In addition to the Royal D. Alworth, Jr. Memorial Lecture, forums and conferences, the Institute provides a series of international lectures by local, national and international authorities on subjects of timely interest. The Alworth Institute draws not only upon the rich store of local academics with expertise in a variety of areas, but also visiting international faculty.
Fall 2009 International Lecture Series:
All lectures are free and open to the public. A reception follows each lecture.
“The World to 2025"
Presented by Erik R. Peterson, Senior Vice President of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. & Director of CSIS' Global Strategy Institute
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Bohannon Hall 90, UMD
“A Return to Global Growth, Rebalancing Still Ahead”
Presented by Keith B. Hembre, Chief Economist & Chief Investment Strategist, US Bank
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda, UMD
Broadcast on KUMD Radio on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Keith Hembre started work in the financial services industry in 1992. He joined FAF Advisors in 1997 and is a member of the firm’s Operating Committee. Previously, he worked in the Banking Studies group at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and taught economics at the St. Petersburg University of Economics and Finance in St. Petersburg, Russia. He holds a Master's degree in economics and completed a program on investment decisions and behavioral finance at Harvard University. He is regularly quoted in major business publications, including The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, CNN Money, Investor’s Business Daily, and Reuters. He has also appeared on CNBC and Bloomberg TV, and was recognized by BusinessWeek as the most accurate economic forecaster in 2007 and amongst the top five forecasters in 2008. He will discuss the recent global financial crisis and the potential for recovery.
“Gas, Renewables and Realism in European Union Energy Policy"
Presented by Dr. John Constable, Director of Policy and Research, The Renewable Energy Foundation (REF), London; & former Professor of English Literature, Magdalene College
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Chemistry 200, UMD
John Constable will discuss what he sees as the EU's attempt to combine an astonishingly ambitious climate change program, largely dependent on an arguably incompatible mixture of renewables mandates and carbon trading, with a desperate scramble to mitigate gas consumption and secure supplies. He will examine whether this program is, as some claim, compatible with continuing economic prosperity. Compatibility and consilience with the policies of new administration in the United States will be also be considered. Data regarding the performance of renewables in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany will be presented, as well as analysis of spot market prices. He will suggest that policy makers have misconceived of renewables as the royal road to a lower carbon society, and have consequently subsidized the sector, thus truncating innovation. Dr. Constable holds a PhD in English literature and was a College Lecturer and Research Fellow in English at Magdalene College, Cambridge from 2003-2005. In 2004, he became Director of Policy and Research of REF, a registered research and education charity encouraging the development of renewable energy and energy conservation, where he is responsible for authoring the Foundation’s consultation documents and publications and for the design and conception of its research programme, including the Renewable Energy Data files. Dr. Constable's energy policy interest and expertise, and thus his career change, was spurred by proposals for windmill farms in the English countryside.
“The Declining Prestige of Fiction in the United Kingdom"
Presented by Dr. John Constable, Director of Policy and Research, The Renewable Energy Foundation (REF), London; & former Professor of English Literature, Magdalene College
Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda, UMD
Broadcast on KUMD Radio on Monday, November 2, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
With notable exceptions, fiction is now less prestigious and less culturally salient than it was twenty years ago in the United Kingdom. Poetry, and verse poetry in particular, is practically invisible. Non-fiction, particularly popular science, history and economics, is clearly in the ascendant, and forms a common locus providing social binding and a shared starting point for discussion. In this lecture, Dr. Constable will suggest that this is analogous to the collapse of the poetry boom in the early part of the 19th Century, and may have similar causes, namely the increasing difficulty of articulating discussions of common concern. Verse became a less important vehicle because its restricted language tended to mitigate against the adoption of the many new polysyllables necessary in a vigorously expanding industrial society. Fiction, has lost share since it relies on the readership possessing near universal common ground relating to interpersonal relations and sexual morality, these being the medium through which its commentary is delivered. Data from publishing sales will be presented, and comments offered. Dr. Constable holds a PhD in English literature and was a College Lecturer and Research Fellow in English at Magdalene College, Cambridge from 2003-2005. He is the author of Selected Works of I. A. Richards 1919-1938 (Routledge, 2001) and several other books and articles offering a linguistic analysis of poetry.
“African Soul, American Heart"
Presented by Joseph Akol Makeer, Author of From Africa to America, The Journey of a Lost Boy of Sudan
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Montague Hall 70, UMD
Joseph Akol Makeer, a Lost Boy from Sudan, walked away from his village in 1987 to flee the genocide occurring in Southern Sudan. He walked to Ethiopia and later to Kenya, educating himself with minimal materials and teachers, eventually emigrating to Fargo, North Dakota. To tell his story, Makeer wrote From Africa to America, The Journey of a Lost Boy of Sudan (Tate Publishing & Enterprises, 2008) and envisioned the documentary Africa Soul, American Heart which follows him back to Sudan to retrace the journey of the Lost Boys and to tell the story of the orphans who still live there. Makeer will share his story and screen the film as well as answer questions regarding his experiences. He will also discuss plans to build a boarding facility for orphans in Duk Payuel, a village in Jonglei State, South Sudan. For more information on the film and related projects visit http://africansoulamericanheart.org.
