Tag Archives: international

Featured Events Archive

International events week of Oct. 5

CHINA Town Hall – Oct. 5
Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin will lead an expert panel for a live town hall meeting today, Oct. 5, to be broadcast to audiences in more than 70 locations nationwide on what China’s investments in the United States mean for American workers, communities, and the economy.

The Des Moines event will be held in Parents Hall in the Olmsted Center at 6 p.m.

To help Americans better understand the complex U.S.-China relationship and the growing role of Chinese investment, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations is conducting the ninth annual CHINA Town Hall: Local Connections, National Reflections. The program will feature a live webcast panel discussion with former Secretary Rubin; Mayor Sheldon Day (of Thomasville, Alabama, location of a major Chinese-owned factory); and Daniel Rosen, founding partner of the Rhodium Group. National Committee President Stephen Orlins will moderate the panel’s discussion and responses to questions submitted by the nationwide audience.

In addition to the national webcast, Drake University’s event will also feature a talk by Susan Chan Shifflett. Susan is program associate at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum in Washington, D.C., where she focuses on China’s food safety and food security challenges and what it means for U.S.-China agricultural trade.

For questions about the Des Moines event site, contact jeffrey.kappen@drake.edu


Multicultural Approaches to Medicine Use: What Does the Research Say?—Oct. 6
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Fatima Suleman, associate professor in the discipline of pharmaceutical sciences in the online master’s program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), will present “Multicultural Approaches to Medicine Use: What Does the Research Say?” This talk is part of the Iowa International Center Dialogue Series and will be held starting at noon in the Des Moines Central Library, 1000 Grand Avenue.

Fatima is Drake University’s Global Practitioner in Residence during the 2015–2016 school year. She will be affiliated with Drake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and collaborate with the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the Global and Comparative Public Health concentration. Fatima has extensive experience working with the World Health Organization.

The Iowa International Center Dialogue Series engages local and national professionals in conversations on global and community issues that affect Iowa and highlight Iowa’s connections abroad. Suleman’s program will focus on the need for sensitivity and awareness on behalf of the healthcare professional when communicating with and counseling a patient. In multicultural settings, patients and their families bring many different cultural models of morality, health, illness, healing, and kinship to clinical encounters. Religious convictions and cultural norms play significant roles in framing interactions between health care providers and patients. A more informed understanding of these issues is needed to better recognize the role of ethnicity, culture, religion, and gender in shaping health care decisions.


Afro-Indigenous Hondurans in Resistance: U.S. Drug War, Violent Displacement, & Migration – Oct. 8
On Thursday, Oct. 8, Alfredo López will present Afro-Indigenous Hondurans in Resistance: U.S. Drug War, Violent Displacement, & Migration at 6 p.m. in Meredith 101.

Since the 2009 military coup, murders and attacks against Honduran human rights defenders have reached alarming levels. Indigenous communities, including the Garífuna, have been among those targeted. The U.S. continues to send tens of millions of dollars in drug war aid to the Honduran police and military who have been involved in human rights abuses and to back projects that lead to displacement and migration. Alfredo López works with OFRANEH (the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras) to protect and defend the Garífuna people’s right to their culture and ancestral land on the Caribbean coast. Lopez will discuss his people’s struggle against the negative impacts of tourism and other mega-projects and the role of state security forces in displacement and Honduran migration.

Program sponsors are Witness for Peace and the Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship. The event is free and open to the public. For further details, contact david.skidmore@drake.edu.


Death and Dying in Tibetan Buddhism: Oct. 8
Please join us for the second event of our 2015–2016 series on death and dying—a presentation and demonstration on death and dying in Tibetan Buddhism by monks from the Labrang Tashikyil Monastery. In particular, the monks will perform “Chöd,” a ritual meditation on death to cut away attachments, and “Skeleton Dance,” a ritual dance of death to cultivate mindfulness of impermanence. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in Sussman Theater (lower level of the Olmsted Center).

Seven monks from Labrang Tashikyil Monastery in Dehra Dun, India, are touring the United States this year to teach dharma, educate the public about the culture and religion of Tibet, and to raise funds for their monastery. The tour is coordinated by the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the third such tour by the monastery.


