“Concepts Across Contexts: How to Build Durable Skills through Transdisciplinary Teaching” by Kenn Ross of the Minerva Project has been announced as a keynote to be presented at The 14th Asian Conference on Education (ACE2022).
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This plenary will also be available for IAFOR Members to view online. To find out more, please visit the IAFOR Membership page.
Abstract
Concepts Across Contexts: How to Build Durable Skills through Transdisciplinary Teaching
Universities today often teach students in one of two ways: by providing them training for a specific career path (without the soft skills needed to succeed in that profession or a recognition that one’s career might change in the future) or by teaching broad liberal arts concepts without the toolkit to apply them effectively to solve real world challenges. Neither of these approaches prepares young people for a lifetime of meaningful work in our rapidly changing world. Transdisciplinary teaching, which sometimes faces scepticism from traditional disciplinary silos, promotes the development of durable, transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, and more. Considering both Asian and global examples, this talk will describe how a true – and modernly reimagined – transdisciplinary approach teaches students how to apply core concepts across contexts, thereby developing durable skills applicable to any career path they pursue.
Biography
Kenn Ross
Minerva Project
Kenn Ross is the Managing Director of Asia at Minerva. Originally from the United States, he has lived in Asia for more than 20 years, where he is well-known for his knowledge of higher education issues, education innovation, and China-America cross-border education. In addition to Minerva, Ross is also Founder of the International Foundation for the Promotion of Academic Soft Skills (IFPASS), a US-based nonprofit that provides non-cognitive skills-based and experiential education in China. He regularly speaks at global education events such as TEDx and is also a frequent commenter on Chinese television, where he speaks on topics related to Chinese and international education. Ross’ 2015 book Academic Soft Skills (留学软实力) is considered by many in China as a definitive guide to preparation for global study.