“Humanitarian Intervention in Darfur and Gaza"
Presented by Dr. Ramon Das, Senior Lecturer of Philosophy, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda, UMD
Broadcast on KUMD Radio on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Judging by media coverage, one could be forgiven for thinking that the current situation in Darfur is far and away the worst in the world from the standpoint of violations of basic human rights. Hollywood movie stars have joined high ranking officials at the UN in condemning Sudanese government abuses in Darfur, and have joined the US government (though not the UN) in labelling the situation in the region a genocide. More recently, Israel’s invasion of Gaza has highlighted and exacerbated an intensifying humanitarian crisis in that densely populated region –a crisis that has received considerably less attention here. In the United States, armed ‘humanitarian intervention’ into Darfur has long been a live policy option. There has been (needless to say) no question of such an option with regard to Israel’s actions in Gaza. In this discussion Ramon Das will discuss the ethics of humanitarian intervention in Darfur through a comparative lens, in particular, by taking a closer look at the situation in Gaza. He will argue that our thinking about the ethics of humanitarian intervention in the real world should pay at least as much attention to the prospects –and track records– of potential interveners as it does to the predicament of those in need. Ramon Das holds a BA from Carleton College and a PhD from the University of Maryland. He has been a visiting fellow at the Research School for Social Sciences at the Australian National University and at the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at the University of Maryland. He is currently writing a book on Global Ethics.
“Extremist Rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia"
Presented by Dr. Christopher Boucek, Associate, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda, UMD
Broadcast on KUMD Radio on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Much attention has been focused by policymakers and scholars on how people become radicalized and why they join terror groups. However, little effort has been given to deciphering why they leave these organizations and deradicalize. Effective rehabilitation services are emerging as an important tool to countering terrorism particularly in the Arabian Peninsula, a hotbed of extremism. Dr. Boucek will present his latest research on Saudi Arabia's efforts to reintegrate its citizens involved in extremism into everyday society. The discussion will include an examination of the motivations and philosophies behind these programs, as well as their effectiveness and potential for exportation to other countries vulnerable to radicalization. Dr. Boucek holds a PhD and an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Before joining the Carnegie Endowment, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University and lecturer in Politics at the Woodrow Wilson School. He was also previously a media analyst at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C., and worked for several years at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London, where he remains an associate fellow. From 2003 to 2005, he was a security editor with Jane’s Information Group. His publications include "The Counseling Program: Extremist Rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia," and "Opening up the Jihadi Debate: Yemen’s Committee for Dialogue," written with Shazadi Beg and John Horgan, both in Leaving Terrorism Behind: Disengagement from Political Violence, Tore Bjørgo and John Horgan, eds. (Routledge, 2008), as well as “US attempts to secure Gulf energy supplies” in Jane’s Intelligence Digest (February 2008).
“Obama's Foreign Policy"
Presented by Thomas Hanson, former career U.S. Foreign Service Officer
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda, UMD
While serving as a U.S. Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State, Thomas Hanson's postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden, and Georgia. He will draw upon his expertise to analyze the development of the Obama administration's foreign policy and the challenges facing the administration in the future.
Fall 2009 Special Events:
United Nations Day Celebration, Friday, October 23, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Visit the UN table in the Kirby Student Center to learn about UN affiliated organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, UNHCR and WHO. Test your knowledge of World Heritage Sites and win a prize!
St. Andrew’s Night, Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:00 p.m., UMD Ballroom, $25 per person
Evening includes local Scottish entertainment and a presentation by Dr. William Henderson, Director of the Alworth Institute, entitled, "Burns' Country: A Photographic Portrait."
Reservations for this event can be made by calling 218-726-7493 or by e-mailing alworth@d.umn.edu.
Alworth Institute International Reading Group:
This book group will meet four times throughout 2009-2010. New members are welcome at any time. For more information, call (218) 726-7493 or send an e-mail to alworth@d.umn.edu. Books purchased at UMD Stores will receive a 20% discount.
Dates and selected readings for the group follow. All meetings to take place in the UMD Library 4th Floor Rotunda at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009– “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World” by Eric Weiner (Grand Central Publishing 2008)
Monday, November 16, 2009 – “Winter in Madrid” by. C. J. Sansom (Penguin 2009)
Thursday, February 18, 2010 – “My Hope For Peace” by Jehan Sadat (Simon & Schuster 2009)
April date and book to be determined.
Spring 2010 Program:
Information on the 2010 Spring Program is forthcoming. Included in the program is the 2nd UMD WorldQuest Trivia Competition to be held in the Ballroom on Thursday, February 25, 2010. WorldQuest is an international quiz game that is played in teams of eight. Teams compete against one another on subjects with an international flavor: flags and capitals; geographical features and international borders; people and events in the news. For more information, call (218) 726-7493 or send an e-mail to alworth@d.umn.edu.
