A new institution for global scholarship which consists of a select international group of especially gifted students and alumni.

Objectives

The creation of an efficient academic unit (WHC) and alumni organisation which will establish a network of international relations specialists and a major data bank. The alumni network will provide advisors to governments and will constitute a permanent advisory body to major political and economic world organisations. Working together, students and mentors from around the world will anticipate issues and articulate solutions to complex problems before they develop into economic, political or socio-cultural crises.

The Rationale

The selected participants of the Humanitad WHC will receive a four-year education, during which period they will study together in several different countries. All their studies and activities will serve the ultimate goal of a global ecological and socio-economic balance. The education of the WHC members will be considered successful and complete only when they have become fully aware that we live in a fragile world and that we all have responsibilities that go beyond beyond our personal needs.

The classmates will spend four years together at prestigious universities around the world. They will study together, dine together, participate in extra-curricula activities together etc. By graduation the World Honours Class students will have firmly established strong personal bonds and earned each other’s trust.

Beyond graduation they will become members of an active Alumni group whose work will be enhanced by strong personal relations and trusted collaborative work experience. The essence of the WHC is advantageous collaboration of individuals who know, respect and trust one another.

Structure

The WHC will be administered by a Board of Trustees serving renewable terms consistent with the validity of the appointment of the Presidential Offices which they represent. The Board will also have Permanent Honourary Trustees , a Chancellor who will be an ex officio, non voting member of the Board of Trustees, a Secretary /Treasurer, Program Directors and Staff. In the employment of all staff, the WHC will not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, creed, gender, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

How it will work…

Every participating nation will appoint one member to serve as a Trustee of the World Honors Class. The Board of Trustees, which will consist of presidential appointees, former national presidents and world leaders, in collaboration with the WHC Program Directors will approve the lists of participating universities and students selected for each academic year. The selection work, clerical and administrative duties will be carried out by a team of international education specialists supervised by the WHC Program Directors.

Each year a group of students from between 15 - 25 countries will form one World Honours Class. Students will study in a travelling academic unit for four consecutive years. Each new semester will be held in a different country at a distinguished university. The core curriculum will be taught partly through distance learning facilities and in classrooms by internationally acclaimed experts. Students will also take courses pertinent to the cultural background of the host country and will receive training as interns with local governments. During each semester WHC students will meet with a prominent world leader or international figure in an informal environment with the opportunity for a personalised exchange and dialogue. At the conclusion of their study the students will receive an under-graduate degree from one or two of the participating universities.

Criteria of Selection

Students for the WHC will be recruited early in their careers from the ranks of the most exceptionally talented high school seniors and will be awarded fellowships to study together at pre-eminent universities around the world. The details of the selection will be outlined in cooperation with the Board of Trustees. All candidates will be required to communicate efficiently in three languages, including English.

Tentative Calender

The trial World Honors Class is scheduled to start in 2008. Initial semesters are planned to be held in Hungary, Saudi Arabia, The United States, China, Brazil, France, South Africa, Russia and India. During their four years of study, students will take research trips to Tibet, Easter Island, the Galapagos Islands and other sites as well as undertaking brief excursions to most of the countries bordering their study locations.

Cost and Funding

The estimated cost per student is $58 000.00(USD) per annum. Figures relating to the WHC estimated administrative costs will be made available on special request. Funding for the WHC will stem from the Humanitad Foundation Education Resource. Humanitad is a non-profit organisation which will sustain all funding requirements through the on-going solicitation of national and international corporations and foundations around the globe.

Curriculum

  • Critical and analytic thinking concerning social and global issues
  • Problem solving and policy analysis
  • Comparative study of theories and conceptual models addressing global change
  • Leadership and entrepreneurial skills acquired through internship
  • Skills in posing questions and formulating research problems
  • Quantitative and qualitative methods for the interpretation and evaluation of relevant information
  • Historical and comparative analysis of nations and cultures

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WHC Overview PDF