Fernando M. Reimers et a]. sustainable development. I hope that it will be widely shared and inspire further global collaboration. Irina Bokova, Director—General, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Schools increasingly need to prepare the young for an interconnected world where they will live and work with people from different backgrounds and cultures. This book contributes to this noble endeavour, laying out the basis for a comprehensive curriculum to form global citizens to address the chal— lenges and opportunities of the let Century. We welcome this initiative to reinforce the attitudes, values and knowledge of future generations on global issuesmsomething the OECD is itself actively promoting in our PISA stud— ies and through our Global Competency for an Inclusive World initiative~~ so our children can thrive in a rapidly changing world. Angel Gurria, Secretary—General, Organization for Economic Co—operation and Development More than ever, our world needs citizens and leaders who are capable of informed empathy. This means that a modern education must go beyond providing students with the knowledge and technological skills they need to operate in an increasingly connected world. We must also help students develop social and emotional capacities to listen to the perspectives of others and approach problems in collaborative, conscientious ways. Empowering Global Citizens: A Wrld Course is a wonderful tool that educators can use to create this kind of learning environment for their students. It is heartening and exciting to imagine what a generation of students equipped with this kind of education will be able to accomplish in the future. Yo—Yo Ma, Cellist xii