In April 2010, the third Alworth Institute International Fellow will give three public lectures and make several classroom visits at UMD. The 2010 fellow is Dr. Oktay Tanrisever, an expert on Turkey's relations with Russia and Central Asia, from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.
Archives:
Past Alworth International Lectures: 2008-2009
"Ruskin's Unto this Last: Elegant Nonsense or Rationale for Fair Trade?"
Presented by Dr. William Henderson, Director of the Alworth Institute
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 - 7:00 p.m. -
Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
John Ruskin’s Unto this Last is a magnificent work of English prose, a reflection on the values and mores of Victorian society at its most exploitative. Ruskin's socio-economic criticism challenged laissez-faire and argued against the unregulated market in a way that is directly relevant to modern and international notions of welfare. Dr. Henderson, drawing from his book on Ruskin’s Political Economy, will argue that Ruskin’s criticism of rampant consumerism in a world defaced by poverty, where those who consumed did not work and those who worked did not consume, still has relevance in today’s globalized and unequal world. There is a direct line that goes from Ruskin’s Unto this Last through to the foundation of Oxfam and so on to Fair Trade. Ruskin, like Dickens, helped shape an agenda in which poverty was recognized as a political rather than simply as an economic challenge.
"Russia-Georgia Conflict: Putin's View"
Presented by Dr. Zefirov Nikolay, Professor of Chemistry, Moscow State University
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - 12:00 Noon - UMD Fourth Floor Rotunda
Dr. Nikolay will briefly examine Putin's perspective on the current conflict between Russia and Georgia. He will then answer questions about the situation from the audience.
"Georgia on My Mind"
Presented by Dr. Alexis Pogorelskin, Professor of History at UMD
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 - 12:00 Noon - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
Dr. Alexis Pogorelskin will analyze modern Georgia in the context of the Russian sphere of influence. She will discuss the recent crisis in Georgia and examine U.S. foreign policy concerning the conflict between Georgia and Russia. Dr. Pogorelskin is the Chair of the Department of History at UMD. She holds a PhD from Yale University and was a Rhodes Visiting Fellow at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford. She is an expert on Russian, Soviet, and post-Soviet history.
"Brazil: The Country of the Future has Arrived”
Presented by Robert H. Scarlett, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota International Center
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 7:00 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
Robert H. Scarlett, has more than 40 years experience working in a wide range of international activities with both private companies and global non-governmental organizations. He is currently President of Medical Equipment Exporter's, Inc. and Senior Associate with Grupo Avance, LLC - both in Minneapolis. In addition to his work as chair of the Minnesota International Center, he serves on the President's Council of ACCION International, Boston, Massachusetts, a microlending pioneer. Mr. Scarlett is fluent in German, Spanish and Portuguese and has lived or worked throughout Europe, Latin America and parts of Africa. He is the author, with Dr. Lawrence Koslow, of Global Business: 308 Tips for Taking Your Company Worldwide (1999). Mr. Scarlett will speak about economic changes and growth in Brazil and the political consequences of those changes.
“Peace, Stability and Reform in the Middle East: How will the new U.S. Administration Balance Priorities?”
Presented by Dr. Michele Dunne, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace & Editor, Arab Reform Bulletin
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 7:00 p.m. - Montague Hall 70
When a new U.S. administration takes office in January 2009, it will face a myriad of challenges in the Middle East. Peace between Israelis and Palestinians seems more elusive than ever, Iraqi stability is still a distant goal, an assertive Iran is challenging the regional security balance, and calls for domestic political and economic reform have met with mixed results. What can we learn from the successes and failures of the Bush and Clinton administrations to inform more effective U.S. diplomacy in the future? Michele Dunne, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and editor of the Arab Reform Bulletin, a monthly electronic journal published in English and Arabic, will examine these questions in this presentation. A former Middle East specialist at the Department of State and White House, she is also an adjunct professor of international affairs at Georgetown University. Dr. Dunne holds a PhD in Arabic language and linguistics from Georgetown University. Her recent publications include "Incumbent Regimes and the 'King's Dilemma' in the Arab World: Promise and Threat of Managed Reform" (with Marina Ottaway) and "The Ups and Downs of Political Reform in Egypt" (with Amr Hamzawy), which appear in Beyond the Facade: Political Reform in the Arab World (January 2008).
“Iran: Political and Cultural Contexts”
Presented by Dr. Rosemary Stanfield Johnson, Associate Professor of History, University of Minnesota Duluth & Dr. Khalil (Haji) Dokhanchi, Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin Superior.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 7:00 p.m. -
UMD Library Fourth Floor Rotunda
This lecture, given by two local experts on Iran, provides a view and understanding of that country that is different from that most commonly held in the United Sates. Dr. Stanfield-Johnson earned a PhD in Middle Eastern History from New York University. She specializes in religious history, late medieval and early modern Iranian and Middle Eastern history, Safavid Iran, and Shi‘ite Political Culture. She will discuss the cultural and religious contexts of Iranian society and its orientation to the rest of the world. Dr. Dokhanchi manages the International Peace Studies major at the University of Wisconsin Superior. He is a native of Iran and holds a PhD from Binghamton University. He will examine the internal political structures and processes of Iran and its orientation to the Middle East.