International Film: Distancia: Oct. 11
Oct. 11: International Film: Distancia (2012, Dir. Sergio Ramírez)
Location: Sussman Theater, lower level of Olmsted Center
Time: 2–4 p.m.
Language: Spanish with English subtitles
Sponsors: Evans Foundation, WLC and PFGCGC

The film will be introduced by Director Sergio Ramirez, who will be on campus to discuss the making of Distancia, the current situation in Guatemala, the 36-year civil war and its aftermath, as well as filmmaking.

Tomás Choc is two days and 150 kilometers away from being reunited with Lucía, his only daughter, who was kidnapped by the army 20 years ago during the Guatemala War when she was only three years old. Despite the pain of her absence, to keep her story alive, Tomás kept a journal of his struggle, resistance, and survival in the hope of one day being able to give it to his daughter. We join Tomás on his journey to reunite with Lucia, and witness the manner in which he navigates the obstacles created between them by fate. The distance between people can be physical, cultural, and even emotional.

Sergio Ramirez was born in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. He holds a degree in communication. Ramirez wrote and directed the short fiction Hoy sí (Today) and the documentary Resistir para vivir, resistirpara avanzar (Resist to Live, Resist to Advance). Distancia is his directorial debut and he is currently working on the post-production of his second fiction feature, 1991. Ramirez is a professor of film at several Guatemalan universities and serves as the president of the Guatemalan Audiovisual and Cinematography Association.

—Submitted by Tim Knepper, Professor of Philosophy, Department Chair, and Drake International

News & Achievements Archive

SJMC news, Oct. 5

Iowa caucus season is always a lively time on the Drake campus, and this year is turning out to provide an unusually rich number of opportunities for students. A group of 20 journalists from around the world were on campus Sept. 24, hosted by the Iowa International Center. The group met with SJMC Dean Kathleen Richardson to discuss journalism education and open government issues and with political science professor Dennis Goldford, the Harkin Institute’s Flansburg Fellow, to learn about the caucuses. They also attended SJMC professor Lee Jolliffe’s first year seminar, Grassroots Politics on a Global Stage.

—Submitted by Kathleen Richardson, Dean, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

For Students Archive

Foreign languages can take you places

From interning at a hospital in Peru to singing in Mandarin in China to aiding immigrants in Des Moines, foreign language at Drake can take you places. Drake’s Department of World Languages and Cultures (WLC) is adding new programs and courses, with more to come. Offerings are available for students at all levels, from absolute beginner to ready-to-be-fluent.

Effective this fall, Drake offers both a Spanish minor and a Latin American Studies Concentration. And if you’re pursuing a health care field, a new course, Spanish for Healthcare Providers (SPAN 196), will be offered in Spring 2016.

Additional courses in Chinese will be available as well. WLC has begun collaborating with Minzu University in Beijing and will receive one instructor each year to offer expanded offerings in the language.

At Drake, you can study American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, with Certificates of Competence available in all but ASL. For more information, visit www.drake.edu/wlc/languagestudy.

—Submitted by Marc Pinheiro-Cadd, Department Chair, Associate Professor of German

For Students Archive

Take the first step in exploring the world

Did you know you can study abroad in more than 70 countries through Drake, and that you don’t need to speak a foreign language? Study abroad is a great option for any major, the cost is often comparable to a semester at Drake, and, in most cases, you can still graduate on time. So what are you waiting for? Start exploring your options and get your questions answered at the annual Global Opportunities Expo on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2–5 p.m., at Helmick Commons South.

Representatives from Drake’s exchange partners, affiliate program providers, and short-term faculty programs will be available to inform students about study, volunteer, service-learning, intern, and work opportunities abroad. Additionally, faculty and students with international experiences will be on hand to answer questions and provide insights.

—Submitted by Drake International

For Faculty Archive

WLC expands foreign language offerings

Foreign language study at Drake is changing, with even more growth to come. The program is now the Department of World Languages and Cultures, led by Chair Marc Pinheiro-Cadd, associate professor of German.

In addition to the Spanish minor that launched this fall, WLC has revived the Latin American Studies Concentration, which students can also declare this fall. Another offering returning to Drake in Spring 2016 is Spanish for Healthcare Providers (SPAN 165).
Additionally, WLC has launched a collaboration with Minzu University in Beijing to send one instructor each year to Drake, enabling the University expand offerings in Chinese. Currently, Drake offers study at all levels in American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, with Certificates of Competence available in all but ASL.

