UB to Celebrate International Education Week

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo will join colleges and universities nationwide in commemorating International Education Week 2002, Nov. 18-22, with a variety of free lectures, films and other activities designed to recognize the important contributions of international education and exchange to the community and the nation.

"International Education Week is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the diversity of cultures represented at UB, celebrate the contributions of all cultures, and highlight the many benefits of cross-cultural interaction," says Ellen A. Dussourd, director of international student and scholar services at UB. She noted that this semester, there were 3,272 international students at the university.

"We hope that IEW 2002 events will offer UB students, faculty and staff, as well as the Buffalo community, the chance to expand their global perspectives and enhance their understanding of other nations and cultures.

"International education and exchange are even more vital in today's world," Dussourd notes. "As the events of Sept. 11, 2001, tragically illustrated, we do not live in isolation and can ill afford to misinterpret how others perceive us and misunderstand how our actions impact others. The solution to our current situation is better integration with the rest of the world, a better understanding of other's realities and better communication with other nations and cultures."

One of the highpoints of IEW 2002 will be a keynote address presented by Andrew J. Bacevich, professor of international relations and director of the Center for Foreign Relations at Boston University. Bacevich will speak on "Bush's National Security Strategy: How it has Affected U.S. Foreign Policy" at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 20 in the Student Union Theatre on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

Among the other events marking the week will be two panel discussions.

"A Different View of the U.S.: UB Faculty Abroad," to take place at 2 p.m. Nov. 20 in Room 330 of the UB Student Union, will feature four faculty members who have traveled abroad extensively, some as Fulbright scholars: Raymond Bissonette, associate professor emeritus of family medicine; Jose Buscaglia, assistant professor of modern languages and literatures, and director of Cuban and Caribbean programs; Shaun Irlam, associate professor and chair of the Department of Comparative Literature, and Howard Wolf, professor of English.

The second panel discussion, "Islam: As Seen by Muslim Women," will be held at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22 in Room 330 of the Student Union and feature Sawsan Tabbaa, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Oral Biology, among the panelists.

Other noteworthy events will include an international film festival, which will screen the films "Shower" (China), "Pièces D'Identité" (Congo) and "Joint Security Area" (Korea). The films will be shown in the Student Union Theatre and in the Market Arcade Film & Art Center in downtown Buffalo.

The week also will include 14 student-organized events, among them "China At Large: A Quick Tour," "Cultural Afternoon," "Mongolian Dance Performance," "Greek Dance Group at UB," "Korean Folk Art Club Percussion Performance," "Chinese Calligraphy," "Introduction to Uzbekistan" and "Alla Ivanchikova's Rock Band."

In addition, panel presentations will be held in the residence halls to present an "international perspective" on living on campus.

A full schedule of events for IEW, including locations and times, may be viewed at http://wings.buffalo.edu/intlservices/edu.pdf.

The United States first celebrated International Education Week in 2000, when it was declared by the U.S. Department of State as part of the implementation of then-President Clinton's directive calling for an international education policy for the United States.

It first was celebrated at UB in 2001.

IEW 2002 is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State through a grant from the Cooperative Grants Program of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Office of International Education, the Council on International Studies and Programs, the Graduate Student Association, HSBC Bank, M&T Bank, the Asian Studies Program and Dipson Theaters.

For further information, contact the UB Office of International Student and Scholar Services at 645-2258 or at intlservices@acsu.buffalo.edu.