Alexandra Fuller, Award-winning Author of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood and Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier, will visit UMD on Wednesday, November 19, 2008. She will speak on "Race, Responsibility, and Raucous Behaviour - A Meditation on Zimbabwe, Writing and Family." The lecture will be held at 7:00 p.m. in Montague Hall 70. Books will be available for purchase at the lecture.
Fuller was born in England in 1969 and in 1972 moved to her parents’ farm in what was then Rhodesia. At that time, Africans were fighting for independence from British rule. Fuller’s parents fought to keep their farm – her father fought against the liberation army and her mother was a Police Reservist – but the family moved to farms in Malawi and Zambia when the war ended in 1980. Fuller’s experience in Zimbabwe has informed her works which are described as anti-war stories. While her books which serve as memoirs are not overtly political, she argues that everything we do is political, from the decision to wake up in the morning to the words we have the courage to speak. “Africa is a great teacher,” she has explained. “We’re not a good example of much, but we’re a terrible warning of power run amok and of the long, high price of oppression.” Fuller’s first book, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, tells of her African childhood played out against the backdrop of war and the African landscape. In Scribbling the Cat, she shares her experiences of traveling through Zimbabwe and Mozambique with a Rhodesian war veteran.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight was a New York Times Notable Book in 2002, the 2002 Booksense Best Non-fiction, a finalist for the guardian’s First Book Award and winner of the 2002 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. Scribbling the Cat won the Ulysses Prize for Art of Reportage in 2004. Fuller has written extensively for magazines and newspapers including The New Yorker and National Geographic magazines. Her most recent book is The Legend of Colton H Bryant (Penguin Press, 2008). She lives in Wyoming with her husband and three children.
For more information on Alexandra Fuller and her work go to www.alexandrafuller.org
"Human Rights Issues in Latin America: Environment, Energy and Indigenous Rights"
Presented by Elizabeth da Cunha Sussekind, Dr. Maria del Rocio Bermeo Sevilla, and Juan Carlos Arjona Estévez, 2008 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
These three experts from Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico, respectively, will discuss environmental and energy issues in Latin America as they relate to the broader issues of human rights, particularly the rights of indigenous communities. They will cover such topics as the production of energy vs. environmental pollution; natural resources such as land and water and indigenous communities; and the Latin American perspective on environmental protection and the potential of a new U.S. foreign policy toward environmental issues. Ms. Sussekind is a professor of criminology and human rights at the Catholic University of Rio de Janiero. She is a human rights activist and has served as the Secretary of Justice of Brazil. Dr. Bermeo Sevilla is one of the founders of CORPORACIO DECIDE, an NGO working on human rights and democracy issues. She is also one of the founders of WAM International Chapter Ecuador, which works to advance women through microfinance with a human rights and gender focus. She earned her doctorate in Juridical Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and a DESS in Arbitration, Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution form the Paris Pantheon Assas, France. Mr. Arjona Estévez is a lawyer specializing in international human rights law, as well as international humanitarian and criminal law. He has postgraduate training in human rights from Iberoamericano University in Mexico City and the University of Chile, American University, the National University of Ireland, and the International Institute for Human Rights. He served as the Coordinator of the Human Rights Program at Iberoamericano University from 2005-2007. All three scholars are currently Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
"Immigration and Globalization"
Presented by Michele Wucker, Executive Director of the World Policy Institute, New York
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
More than 200 million people -a record- now live in countries where they were not born. Policy challenges related to immigration, which is now debated heavily and with much emotion, cannot be resolved through domestic policies alone but must take into account the realities of global interdependence, particularly where economics are concerned. How are countries around the globe responding to record human migration and mobility? What policies will succeed or fail in helping host communities to absorb new immigrants? What can be done to reduce the pressures that force people to leave their countries and families in order to survive? What is the relationship between economic globalization, labor markets, and jobs for immigrants and the native-born? How can policies support the middle classes in both wealthy and poor nations? Through an examination of these questions, Michele Wucker will analyze the new realities of global immigration. In addition to her leadership of the World Policy Institute, Ms. Wucker is a research fellow at the Immigration Policy Center in Washington D.C. and was a 2007 Guggenheim Fellow where she wrote about the changing rules of citizenship around the globe. She is the author of LOCKOUT: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Our Prosperity Depends on Getting It Right (PublicAffairs Press, 2006/2007) and of Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola (FSG/Hill & Wang, 1999/2000). She is a frequent lecturer at leading universities and a contributor to many U.S. and international publications on the subjects of global immigration and migrant integration, cross-cultural conflict and conciliation, the politics and economics of globalization, and Latin American politics and economics. Ms. Wucker is also an advisor to the Batey Relief Alliance, which specializes in providing medical care to migrant workers in the Dominican Republic; and to the Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring (DREAM) Project.
