International Education Week events look at war, peace and developing nations

Peace-building in Colombia, the lessons learned from the Vietnam War, aiding sustainability in developing countries and opportunities in international internships, study and research are among the topics of Cornell University events marking International Education Week, Nov. 14-18.

The sixth annual commemoration of the benefits of international education and exchange is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Department of Education. Highlights of related events at Cornell before and during International Education Week include:

  • Teaching Vietnam on Nov. 10-11 will feature films, an exhibit, talks by historians and a Vietnam veteran, and a workshop for regional secondary school teachers. Events are co-presented with the Tompkins County Public Library. (Read related story.)
  • The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies has organized External Actors and State (Re)-Construction, an international conference (Nov. 11 in Hollister Hall and Nov. 12 at the downtown Ithaca Hilton Garden Inn) on theoretical and policy issues related to sustainable development, outside aid and indigenous public institutions in developing states. Part of the conference will look at policy lessons from recent or ongoing reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and Sierra Leone.
  • An International Internships Panel presented by Cornell Career Services will feature student panelists sharing their experiences in a variety of career fields and countries and discussing how to land an internship (Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. in 165 McGraw Hall). Also: Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations will detail international undergraduate opportunities (Nov. 18 at noon in 280 Ives Hall), and the Einaudi Center will provide information about research travel grants for 2006-07, Nov. 16 at 4:30 p.m. in G08 Uris Hall.
  • The Peace Initiatives in Colombia Conference (Nov. 18 in Sage Hall and Nov. 19 in Goldwin Smith Hall's Kaufmann Auditorium), will feature the authors of a collection of essays, "Colombia: Building Peace in a Time of War." The essayists will give presentations and invite discussion and comparison of different approaches to bringing peace to Colombia. Subject areas include human rights, conflict resolution, peace studies and global affairs, on such topics as women's initiatives for peace, civil society and armed conflict, U.S. policy toward Colombia and regional development efforts. The conference is presented by the United States Institute of Peace and Cornell's Latin American Studies Program.

Other International Education Week events will include a Diwali celebration with music, dance and skits presented by the Society for India (Nov. 19 at the State Theatre); a Language House open house (Nov. 15 at Boldt Hall); a lecture in Korean by Lee Taek-Dong on classical Chinese poetry in Korea (Nov. 18 at 4:40 p.m., 374 Rockefeller Hall) and various films, lectures and seminars.

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