Introduction. Global Studies in Different Dimensions

A Google search of the word ‘globalization’ produces 11 million hits. This means that the processes of globalization have become universal. But at the same time, despite the ever-increasing flow of publications on globalization, our understanding and knowledge of it still leaves much to be desired. Especially it concerns the global processes in general, of which globalization is a part. The development of an adequate system of scientific views on global processes and their possible consequences remains a very important task. In short, against the background of increasing globalization we confront an acute lack of knowledge in this area.

We also need to systematize our ideas about globalization and Global Studies to somehow fit the realities. In particular, this concerns the education process because the current state of the education will determine the way people will perceive reality in the forthcoming decades. It is well known that many of the stereotypes laid in youth work throughout the lifetime.

This yearbook is the third in the series with a common title Globalistics and Globalization Studies. However, why Globalistics, not Global Studies? As we explained earlier, the notion of Globalistics first appeared in Russia, this is a translation of the Russian term globalistika; however, we believe it might be useful within the English Global Studies thesaurus. We are sure that the introduction of this term is justifiable, because it expresses the vision of systemic and epistemological unity of global processes, the presence of some relatively autonomous field with its own research subject. Morphologically this term is identical with such well-established designations of academic disciplines as Economics, Linguistics, Physics, and so on (for more details see Grinin, Ilyin, and Korotayev 2012, 2013).

This yearbook has the following subtitle: Aspects & Dimensions of Global Views. This means that we continue to consider globalization and Global Studies in different dimensions and aspects: philosophical, methodological, and pedagogical, in terms of various processes, problems and perspectives. In this respect the third issue of our yearbook continues the tradition outlined by its first and second issues (Grinin, Ilyin, and Korotayev 2012, 2013).

To some extent, of course, this means that this yearbook presents rather diverse materials. But globalization itself is diverse either. And its comprehension may proceed in the framework of different theoretical approaches and points of view.

Some articles presented in this anthology have already been published in various academic periodicals and almanacs (though some of them are published here for the first time).

The volume is subdivided into four parts.

Part 1 (Philosophy of Globalization and Methodology of Global Studies) comprises articles analyzing such extremely important dimensions as philosophical and methodological ones. The articles in this section also address the problems of global research on the theory of the state and international relations and some other topical issues.

Part 2 (Global and Regional Relations and Processes) comprises articles that consider various interrelations between global and regional processes. Note that at present the study of interaction of global, regional and local processes is one of the most important areas of Global Studies.

Part 3 (Global Trends and Perspectives) contains articles that address some of the most important processes and problems of the present-day world, such as inequality, global aging, energy resources, geopolitics, and provide forecasts for the next decade, particularly in relation to the economies of developing countries, especially such as China and India.

Part 4 (Teaching Global Studies) is devoted to pedagogical issues. As we promised in the previous issue, we continue publishing some materials devoted to the teaching of Global Studies. As we wrote earlier, we regard the realm of teaching as a special dimension of Global Studies. The publication of various Global Studies curricula and courses for university students who learn to see the world in its entirety and variety is immensely important as the contents of such courses may determine how the world will be comprehended by those people who may decide its fate in a decade or two. The publication of various materials that reflect global pedagogical experience of teaching of Global Studies is also very important against the background of scarcity of such publications.

Acknowledgements

The editors would like to express the deep gratitude to Elena Emanova and Kseniya Ukho-va for their invaluable assistance in the process of preparation of this anthology.

References

Grinin, L. E., Ilyin, I. V., and Korotayev, A. V. 2012. Introduction. Globalization, Globalistics and Global Studies. In Grinin L. E., Ilyin I. V., and Korotayev A. V. (eds.), Globalistics and Globalization Studies (pp. 5–8). Volgograd: Uchitel.

Grinin, L. E., Ilyin, I. V., and Korotayev, A. V. 2013. Introduction. Global Studies from Theories to Teaching. In Grinin L. E., Ilyin I. V., and Korotayev A. V. (eds.), Globalistics and Globalization Studies: Theories, Research & Teaching (pp. 5–7). Volgograd: Uchitel.