"Cuba: The Evolution of the Revolution and the U.S. Response"
Presented by Lissa Weinmann, Senior Fellow & Cuba Project Director at the World Policy Institute, New York
Canceled and rescheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Montague Hall 80
The long-awaited moment arrived with less fanfare than expected – Fidel Castro was replaced as leader of Cuba, and a peaceful yet uncertain transition is taking place. This lecture will examine who the current leaders of Cuba are and how they are navigating this new political and economic terrain including their international partnerships and issues. Lissa Weinmann will discuss how a half-century lack of relations between the U.S. and Cuba will influence possibilities for a new relationship between fresh administrations in both countries, including the role of Cuban Americans. Ms. Weinmann focuses her research, writing and policy work on providing a true picture of modern Cuba to U.S. audiences. She organized the vast National Summit on Cuba conferences in various U.S. cities, including in Miami with Mikhail Gorbachev. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Cuba Trade Association. A frequent traveler to the island, she recently worked on SALUD!, an award-winning documentary on Cuba’s healthcare system and its international reach.
“Culturally Speaking: Promoting Cross-Cultural Awareness in a Post 9/11 World"
Presented by Mary Coons, Founder & President, Pen & Ink Communications
Monday, March 30, 2009 – 7:00 p.m. - Montague Hall 80
Mary Coons, a part-time resident in the Kingdom of Bahrain, will discuss the misconceptions that Bahraini Arabs and Americans have about each other's culture. She has written a book by the same title as her this lecture, and will analyze the generalizations individuals from each culture hold about the other.
“Resonance, The Odyssey of the Bells”
Documentary film screening & discussion led by Paul Creager, filmmaker
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 – 7:00 p.m. - Montague Hall 80
This documentary film project tells the story of the Duluth Peace Bell that sits in Enger Park in Duluth. The film, now in the final stages of production, traces the paths of centuries-old Japanese temple bells, including the Duluth Peace Bell, that were taken as war trophies by the U.S. military during WWII. Resonance shows Duluth in a positive light as it highlights the city's efforts after WWII to mend the scars of the war and re-humanize a former enemy.
Three lectures in April 2009 will be presented by the Alworth Institute International Fellow. The 2009 International Visiting Fellow is Dr. Marek Wróblewski, Deputy Director for International Cooperation and Research Fellow for the Institute of International Studies, International Economic Relations Section, University of Wroclaw. Dr. Wróblewski holds a PhD in Economic Science with a specialization in International Economic Relations from Wroclaw University of Economics in Poland. He was a Senior specialist for the Department of regional development and international cooperation in Wroclaw. He is a member of the Central and East European International Studies Association and an Expert in the Project of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development Support for Polish Export. He has also been a visiting professor and researcher throughout Europe. His areas of expertise include international economic relations, including international finance and trade; European economic integration and European Union regional policy; and economic transformation and cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. He has published several articles on the globalization and regionalization of financial markets, financial crises, economic integration and the expansion of the European Union.
A summary of Dr. Wróblewski's lectures follow:
"Economic Transformation in Poland: Success or Failure?"
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
Dr. Wróblewski will discuss the structural and macroeconomic changes that have taken place in Poland since it made a shift to a market economy 20 years ago. He will examine the inflow of foreign investment and level of foreign trade, along with other economic indicators, in order to assess the success of the transformation. He will also reflect on the future of further integration and cooperation within the European Union, including the prospects for monetary integration and technology transfers.
"The Development of the Russian Economy and its Impact on Eastern Europe"
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
In this lecture, Dr. Wróblewski analyzes the performance of the Russian economy by examining several development indicators. He will discuss the effects this development has on the economies of Eastern Europe, economic integration in the post-Soviet era, and the prospect of a future role for Russia in the European Union.
"The Financial Crisis and the European Union"
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
The current financial crisis is global in scope, and Dr. Wróblewski will discuss its effects in Europe. He will provide illustrative examples of European Union responses to the crisis and cooperation, or the lack thereof, within the EU in confronting the situation.
2008-2009 Special Events:
Alworth Institute Reception for UMD International Faculty
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 - 4:30- p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Griggs Center
The purpose of this reception is to give international faculty a chance to hear about the Alworth Institute, to meet other faculty and supporters of the Alworth Institute including community members. It will also give faculty a chance to meet one another and share experiences of living in Duluth. This reception is supported by the EPC Subcommittee on International Education.
Alworth Institute Film - The Singing Revolution
Monday, September 22, 2008 - 12:00 Noon, Kirby Rafters & Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 7:00 p.m., LSBE 118
In 1991, after nearly fifty years of Soviet occupation, the small Republic of Estonia confronted their occupiers by announcing their independence to the world. Their charge heralded the collapse of the Soviet Union and the freedom of now-suddenly-former Soviet republics. Music played a pivotal role in these historical events .The Singing Revolution, a 94-minute documentary film by James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty, tells the story of one country‘s undeniable thirst for self-determination and its unshakable belief in what it means to be free - to be Estonian. At first glance the story of an extraordinary set of circumstances, The Singing Revolution also stands as an intimate portrayal of people: ordinary, every-day people who refused to believe that freedom was out of their reach.
