Hope for a globalized future

John Dohrmann, IB Business Teacher at EF Academy New York, has taught around the world – and says that today's students offer him hope...

Having traveled to over 20 countries, 80 cities and five continents in the past 18 months, I’ve come to realize how similar we all are despite our cultural differences. A 15-year-old in Brazil is not that different from a teenager in Mexico, Norway or Algeria. Some students are quiet and shy, others are outgoing and confident, but because of the Internet, few are naïve. In my lessons, I teach about famous brands like Coca Cola, Nike or Apple, and I might mention someone like Taylor Swift, and everyone will know what and who I am talking about.

I am always surprised at how similar we all are, and this is a result of how globalized and connected our world has become. It’s not only students who are more connected, but their parents as well – they are hardworking and want the best for their children; they have the same concerns and similar worries. We all have so much in common.

But while technology and communication have brought us together to form a true world economy, we still have a long way to go. Around the world, movements such as Brexit and talks of building walls threaten to set us all back. Borders are becoming more defined and people in positions of power have started to take on an “us versus them” mentality. What gives me hope that humanity will continue to progress and remain globalized are the students I have taught in classrooms around the world.

Teens embrace the idea of cultural exchange and crossing borders, and they believe in the positive impacts these exchanges have. Rather than fearing or judging those who are different, they are curious and open-minded about other countries, cultures and perspectives. Though they have so much in common and they want to learn more about what makes them different from peers halfway across the globe.

Many of the students I have met have already studied or traveled abroad and they have nothing but positive things to say about their experiences. All of them long for more experiences traveling internationally. I have met students in Indonesia who have eaten at my favorite pizza restaurant in New York City, and a teen in Beijing who studied in Edmonds, a small town and my former home outside Seattle, Washington in the U.S.

I believe we have all benefitted in some way from globalization and ultimately, we will continue to move forward together. My own worries about globalization are put to rest when I speak to students from all corners of the globe. The many young minds that I have met on the road accept, welcome and support bringing societies and cultures together, now and far into the future.

John Dohrmann, an IB business teacher at EF Academy, has traveled the world for nearly two years, teaching business management topics such as branding, negotiation, entrepreneurship and presentation skills to high school students around the world.

Fore more information about EF Academy New York, see their profile on International School Search.