The Development of Global Education in Malaysia: Strategies for Internationalization

Environmental problems such as global warming are threatening the entire globe and by nature do not stop at national boundaries. There is no connection between the release of a pollutant in the USA, for example, and a specific effect on some area on the other side of the world. The international nature of globalization itself is another factor that brings environmental problems to a global level. While globalization links people of all societies together, it also affects their lives. A project outlining this problem was conducted at the University of Ulm with young Japanese and German scientists from different faculties (Beschorner and Stehling 1997). Although not all environmental problems or forms of pollution are global in scale (depending on local geology and geography), one must bear in mind that, side by side with international trade, the impact of most forms of pollution is spreading worldwide. As globalization reaches all aspects and processes of our lives, people all over the world view themselves more and more as participants in a small, limited globe. This creates a new level of awareness of our planet, and the belief that its problems must be seen in the same way in scene and effect. Governments and politicians have become more aware of environmental problems, and globalization has gradually shown that many practices and policies of past industries harmful to the globe are no longer acceptable or appropriate for globalization.