Alworth Institute Morning School - The Palace of Versailles and how French Style came to England
Saturday, October 4, 2008 - 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon - Tweed Museum Lecture Gallery
With the creation of the palace and garden of Versailles in the late 17th century, Louis XIV made a magnificent setting for his court and government, whose influence reached throughout Europe and beyond. Dr. Dianne Barre, a British researcher of historical sites and gardens, will host this well-illustrated morning school to take a broad look at the magnificent palace and expansive gardens at Versailles, used together as a highly effective form of propaganda by Louis XIV. This is followed by a more detailed examination of the influence of Versailles upon English architecture and gardens. This influence can still be seen today at Hampton Court Palace, Chatsworth House (Derbyshire) and Boughton House (Northamptonshire). Louis XIV's persecution of French Protestants (Huguenots) meant that many fled from France to England. As refugees in England they had an enormous influence on English interior design and in silverware and wrought-iron features. Later in the 18th century, and even under Napoleon, French design continued to fascinate and influence the wealthy English aristocracy, who continued to visit Versailles on the Grand Tour whenever peace made such visits possible.
Free to the public, but reservations should be made by calling (218) 726-7493 or by e-mail to alworth@d.umn.edu.
“My Turkish Missile Crisis”
Two readings by Professor Joseph Maiolo, UMD English Department
Thursday, October 30, 2008 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Monday, November 3, 2008 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
UMD Library Fourth Floor Rotunda
Instead of Christmas stories this December, fiction writer and UMD English Professor Joseph Maiolo will read his personal narrative essay. "My Turkish Missile Crisis."
In October 1962, Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Maiolo, having been assigned to a six-months' nuclear-weapons maintenance training course two years before, arrived for duty at Cigli Air Base in western Turkey during the first days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and was immediately informed that he would be in charge of the nuclear warheads for fifteen Jupiter missiles located three to a site on five sites ranging to within 150 miles of the Russian border. Americans--and the world--listened to the news and read about what seemed to be going on in and around Cuba during those thirteen fearful days. "My Turkish Missile Crisis," in dramatizing the other story, shows from within the eye of that storm how close we came to global calamity.
This event is co-sponsored by the Alworth Institute and the College of Liberal Arts.
St. Andrew’s Night, Tuesday, December 2, 2008 - 6:00 p.m. ($40 per person, Friend Raising Event)
Scottish Dinner & Lecture - "Scotland's Parliaments", Presented by Dr. William Henderson, Director of the Alworth Institute
The veteran Scottish Nationalist, Winnie Ewing, declared at the opening of the first session of the new Scottish Parliament in May 1999 that “The Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on the 25 March in the year 1707 is hereby reconvened”. This statement is both right and wrong. Right because the Scottish Parliament adjourned sine die. Wrong, because the Parliament of 1707 was the Parliament of a sovereign nation. There are now three buildings in Edinburgh with the word “Parliament” as part of their title, and there is the kirk’s General Assembly. What’s more, there is the nationally-sovereign Parliament at Westminster. This illustrated talk will look at Edinburgh’s Parliament buildings, focusing on the new Parliament.
Get ready for the first WorldQuest Competition!
Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 6:00 p.m. - UMD BallroomThursday, February 26, 2009 - 6:00 p.m. - UMD Ballroom
This is a team competition similar to a College Bowl. Teams compete against one another on subjects with an international flavor: flags and capitals; geographical features and international borders; people and events in the international news. Teams can be formed by students, faculty, staff, community groups, business firms, family and friends or any combination of all of these. Be prepared for a fun even with a competitive edge, by planning ahead! To view a previous year's game go to http://micglobe.org/program_worldquest/wq_sample.php.
Teams compete for prizes, including a donation to an international charity or non-profit organization of the winning team's choice.
Registration cost is $10 per person or $80 per team. The cost includes a buffet dinner.
Buffet and Registration begins at 6:00 p.m.; Competition is from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Register a team and team name and get thinking! Contact the Alworth Institute at (218) 726-7493 or at alworth.d.umn.edu to get more information or to register a team.
WorldQuest is the property of the Minnesota International Center, A World Affairs Council, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Reservations for this event can be made by calling 218-726-7493 or by e-mailing alworth@d.umn.edu.
Alworth Institute International Reading Group:
This new book group meets quarterly during the academic year to discuss books relating to international studies. The purpose of the group is to promote a greater understanding of the world and to share opinions on the selected book and its analysis. Selections are made by the group members.
Books purchased at UMD Stores will receive a 20% discount.
To register for the group or for more information, call (218) 726-7493 or send an e-mail to alworth@d.umn.edu.
First Quarter Selection: Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood (Random House 2001) & Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier (Penguin Books 2004), both by Alexandra Fuller. Book Discussion Meeting - Library 4th Book Discussion Meeting - Monday, February 16, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda
Second Quarter Selection: The Wormdigger's Daughter (Mercier Press 2008) by John Farrell (For more information go to www.mercierpress.ie). Book Discussion Meeting - Monday, February 16, 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda.
