John Cabot University Hosts Fifth Annual Ambassadors' Luncheon
John Cabot University welcomed 34 ambassadors and cultural attachés to the Lemon Tree Courtyard in the Guarini Campus for the fifth annual Ambassadors’ Luncheon on Friday, June 14, 2019. The event was aimed at celebrating educational exchange and international diplomacy.
Fifth Annual Ambassadors’ Luncheon in the Lemon Tree Courtyard
JCU Student Ambassadors had the opportunity to interact with representatives from Australia, Estonia, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Qatar, and Uganda. President Franco Pavoncello welcomed guests, saying he was “delighted to celebrate the successful conclusion of the academic year and the spirit of friendship generated by educating young men and women from all over the world.” He then described the milestones that JCU has reached in recent times. In 2018, the University reached a record enrollment of 1500 students and the M.A. in Art History celebrated its first graduating class in May.
President Pavoncello underlined how JCU remains committed to serving, among others, the children of foreign residents, be they ambassadors, international civil servants, or businesspeople, as the University continues to grow and expand: “That original vocation has remained intact and has contributed to defining and enriching our community with the energy that a strong diversity of cultures and outlooks brings. It has helped to sustain our many dreams, which lately are becoming a solid and exciting reality.”
JCU Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center at San Diego State University, Bernhard Schroeder, spoke next. His talk was entitled “How Creativity, Mindset and Planet Will Play a Role in the Next Generation of Innovation.” Prof. Schroeder’s focus was on Generation Z, the most technology-savvy generation in the last 25 years, which will comprise 32% of the world’s population by next year. “As educators, we need to prepare Generation Z with a re-committed focus on developing a growth-oriented mindset and being purposefully creative in both business and educational environments. In this way, they will be able to address the world’s problems and deliver innovative people and planet solutions.”
One of the JCU Student Ambassadors in attendance, Political Science major Rajesh Cecchini, commented, “The event was a great opportunity to meet ambassadors from all over the world and discuss multiculturalism. At JCU, we are all ambassadors of the different countries we come from. Our community is one built on respect for different cultures and traditions, and that is what makes the university such a unique environment.”
