The modern world is one of unprecedented interconnectedness. More and more, we are dependent on other nations and other regions of the world to maintain both our national and individual livelihoods. Our increasing reliance on the political, economic, and cultural contributions and guidance of other nations has prompted an entirely new field of study: Global Studies — the interdisciplinary study of our world’s international and intercultural connections. College Dean Kurt Hueg spoke to Foothill College on Wednesday for International Education Week regarding this new major and how students can pursue it at Foothill.

Foothill College currently offers an ADT in Global Studies, a fully transferable degree to the CSU system for students who wish to pursue that route. An ADT in Global Studies is comprised of two core classes that are a combined eight units plus 24-29 units of supplementary classes in fields such as the humanities, economics, and anthropology. That’s a relatively minor total of 32-37 units, making Global Studies a somewhat easy degree to receive — supplemental to another degree.

When asked about the applicability of Global Studies in the modern-day job market, Hueg explained the growing need for Global Studies majors, especially within multinational corporations.

“If you were, for example, going to start a company making consumer mobile technology, you would not be able to do that without the help of professionals in the Global Studies field,” Hueg said. “You’d need advisors to help you with importing raw materials from other countries, to help you with outsourcing manufacturing, to help you with recruiting workers from other countries, and to help you with marketing your product internationally. That’s where Global Studies majors come in, and that’s the role students at Foothill could help fill should they choose to pursue the field.”

Hueg also explained that even in regards to personal enrichment, Global Studies could be hugely valuable for students looking to gain a well-rounded understanding of the world.  Global Studies majors are offered a variety of study abroad opportunities as part of their experience at Foothill College — such as the summer Ireland research trips offered by the Anthropology department in recent years.

“Global Studies has a certain relevance here, with Foothill being one of the most demographically and ethnically diverse community colleges in the country,” explained Hueg. Foothill’s student body of nearly 15% international students has brought the field to a certain degree of prominence on campus.

“For over 25 years, Foothill College has prioritized hosting international students and bringing an international perspective to campus,” Hueg said. “We are now offering students the unique opportunity to study Global Studies at one of the most globally connected schools in the country.”

While the field of Global Studies currently has a relatively low profile at Foothill, Hueg communicated his hopes that this would change — referencing Stanford’s well-developed Global Studies program as a model for what Foothill’s program could eventually become. He also expressed an interest in developing a Global Studies center on campus, similar to the Center for Applied Anthropology that has recently opened in the 3000 wing.

“Where Global Studies as a major at Foothill is headed is, ultimately, up to the students,” Hueg said. Whatever the future of Global Studies at Foothill, its rising importance in the modern world will define its trajectory nationally and internationally. Whether that trajectory is directed towards our school, though, remains to be seen.