Third Quarter Selection: Iran Awakening (Random House 2007) by Shirin Ebadi. Book Discussion Meeting - Monday, May 11 2009 - 7:00 p.m. - Library 4th Floor Rotunda.
Past Alworth International Lectures: 2007-2008
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 – 7 p.m. - Chemistry 200, UMD
“The Changing Balance of Power in the Middle East: The Impact of the War in Iraq”
Presented by Dr. Marina S. Ottaway, Middle East Program Director,
Carnegie Endowment for Peace, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Ottaway specializes in democracy and post-conflict reconstruction issues, with special focus on problems of political transformation in the Middle East and reconstruction in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans, and African countries. Her lecture will focus on the Middle-East and regional consequences stemming from the war in Iraq, particularly with respect to the impact on democratization in the Arab World .
Ottaway’s most recent book, Uncharted Journey: Democracy Promotion in the Middle East (co-edited with Thomas Carothers), was published in January 2005. Her extensive research experience is reflected in her publications, which include nine authored books and four edited ones. Learn more about the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Middle East Program.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 -7 p.m. -UMD Library Rotunda
“The Horn of Africa” presented by Leenco Lata
Leenco Lata is a writer and analyst on political and security developments in the Horn of Africa. His book on this subject, The Horn of Africa as Common Homeland: The State and Self-Determination in the Era of Heightened Globalization, was published in October 2004. Lata’s talk examines the conflicts in the Horn region of Africa where four out of a total of eight peacekeeping operations in Africa are underway. He is a former member of the leadership of the Oromo Liberation Front and presently lives in Norway.
Monday, October 22, 2007 -7 p.m. -UMD Library Rotunda
“Governments and Poverty” Presented by Dr. Adrian Leftwich
Dr. Leftwich is Co-Director of the Department for International Development’s research consortium on Institutions and Pro-Poor Growth(IPPG), as well as a professor in the University of York (UK) Politics Department. His research is currently focused on state-business relations and the politics of economic policy-making in developing countries.
Wednesday November 14, 2007 -7 p.m. -UMD Library Rotunda
“Tourism and Memory in Vietnam” Presented by Dr. Scott Laderman
Scott Laderman is an assistant professor in the History department at UMD. Based upon his award-winning dissertation, Laderman will explore the history of the United States and Vietnam through the scope of tourism. Dr. Laderman received his PhD. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus in 2005, where he also won one of four University Graduate School’s Best Dissertation award for 2007.
New America Foundation Speakers
Presented by Sherle Schwenninger and William Hartung
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - 12 p.m. -
UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
Sherle Schwenninger, Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, will talk about local reaction to American Foreign Policy and the impact of China and India on the world economy. William Hartung, Director of the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation, will be focusing on Alternative Defense Policy, China and current proliferation and military budgets.
"What Can We Expect Next of Britain’s Gordon Brown?”
Presented by Gerard Baker, Washington-based United States Editor/ Assistant Editor at The Times (London)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 - 7 p.m.-UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
Gerard Baker has worked for the Financial Times ( Tokyo correspondent and then Washington Bureau Chief) before joining The Times. He has written several very telling pieces on Gordon Brown and Brown’s policy changes since he took over from Tony Blair.What is Brown's attitude to Us-UK cooperation in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere?
“ China: Problems and Prospects”
Presented by Gordon S. Chang
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 - 7 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
Gordon G. Chang, frequent visitor to China, takes a critical stand on the Chinese Communist Party suggesting that the behavior of the Party and its officials is capable of upsetting Chinese stability. China has been identified as a theme in the international Brown Bag Series and Chang’s lecture will raise further issues about China in a lively, and even controversial, manner.
“Exchanging Spears for Books: The Maasai School Project”
Presented by Hans Johnson, Founder of the Maasai Cultural Foundation
Wednesday, March 12 - 7 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
Hans Johnson went to Kenya when he was 21 with some recording equipment and a desire to document the music and culture of the Maasai people. He will talk about his experiences living and working with the Maasai, focusing on his recent work helping to build a school where over one hundred adults are learning to read and write. Click here to learn More about Han's work with the Maasai.
“A Four-Star Africa Command: Why now, what for and at what risk?”
Presented by Peter Strozok
Wednesday, March 26 - 7 p.m. - UMD Library Fourth Floor Rotunda
Peter Strozok has worked in different parts of West Africa and is particularly interested in the Sahel region, which he sees as having huge agricultural potential. His talk will focus on the Government of the United State's decision to start-up a Four- Star Combat Command in Africa in late summer, 2008.
“What About Food Security?”
Presented by Dr. Doug West, Associate Professor of Political Science, Lakehead University
Wednesday, April 9 - 7 p.m. -
UMD Library Fourth Floor Rotunda
Doug West is a political philosopher who cooperates with the Alworth Institute in supporting the North Shore Public Discussion Opportunities, which focus on issues of international interest and are held in Grand Marais, Minn. Doug is researching the social, philosophical and political issues surrounding food and food security.
