Dennis Gaylor
  • Home
  • A Chi Alpha Story
  • Timeline
  • Contact
  • Dennis’ Blog
  • Quotes
  • Resources
  • Photos
  • News

The soft-power benefits of educating the world’s leaders

July 12, 2021
1
1
Share

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

201920182017
United States625857
United Kingdom595758
France404034
Russia10109
Australia999

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.

See Original Article
Related Posts

Imago Dei Encounters the Imago Meta

January 1, 2022
0
1

What Is the Metaverse

Metaverse” is a new word, and we’ve only heard it because of Mark Zuckerberg’s recent accouncement that Facebook’s parent company is changing its name to Meta. The new name is a nod to the future. Meta is positioning itself as the first mover of a new digital universe.

The metaverse is not a digital world. It’s a digital world of worlds through which people can travel seamlessly, retaining their appearance and digital possessions wherever they go. These worlds do not merely exist in VR (virtual reality), but also layer onto physical reality through AR (augmented reality). 

What does the metaverse mean for campus ministry and Christians?

When Facebook debuted in 2004 and the iPhone released in 2007, we didn’t know what the future held. We can’t catch up a decade after the metaverse reshapes culture. We must prepare disciples now, knowing the metaverse will only exacerbate the current problems created by a (believe it or not) less invasive internet.

Three themes we should start emphasizing today, so we can form resilient disciples of tomorrow.

1. Givenness of Identity in a Customized World                                                                     

If you think society is struggling with questions of identity now, get ready. Individuals will be able to express themselves however they want through fully customizable avatars in the metaverse. 

What happens when we identify more with a virtual version of ourselves than with our real selves? People may conflate their God-given identity with the self-made identity they crafted in the metaverse. The imago Dei is about to encounter the imago meta.

In a world where every aspect of our identity will be completely customizable, celebrating a received identity—given by God to be his human image-bearers, made with flesh and bone, male and female, for the cultivation of the world—will be radically countercultural.

2. Goodness of Creation in a Disembodied World

We will live more of our lives disembodied, either as avatars in VR spaces or holograms using AR technology. The separation we feel—between our physical bodies and surroundings, and our virtually expanded consciousness—will grow. It will be easy to see the infinite possibilities of our virtual world and bodies as better and more real than the physical world.

As disciples of Jesus, we insist upon the goodness of our physical world and bodies. Followers of Jesus must resist the constant digital connection, forming communities where people intentionally disconnect from virtual reality to be present with others: look them in the eye, give them a hug, and simply be with them. This will be countercultural in the best way.

3. Limits as Grace in a Limitless World

The metaverse will present us with the opportunity to experience glimpses of power only God has. Readiness of information will give us a glimpse of being omniscient. The ability to create worlds and identities will give us a glimpse of being omnipotent. Conquering of geographic boundaries will allow us to be wherever we want to be at any given time, approximating omnipresence. Our futuristic tower of Babel is luring us in with promises of limitlessness.

Disciples of Jesus will need to resist by embracing God-given limits. We can be a presence in our local communities, focus on the slow incremental growth of systems and structures that lead to people’s flourishing (both physical and virtual), and embrace the increasingly unfashionable phrase “I don’t know.” Our lives can manifest the truth that we can’t be everywhere, and we can’t be everything, and that’s a gift from the God who is.

Faithfulness on a New Frontier

While we can’t predict all the ways the metaverse will change us, we know that Christian witness is always countercultural. The metaverse may promise godlike power and knowledge, but like all idols, it will take more than it gives.

Like every technological innovation, the metaverse will bring both opportunities and threats. But if we begin the hard work of discipleship today, we might find resilient disciples of Jesus faithfully leading on the edge of a new frontier, working for the flourishing of everyone—physically and virtually—with confident humility in the face of monumental change.

This is a condensation of the full article “How to Prepare for the Metaverse” by Ian Harber and Patrick Miller, November 2, 2021 in TGC, (TheGospelCoalition.org). https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/prepare-metaverse/  and for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gElfIo6uw4g&ab_channel=CNETPreview

1 Comment
    Melodie Lancaster says: Reply
    July 24th 2021, 2:33 pm

    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.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Brady Bobbinkby Site Editor / July 12, 2021
Why It Can Happen Againby Dennis Gaylor / July 13, 2021

Subscribe to get the latest posts from DennisGaylor.com

Add me to your mailing list!

Submit your email, newsletter, snail mail to:
Dennis Gaylor 4435 W. Forest Ridge Rd. Battlefield, MO 65619

Add me to your list!

About Me

Add me to your mailing list. I would love to receive an email update, newsletter, snail mail, or report on your campus ministry, and please friend me on Facebook.

Snail Mail:

4435 W. Forest Ridge Rd. Battlefield, MO 65619
DennisGaylor@gmail.com

Categories

  • A Chi Alpha Story
  • Dennis' Blog
  • News
  • Photos
  • Quotes
  • Resources
  • Uncategorized
  • Facebook

© 2021 DennisGaylor.com. All rights reserved.