Global–Local Learning Ecosystems for Societal Purpose: A Latin American Perspective

Abstract

Higher education faces an urgent demand to respond to global challenges, yet many responses remain tentative. This urgency has intensified in the early 2020s, a period marked by escalating geopolitical tensions and environmental crises. While education alone may not address the root causes, it plays a pivotal role in fostering learners’ resilience and skills that can influence meaningful change. Guided by a theoretical analysis, this article examines what characterises a learning environment that engages learners with global complexities. We review three major bodies of literature: global and intercultural learning, education for sustainability with its transformative approaches, and Latin American perspectives on social engagement. Though sharing common aims, they have largely been treated in isolation. By identifying contributions and gaps, we propose a new characterisation for equipping learners to tackle global complexities locally. We conceptualise it as an ecosystem with four interacting dimensions: societal purpose, an enabling learning environment, a network of actors, and a global–local connection. Drawing on Latin American perspectives, the framework situates societal purpose at its core and fosters ecosystems where diverse actors learn together. Ultimately, the framework is designed to guide both course-level innovation and institutional strategies for global learning.