Abstract

We are living in very ‘interesting times.’ The ‘time and space’ boundaries of traditional societies are disappearing and a new world is emerging that is no longer by regional or national borders. We are interacting among multiregional and multicultural societies in real time. Advancements in modern information and communication technologies are accelerating these social transformations and making modern societies highly interconnected, intercultural and heterogeneous. In the backdrop of this fast changing multicultural and heterogeneity of our societies, it is of greater urgency to revisit the national educational curriculum and question the adequacy of preparing and developing future citizens and leaders who can recognize complexities, respect differences and adapt and lead in our world. Furthermore, multicultural education needs to be an integral component of the modern educational process. This paper reflects on the effects of globalization and societal heterogeneity and proposes a globalization vision for multicultural education. Discussions of multicultural education developments in Japan, Korea and China are also included.