the former President of Nigeria, who now lives in Beijing and works with various organizations for women, including KIND.

WAB Interim Director David Randall commented on the conference, “It was an exciting weekend. In fact, it was one of the most stimulating events in my 39 years of overseas education. This was truly a WAB team effort. The eight people on the organizing committee were ably supported by colleagues and students. From music to technology to ambassadors to logistics, it was synergy in action. One day, I hope we learn of significant projects that were developed by someone inspired from attending this first Asian GIN conference held at WAB. My guess is that we will.”