2007-2008 Special Events:
Fall 2007 Bob Hattery International Roundtable
Saturday, October 13, 2007 -9:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais, Minnesota
"What Are the BIG International Issues Today? What kind of leadership qualities
do we need in our Canadian and United States leaders to address these international issues?”
Please join us on Saturday, October 13, 2007 from 9:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais, Minn. for a discussion on the above listed topic. Guest speakers will include Khalil Dokhanchi, Professor of Political Science, UWS; William Henderson, Alworth Institute Director from UMD; and Thomas Hanson, retired Foreign Service Officer from the U.S. State Department.
A soup and sandwich buffet lunch will be provided, donation requested. Anyone and everyone encouraged and welcome to attend this event. For questions, please contact the Cook County Community Center / Extension office at 218-387-3015.
St. Andrew’s Night, Friday, November 30, 2007 -5:30 p.m.
“ Glasgow: From Medieval to Post-Modern City”
Scottish Dinner & Lecture Presented by Dr. William Henderson, Director of the Alworth Institute
Last year the focus was on Edinburgh as a City of the Enlightenment. Glasgow too was a center for the Enlightenment and very much more besides! Glasgow is a city that has long-term connections with North America, a proud industrial past, the finest Victorian and Edwardian City Center in Europe and which is home to the biggest visited tourist attraction in the whole of Scotland. This is a city that has re-invented itself through the arts, culture and tourism. It’s bigger than Duluth and older but the re-invention has strong similarities. $40 per person – Friend Raising Event
“Politics and Law in Divided Societies”
Presented by Ziad Kays, Alem Yirga, and Wasantha Navaratne Bandara
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - 7 p.m. - UMD Fourth Floor Library Rotunda
These experienced lawyers come from Lebanon, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. They each live in societies divided by history and contemporary politics. What is the justice system like in each of these countries? How does the system cope with the stresses and strains of political life and constitutional and extra-constitutional action?
Past Alworth International Lectures: Fall 2006
Alexander McCall Smith, best-selling author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series visits UMD!
Alexander McCall Smith spoke at an Alworth Institute event held in the Ballroom at the University of Minnesota Duluth at 7.30 PM on Monday 25th September 2006. His talk was entitled: The Small Things in Life. There were four hundred and eighty people in the audience.
The talk examined Botswana as a source for the very popular ‘No.1 Ladies Detective Agency’ Novels. McCall Smith, in a humorous presentation, described himself as a ‘Serial Writer’ (a condition constructed as a kind of illness, the only way out of which is ‘death’). In planning all of his many literary works, he closely observes ‘the small things in life’. During an early visit to Botswana he watched a cheerful lady, in a red dress, and of traditional build, efficiently wring the neck of a chicken and thought ‘One day I will write about someone like you’. Eventually he did and the final result was The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Mma Ramotswe, a woman of ‘traditional build’, and the detective in charge of the agency in question, is located in Botswana, a country in Southern Africa that is roughly the size of Texas. McCall Smith outlined his delight in the culture of southern Botswana. He also pointed out that Botswana is celebrating at the end of September the 40th Anniversary of Independence. Click here to see the Alworth Institute blog on Botswana.
Through references to Mma Ramotswe, and her coterie of friends, Mc Call Smith talked of the pace and sociability of an African culture as it undergoes change. He saw the detective agency as a device for bringing all sorts of social and economic problems and situations into his novels. Precious Ramotswe is a force for good and she and her network of friends embody in the details of their lives a sense of cultural continuity. Believing in the ‘great possibilities of the small events of everyday life’, McCall Smith constructed during the lecture, as in his works, a positive image of life in Botswana, whilst not ducking the issues of inter-personal conflict, adultery, murder, AIDS and social change.
In a change of mood, he talked about the current AIDS crisis in Botswana and pointed out the actions taken for the better by American financed and staffed development projects. He claimed that some criticized his works as ‘utopian’ and accepted that nothing much happens in his Botswana novels. He was able to point out, textually, where difficult issues are raised discretely in conformity to principles at work in Botswana’s culture.
Through his main characters he illustrated, albeit in a simple way, details of aspirations, of social niceties, of the confusion that change brings and of the capacity to draw upon proverbial wisdom to cope with perplexities and confrontations. In short McCall Smith created for his listeners, a sensitive view of a culture that challenges the negative images that many hold about African life and African society. He also let it be known that whilst readers in Botswana were surprised at first by his expropriation of their culture, they and the Government of Botswana are delighted with the economic impact of his stories. Tourism to Botswana has doubled as a result of his writing and sales of bush tea leapt by nearly 70%.
Dr. William Henderson will follow up McCall Smith’s introduction to Botswana by exploring forty years of Botswana’s Independence in an illustrated talk ‘Constitution Making and Constitution Keeping in Botswana’ on Tuesday, October 24, 2006, at 7:00 PM in the Library Fourth Floor Rotunda at UMD.