International Week Sept. 22-28 Celebrates Cultural Diversity

Pitt’s International Week 2008 will celebrate the cultural diversity of the University, Oakland, and the greater Pittsburgh community Sept. 22-28. The week features panel discussions, lectures, and international food, dance, art, music, and films.

International Week aims to expand the awareness of and interest in global learning opportunities by celebrating the intercultural diversity of campus life. It also supports and complements the University’s academic and public service missions.

This year’s International Week lineup includes four lectures of global interest by renowned experts in the fields of international public health, business, and law, and on the war on terror. More information on these events as well as other highlights follow.

Sept. 23

Lecture
“The Eradication of Smallpox: What We Should Have Learned but Didn’t”
3 p.m., Frick Fine Arts Auditorium

The 2008 John C. Cutler Memorial Lecture in Global Health will feature D.A. Henderson, Pitt University Distinguished Service Professor and Resident Scholar at UPMC’s Center for Biosecurity, on the eradication of smallpox—a remarkable victory for international public health. Henderson was director of the World Health Organization’s global smallpox eradication campaign and the founding director of the Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies at Johns Hopkins University. The Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) is sponsoring the event.

Performance

Steel Pan Drummers
6-8 p.m., William Pitt Union (WPU) Ballroom
Steel pan drummers will perform in celebration of the Afro-Caribbean culture. The African Studies Program and the African Student Organization are cosponsoring the event.

Oakland International Restaurant Tour
6-9 p.m., various Oakland restaurants
Sample a variety of international foods at participating restaurants with the purchase of a ticket ($10 in advance/$15 at the door). Only 300 tickets are available for purchase.

Sept. 24    

Presentations
International Research by Pitt Students
All-day event, WPU
Undergraduate and graduate students will present their research on a variety of international topics. Pitt’s GSPH, International Business Center (IBC), and University Center for International Studies (UCIS) Area Study Center are cosponsoring the event.

Lecture and Panel Discussion
“Chindia Rising: How China and India Will Benefit the Global Economy”
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., WPU Lower Lounge

Jagdish Sheth, the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing in the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, will discuss how the rise of China and India (Chindia) is not only inevitable, but also will be beneficial to the world. Sheth’s talk will be followed by a discussion. Panelists are Pitt faculty members Thomas Rawski, professor of economics; Ravi Madhavan, professor of business administration; and Bopaya Bidanda, professor and chair of industrial engineering. Lawrence Feick, director of UCIS, senior director of international programs, and professor of business administration, will moderate the panel. Pitt’s IBC and Asian Studies Center are cosponsoring the event.

Sept. 25    

Lecture
“The Rule of Law in Modern Iraq: Personal Perspectives”
6 p.m., Teplitz Memorial Courtroom, Barco Law Building
Haider Ala Hamoudi, Pitt professor of law, and U.S. Marine Colonel Paul Amato will present the first lecture in the Center for International Legal Education Rule of Law Lecture Series for the 2008-09 academic year. Hamoudi served as project manager for the DePaul University/USAID program to reform legal education in Iraq and as legal advisor to the finance committee of the Iraqi Governing Council. Amato served as the Marine Rule of Law Officer and later, the senior advisor for a Military Transition Team in Anbar Province. Amato worked to develop the criminal court system in Anbar and later trained, advised, and mentored members of the Iraqi Army.

Lecture
“A Status Report on the Global War on Terror”
7 p.m., WPU Lower Lounge
The Ridgway Center for International Security Studies Speaker Series will present Rand Beers, founder and president of the National Security Network. Previously, Beers served as the national security adviser to the Kerry-Edwards 2004 presidential campaign and was a civil servant for 35 years. The Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies and the National Security Network are cosponsoring the event.

Sept. 26   

Study Abroad Information Session: International Fair
11 a.m.–3 p.m., WPU Ballroom and Kurtzman Room
Students who are interested in studying abroad can discover the thousands of study abroad options available. Study abroad providers and student cultural organizations will be available to answer questions. Participants also will be able to enjoy cuisine from around the globe.

Sixth Annual African Festival
2–10 p.m., WPU Assembly Room
Students will display photo journals and artifacts from trips to Africa. Other highlights include a performance and dance workshop, an African experience and research panel discussion, dinner featuring tastes of the Congo and Ethiopia, and a lecture on Africa’s infrastructure.

Sept. 27    

29th Annual Latin American and Caribbean Festival
Noon-midnight, WPU
The diversity of Latin American and Caribbean cultures will be displayed through exhibitions, food, arts and crafts, fine art, music, and dance. The festival will feature special guest Lula das Vassouras, a Brazilian carnival mask artist since the 1960s. He will display his masks and demonstrate how he creates them. Masks will be available for sale to the public. At 10 p.m., salsa dancing with Marlon Silva will begin in the WPU Assembly Room.

For more information about International Week, contact Global Studies at 412-648-5085 or global@pitt.edu. Visit www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/internationalweek for a complete calendar of events.