It is often said that the number of current world leaders who chose to be educated in another country can serve as a useful, though rough and incomplete, indicator of ‘soft power. . . . Since 2015, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has been publishing desk research on the tertiary education of serving heads of state and heads of government and determined how many sitting world leaders in 195 countries around the globe were educated in other countries too. Where world leaders were educated
2019
2018
2017
United States
62
58
57
United Kingdom
59
57
58
France
40
40
34
Russia
10
10
9
Australia
9
9
9
Counting the education of world leaders is quite challenging. Some of the criteria includes: You have to decide what a ‘leader’ is. They define the term in a restrictive way to mean only heads of state and heads of government(monarchs, presidents, prime ministers). You have to define what a country is. They define countries as places that are members of, or observers at, the United Nations (currently 195 places). You have to decide what types of tertiary education count. You have to decide whether only some qualifications or periods of study count (a year abroad in one country counts as much as a whole degree or a doctorate), and you have to decide whether to exclude anyone becasuse they seem unpalatable. According to 2019, the US cemented its position a the most popular place of study for overseas students who later go on to lead their countries.
According to the Springtide Research Institute, which surveyed 2,500 members of Generation Z (ages 15 to 25) in February 2021, the report warns religious leaders, teachers, and parents there isn’t going to be a simple “back to normal” approach for young people after COVID 19 pandemic. Rather we should all be looking for ways to help them experience “the new normal.” Josh Packard, the executive director of Springtide says, “It is not going to be easy for young people to pick up where they left off. There’s a whole lot of things they missed, and they need help processing that, to make sense of it and understanding their lives.”
He listed the missed things: graduations, proms, summer camps, athletic competition, dates, college orientations, religious youth group retreats, school concerts, first jobs, and suggested we can help young people grieve lost milestones and relationships.
“Gen Z lost touch with faith communities during pandemic but kept their faith, study says” by Jana Reiss, Religion News Service, May 31, 2021
High School Senior and College Freshman;What They Need to Know To Attend College
Excerpted from a two-part article in the Arkansas Baptist News by Adam Venters, June 22 and 24, 2021
Exciting senior trips, inspiring graduation speeches, nostalgic summer vacations, bittersweet goodbyes in high school and so much more. Transitioning to college has all the feelings. In a few short weeks, recent high school graduates will transition to college as freshmen. As the anticipation mounts, how can a believer in Christ make this transition into college well? How can a student transition from high school to college and make informed decisions from the Bible?
The book of Proverbs is helpful in any stage of life but is particularly helpful for the heart and mind of a young adult. There are so many truth nuggets that can be found in this book of wisdom.
There is more to our life than it being OUR life.
Righteousness is the best security; be satisfied by God. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.
Doing good will always last. Make time for what lasts.
Be teachable. The best opinions are marinated in wisdom.
Do not let looks steal your heart. Let a person’s speech guide your perception of them.
Speak affirmations of truth to others. Do not let your speech be filled full of jokes and sarcasm.
Having a critical mind is a great thing. Having a critical soul can be detrimental.
Be discerning with what you say and how you say it.College is a great time to gain knowledge.
Enjoy your study. Learn a lot about others.
Have life altering encounters with God.
Wealth can be seen in many different ways. Learn how to build the kind of wealth that would honor God. Choose to invest in God and build a life on Jesus.
Plan your calendar with the disciplines of God going first and fill in the rest of the ‘To-Do’s’ around Godly commitments.
Do not let hatred stay long enough that your life is dictated by it.
Be wise with social media.
Let God guide you to your major.
Insecurity can lead to an inimical life. Be secure in Christ.
Be as diligent as you can in all the ways that you should be. Cultivate your growth in God and plant deeply where he shows you. Beware of shorts-cut or instant gratification.
Think of sharing Christ as planting a seed with what you say. You will not have fruit overnight, but fruit comes when we plant seeds.
Walt Henrichsen, author of the classic Disciples Are Made Not Born, made this shocking statement: “If you are at college for any other reason than to be on mission for Jesus Christ, you are there for selfish, sinful reasons.”
That is a bold statement. Did Walt, a former pastor and Navigator go too far in his challenge to students, or has he found an open nerve that desperately needed to be uncovered and dealt with?
Adam believes, “God’s definition for college is a four-year (or more) window in a person’s life when God has maximum opportunity to build a foundation into a life lived for him.
Normal is calculated by previous history. Our future cannot been calculated by normal due to we have never been in this position before. So we will need to put our faith and trust in our God who will guide us to the next dimension.
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Normal is calculated by previous history. Our future cannot been calculated by normal due to we have never been in this position before. So we will need to put our faith and trust in our God who will guide us to the next dimension.