Newsletter 7: Education for Happiness & Growth, Education & Science for Peace
1 October 2023
TL;DR
Musings on education with a goal towards students’ happiness and growth
Science and Education for Peace Conference: Sam and Mai attends a conference on water security at ICISE in Quy Nhon and meets inspiring leaders and forges valuable connections.
Ongoing fundraising effort continues through the 100 Founders Initiative and pledges from supporters like you. Please help spread the word!
Dear All,
Happy Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) from Vietnam! I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones in happiness and good health.
I have a classmate from graduate school who is visiting Ho Chi Minh City, and during dinner one night, he asked me what kind of students UWC Vietnam will nurture and develop. I thought about it for a moment and answered, "happy students who are also growing." Happiness and growth. I realized that this simple answer stems from my encounter with the American educational philosopher John Dewey, who argues that growth should be regarded the end rather than having an end [1]. This notion is particularly applicable to teenagers, isn't it? Just think about the mistakes we all made during that period and how much we grew from them. I firmly believe that young adults should be allowed to make mistakes, reflect on the factors that led to those missteps, and grow into more thoughtful and empathetic individuals. If there's one thing that holds true about children and adolescents, it's their capacity for growth—both physically and mentally.
My thoughts regarding the importance of happy students originate from a discussion I had with my former counseling colleague in Ho Chi Minh City. We were discussing how different a school could be if wellness and mental health resources were considered integral right from the initial conception, intertwined with every aspect of the school—be it the curriculum, co-curricular activities, residences, or staff and faculty wellness. While academic achievement and educational outcomes undoubtedly hold significance, what matters even more are the educational processes—the uncharted waters where students learn and grow, navigating their way and developing healthy habits while embracing the idea that happiness is something that they can intentionally strive towards, and understanding that making mistakes is natural and acceptable. I envision UWC Vietnam to be a place where happy students progress at their own pace, supported by friends and teachers alike. These are the students I aspire to see at UWC Vietnam.
IPU-ICISE’s Science for Peace Conference
Last month, my colleague Mai and I had the chance to attend the inaugural conference co-hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE). Titled “Water Security and Insecurity: Rebuilding Peaceful Coexistence with Science,” the conference aligned perfectly with UWC's mission.
IPU, an organization based in Geneva, is the global organization of national parliaments, comprising 179 members and 14 associate members. It facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. In May, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ICISE with the aim to bridge the gap between the worlds of science and policy by facilitating exchanges between parliamentarians and the scientific community. Its mission? Science for peace. Considering that the UWC movement’s mission is to leverage education as a unifying force for peace and a sustainable future, we were thrilled to see the UWC mission align with the mission of the very land that we are hoping to build our campus upon.
An honorary guest participant whom I was thrilled to invite to the conference was Shawn Steil, Pearson College UWC ‘91 alumnus and the Ambassador of Canada to Vietnam. I remember us chatting about his previous graduate school research in water and environmental policy during our lunch back in April, and we were honored to have him join us. He even presented during the conference with a talk titled “Multilateral, regional and bilateral water diplomacy for transboundary water cooperation,” where he discussed strengthening cooperation through water diplomacy across borders. It was wonderful to connect with him again!
Throughout the event, I met so many inspiring individuals working diligently on solutions. We had robust discussions on using Earth observation systems, new technologies, and human rights to ensure water access. My favorite session was a session titled “Promoting water security through citizen science,” where Mr. Denis Naughten, a parliamentarian from Ireland and the Chair of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology, talked about how Ireland is directly involving the general public (including students!) to contribute to scientific research, and how this could be a sustainable, replicable model throughout the world.
The connections forged at this conference were invaluable. I returned to Ho Chi Minh City inspired by the phenomenal leaders diligently building peace through bridging politics, policy, and science. I look forward to our continued engagement with both IPU and ICISE!
VNUWC’s Fundraising Effort Continues!
Of course, none of our big dreams can become reality without the ongoing support of this community. While the exciting 100 Founders initiative continues, we also welcome pledges of any amount from those eager to contribute to this visionary educational endeavor.
To make a pledge or learn more about giving opportunities, reach out to sam.jeong@uwc.vn for details. Every contribution brings us one step closer to empowering Vietnam's next generation of changemakers. Thank you for believing in UWC Vietnam’s vision!
Want to support the UWC Vietnam Campus Project?
Here are three easy ways:
Spread the word! Share our newsletter with friends, family, and colleagues who might be interested in our cause.
Connect with our project director, Sam Jeong. Schedule a call to learn more about our mission and how you can get involved.
Help us improve! Give us feedback on our pitch deck and offer your professional expertise. Respond to or comment on this newsletter to receive a copy and share your thoughts.
Looking for more ways to support us? Consider making a donation, volunteering your time and skills, or hosting a fundraising event. Thank you all for your kind support and interest.
Yours,
UWC Vietnam Campus Project
References:
[1] Dewey, John. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education. The Macmillan Company, 1916. p. 67.