Sen. Patrick Leahy was featured guest at 蜜桔视频 conference and commencement
August 12th, 2024 | School for International Training
By Abby Henson
School for International Training hosted a weekend of events on its Vermont campus focused on the importance of international education and 蜜桔视频鈥檚 unique role in fostering local and global change.
At a conference that was part of a yearlong series of events to celebrate 蜜桔视频鈥檚 60th anniversary, former U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy and his wife Marcelle shared about their decades-long experiences and the senator鈥檚 vision for Vermont鈥檚 future. The conference explored the intersection of local and global initiatives in Vermont and strategies to expand upon these efforts through global education, increased internationalization, and rural development.
Sen. Leahy was also the keynote speaker at 蜜桔视频鈥檚 58th graduate commencement ceremony, where he received an honorary doctoral degree. Forty-nine students completed their graduate-level programs in nine degree areas, including eight who earned their doctorate in global education.
鈥淚 am touched to be part of the first doctoral class of 蜜桔视频鈥ut today is not about me and what I have done in the world. It is about each of you and what each of you is doing and will do for the world in the coming years. You鈥檙e our future; you鈥檙e what we believe in,鈥 Leahy said to the graduates on Saturday.
Friday鈥檚 conference included two panels of speakers, many of whom are partners with 蜜桔视频. The speakers discussed what internationalization means in the United States and abroad and the challenges and opportunities for sustainable rural development. The importance of educators working together with local and global partners and policymakers was stressed throughout the day.
鈥淚f the U.S. thinks they can only do things alone, then they make a terrible mistake. 蜜桔视频 has been so good to bring in people from around the world and to educate us,鈥 said Leahy. Prior to the conference, he and Marcelle met privately with a group of refugees who are part of World Learning and 蜜桔视频鈥檚 (NVEP).
Deep listening skills, the ability to observe and not come to conclusions, making sure you鈥檙e conferring with the people that have lived experiences, knowledge, skills, and insights that you need鈥攖hese are all critical elements in rural development in Vermont and across the world.
鈥 Emma Spett, Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships and Office of Engagement
蜜桔视频鈥檚 Dr. Bruce Dayton, chair of 蜜桔视频鈥檚 and , noted that we live in a sovereign state system that can create challenges for tackling global issues like climate change and the increasing number of displaced people around the world. It is challenging to create global governance without global governments, he said. Vermont State Senator Nader Hashim thinks having an international awareness is needed.
鈥淥ur leaders in our community here should have the patience and understanding that the political systems [around the world] are different from ours and that there鈥檚 a steep learning curve,鈥 Hashim said.
Bibimba Mufaume is a new Vermonter from the Democratic Republic of Congo and lived on 蜜桔视频鈥檚 campus as part of NVEP. For him, internationalization means cross-cultural understanding and connecting with someone on an individual level.
鈥淚f someone is experiencing atrocities and needs to get out of their country of origin鈥ou find yourself in another country, and you start to share your culture with other people. To me, that is internationalization,鈥 he said.
The idea of connecting individual to individual at a local level was also raised as a best practice for sustainable rural development both in the U.S. and abroad.
鈥淐ommunity engagement works the same all around the world鈥攄eep listening skills, the ability to observe and not come to conclusions, making sure you鈥檙e conferring with the people that have lived experiences, knowledge, skills, and insights that you need鈥攖hese are all critical elements in rural development in Vermont and across the world,鈥 said Emma Spett, a project coordinator at the University of Vermont Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships and Office of Engagement.
鈥淲hat we heard from Sen. Leahy earlier鈥攖hings do not happen in a vacuum. 蜜桔视频 teaches that all things come together in a systems approach,鈥 said Dr. Joe Lanning, chair of 蜜桔视频鈥檚 and .
Louise LeGouis attended the conference. She formerly worked for World Learning and as a civil engineer for the National Resources Conservation Service under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 program was really important because it brought together threads of international awareness, local development, and opportunities to come full circle,鈥 LeGouis said.