prof. Ivo Andrijanić, PhD
The notion of a global village has been transformed from an idea popularized with the onset of mass media to an accurate description of the contemporary international system. The communication revolution coupled with the rise and strengthening of international organizations and growing awareness of international issues has brought about and underscored the inter-connectedness of people and countries around the world.
The first decade of the new millennium has clearly and dramatically demonstrated the reality of the global village, as problems atop each state’s agenda are increasingly transcending national lines. Matters such as global climate change, which has the potential to endanger the future of life on our planet; terrorism that has in one way or another impacted people of all nations, beliefs and cultures; and the global economic crisis that has forced us to reexamine long-held institutions and models have all underlined both the volatility of our way of life and the importance of global cooperation. It is ever more evident that everything that occurs in one corner of the Earth resonates throughout the global village. The only answer to the complex challenges of today and to the uncertainties that lie before us, and the sole solid currency in a rapidly shifting global order, is knowledge – knowledge that is not constrained by regional or ideological concerns, that draws on the principles and experiences of the past and acutely examines and questions the events of the present to prepare us for the future.
Such knowledge can only be acquired through education. More specifically, knowledge is gained in a setting that encourages critical thinking and participation by all, in which questions seek not the singular correct response but the exchange of ideas from diverse participants. It is an environment that appreciates each new contribution from all its members, students and professors alike, because it is only by absorbing and analyzing differing beliefs and viewpoints that we can ever arrive to a solution. In a time when the once widely accepted political, social and economic principles are subject to increasing scrutiny, students are afforded an opportunity to formulate new ideas, new paths and new attitudes that are not constrained by a need to follow previous visions. We are building Libertas to be an institution in which students are not merely passive observers charged with absorbing lessons, but are rather active participants in the formation of knowledge. Most importantly, our students will understand how to apply their capabilities and education in real situations.
The Libertas faculty is made up of people that have not limited their intellectual lives and endeavors to simply academic circles, but have readily faced various concrete challenges of the world they live in, and have so proven that their professional expertise can contribute to the resolution of global problems. It is precisely this skill that we wish to impart on our students.
The Libertas International University is a community that will promote and reward intellectual curiosity, dedication and innovation in both its students and staff. As our world grows seemingly smaller, and as the issues expand in scope and severity, we will prepare our students to confront whatever the future may bring, and to ascertain themselves as leaders in our global village.