Benjamin Franklin Institute
of Global Education

"An Investment in Knowledge Always Gives the Best Return"

- Benjamin Franklin

Welcome to
The Benjamin Franklin Institute
of Global Education
Meet John Hibbs
Global Learn Day Imagineer

John Hibbs - Global Learn Day Imagineer
BSc (History), MBA (Finance)

Click here for an Audio Introduction from John Hibbs

Click here for information on the Franklin Ambassadors Program.

John Hibbs is the Founder of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Global Education. John has spent his entire life in the business of imports and exports, with nearly 20 years of residence abroad in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He began his professional career with a 12 year stint with Getz Bros., America's largest trading company. During that period, he lived in Taipei, Seoul and Singapore working for a billion dollar trading company that represented firms as diverse as Johnnie Walker, Armstrong Ceiling, Borden's, General Foods, John Deere.

After leaving Getz, John became the managing partner for a highly unusual American magazine which was published in six languages in 45 countries. He then built United Amusements, an import/export company specializing in software distribution for the video game business into the leading firm of its kind the industry.

John holds a history degree from the University of Oregon, an MBA in Finance from the Golden Gate University, and was a member of Special Forces while serving in the U.S. Army. He has four adult daughters.

Currently, John is the Director of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Global Education, which is heavily involved in promoting distance education worldwide.

The focus of the Institute's activity is organizing Global Learn Day as an annual event including the Socrates Awards for outstanding contributions in education and establishing The Franklin Champions Program, an international immersion program for those interested in global business leadership opportunities.

John is passionate about the use of radio to evangelize education worldwide.

John is a supporter of the Webheads and has contributed to their growth. Read about it here.

John's Welcome and Keynote presentation at Global Learn Day VIII, November 8, 2004. Listen here.

John's Presentation to a TAFE West Australia conference, December 8, 2003. John's Presentation page provides links to audio and to the slides and handout in a wide variety of formats. Choose the one that works best for you.

John's Keynote Presentation at Global Learn Day VII, November 16, 2003: The View Always Depends on Where You Stand

John's a Duck from the University of Oregon. Here's why John's Proud to be a Duck.
Click here for a special view of the Captain of GLD.

Inextricable Links and its Abstract, May 2003.

A Summit for a Brighter Path, April 2003.

John believes deeply in the linkage between peace, education and wealth creation. The story of owls is a good one, April 2003.

John's Nomination for a Fast 50 Award (late 2002).

Introduction of Lee Harris, keynote speaker for Global Learn Day VI, 2002.

Connecting The Dots Audio Presentation

Neils Bohr Audio Presentation

Hibbs at the Pearly Gates

Global Learn Day - A Virtual Voyage of Discovery, from Converge Magazine

A Voyage to the New World of Distance Education and All of Its Opportunities

For other presentations, contact John directly:

Presentation at the North America Web-based Learning Conference (NAWeb02), University of New Brunswick, October, 2002.

AsiaPacific WebCT Presentations, March 2002, Melbourne, Australia.

John Hibbs on Ben Franklin:

"I'm an ardent fan of Benjamin Franklin, for ten thousand reasons. We will be committing heavy resources to help ensure that Ben enjoys the world's largest, longest running birthday party.

"Click here to find what Ben, Lance Armstrong, Jackie Kennedy and G.I. Joe had in common. And why Franklin's 300th birthday celebration is so important. Download this text as a formatted document with illustrations.

"Click here to read Way to Wealth -- and learn why Franklin's publication is second in circulation only to the Bible. And why his portrait is on America's one hundred dollar bill." You can also read it as a webpage at this link.

Want to meet the "living" Ben Franklin?. Check out Ralph Archbold.

How important is Google? Click here to find out what Tom Friedman has to say. Why? Because we will soon be unfolding plans for those who wish to acquire skills needed in a Google-ized world.

John Hibbs writes: This is a serious paper about blogging with a focus on its use in higher education. Highly recommended.

The Second Superpower, by Dr. James Moore, a Harvard Fellow, is must reading for those who wish to have a better understanding of a powerful revolution now well underway. Novel ways to distribute learning is a large part of that revolution.

John Hibbs' response to Dr. Moore's Second Superpower.

Want a great book? No book has affected me quite so much as Stuart Brand's Clock of the Long Now. Stuart argues that the planet is doomed unless its leaders think intergenerationally. His project to build a clock that lasts 10,000 years is designed to cause such thinking. Visit www.longnow.org.

John's one page résumé in Acrobat format is available here.

John can be reached by email at: John Hibbs