—Submitted by Marc Pinheiro-Cadd, Department Chair, Associate Professor of German

For Faculty Archive

Faculty advisers: Attend the Global Opportunities Expo

The annual Global Opportunities Expo will be held Thursday, Oct. 8, 2–5 p.m., on Helmick Commons South.

Drake International sponsors this annual event. Representatives from Drake’s exchange partners, affiliate program providers, and short-term faculty programs will be available to inform students about study, volunteer, service-learning, intern, and work opportunities abroad. Additionally, faculty and students with international experiences will be on hand to answer questions and provide insights.

Advisers are welcome and encouraged to attend this event to explore different models of international experiences including J-Term; May Term; spring break; and summer, semester, and yearlong opportunities for students. As we approach the open period for spring registration, students may be asking advisers questions about international experiences. Attending the Expo is an excellent way to gain an enhanced understanding of the international opportunities available to Drake students.

—Submitted by Drake International

For Faculty Archive

Considering offering a travel seminar during 2017?

Faculty who are thinking about leading a short-term travel seminar during J-Term, May Term, or summer in 2017: It is time to begin planning. By Nov. 1, contact Annique Kiel, director, Drake Administered Programs Abroad. Initial communications may be as brief as the course subject and country you are considering for your travel seminar. You will be supported throughout the planning process, which begins with this first communication.
Send your travel seminar idea to annique.kiel@drake.edu.
Look for additional details in upcoming OnCampus editions.

—Submitted by Drake International

News & Achievements Archive

College of Arts & Sciences news

Dan Woodman, vice president of the Australian Sociological Society and faculty at University of Melbourne, recently made his first visit to a private college—our own Drake University. Woodman delivered a lecture on Millennials and the sociology of generations to students in Kevin Lam, Natalie Adkins, and Darcie Vandegrift’s classes. He taught a session of Vandegrift’s class, Global Youth Studies, and was hosted at breakfast by Drake students Heather Richmond, Elle Dietz, and Ben Weinberg. Drake students impressed Woodman with their engagement, knowledge of sociology, and thoughtful questions. The visit was sponsored by the Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship and the Sociology program.

—Submitted by Darcie Vandegrift, Associate Professor of Sociology, Department Chair

Featured Events Archive

Can’t miss: “The Use and Abuse of U.S. Intelligence” Sept. 30

The topic “Use and Abuse of U.S. Intelligence” will be presented by speakers Ray McGovern and Coleen Rowley on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. in Olin Hall, Room 101. The event is sponsored by the Iowa Veterans for Peace, Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility, American Friends Service Committee, and the Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship.

Ray McGovern is a retired CIA officer turned political activist. He was a CIA analyst 1963–1990, and in the 1980s, chaired National Intelligence Estimates and prepared the President’s Daily Brief.

Coleen Rowley, an Iowa native, is the retired FBI agent who blew the whistle on the FBI’s failures after 9/11. Rowley received the TIME “Person of the Year” award in 2002. She was also the first to receive the Sam Adams award in 2002, an award instituted by McGovern that annually recognizes an intelligence professional who has taken a stand for integrity and ethics.

The event is free and open to the public.

—Submitted by Drake International

For Students Archive

Interested in studying abroad?

Are you interested in studying abroad, participating in global service-learning or experiential learning abroad? Seven named scholarships are available for eligible students:

  • Thibodeau Travel Scholarship for Global Citizenship
  • Zimpleman Scholarship for Global Experiential Learning
  • Olson Global Service-Learning Scholarship
  • Allen Service-Learning Travel Scholarship
  • International Relations Experiential Learning Scholarship
  • Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences Scholarship
  • Johansen Global Experiential Learning Scholarship

Priority will be given to students planning to study abroad in 2016. The deadline for your application is Oct. 15.

You may find that a conversation with your adviser will help you determine your eligibility for one of these scholarships. Complete eligibility requirements, expectations, and the application are available here.

Direct your questions to Maria Rohach, global learning program coordinator, at maria.rohach@drake.edu.

—Submitted by Drake International