Introduction from the Editor

Educating the next generation of business executives, politicians and academics is a great task and an enormous responsibility. It's also a huge challenge in an environment where the speed of change in so many fields makes textbooks out of date before they reach bookstore shelves.

The world has become vastly more interconnected -- companies and industries are globalizing; investments are affected by global trends, and cross border trade and capital flows influence relations between countries and regions in ever more complex and diverse ways. Regional and international agreements are constantly evolving, even as other relationships are strained by the threat of terrorism and war.

Research conducted by the Financial Times has revealed a number of common themes to the challenges faced by professors teaching contemporary issues in classrooms across North America*:

• How can you encourage your students to develop the global awareness essential for active participation in and engagement with the world outside their dorm rooms?
• With so little media attention given to events outside the US, how do you ensure your students get a balanced world view?
• In an age of TV soundbites, how can you be sure they get more than a superficial understanding of the issues? How can you stimulate informed discussion in your classes?
• How do you keep your classes real, relevant and up-to-date for your students?

The purpose of this guide is to help professors address these challenges by highlighting some of the teacher-tested ways you can incorporate the Financial Times into your teaching. We hope these strategies will help enliven your subject for you and your students, and perhaps even make your job a little easier.

Thank you for selecting the Financial Times as your global news partner. We appreciate your support.