October 29, 2008
 

Keynote Event

Performances

Presentations

Films

Displays & Exhibitions




Dear Members of the UB Community,

A joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education, International Education Week will be celebrated worldwide on November 17-21, 2008. In recognition of this special occasion, a series of events of both a celebratory and educational nature will take place at UB. Please see the list of events below or download them from www.buffalo.edu/intlservices/pdf_files/IEW2008Flyer.pdf

These events have been organized by UB academic departments, international student clubs, International Student & Scholar Services, Study Abroad Programs, Career Services and the English Language Institute. We received generous support from AT&T Mobility; Bank of America; UB’s English Language Institute; Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc.; HSBC Bank; M&T Bank and UB’s Office of International Education.

We are truly grateful to our presenters, our sponsors and everyone who has organized an event for International Education Week 2008!

We look forward to seeing you at International Education Week!

Ellen Dussourd
International Student & Scholar Services  

 

Keynote Event

DOCUMENTARY FILM

“IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS” (U.S., 2006)
2007 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary
Tuesday, November 18
5:45-7:30
Student Union Theater

“Iraq in Fragments” is a story in three parts which offers a series of intimate, passionately-felt portraits: A fatherless 11-year-old is apprenticed to the domineering owner of a Baghdad mechanic’s shop; Sadr followers in two Shiite cities rally for regional elections while enforcing Islamic law at the point of a gun; a family of Kurdish farmers welcomes the U.S. presence, which has allowed them a measure of freedom previously denied. A merican director James Longley writes, “My aim with ‘ Iraq in Fragments’ was to introduce the viewer to the breadth and complexity of the country, showing not only the divisions, but the unifying forces that tie it together”.

KEYNOTE SPEECH

“THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ: ITS IMPACT ON IRAQI CIVILIANS AND U.S. SOLDIERS”
Dahr Jamail, author of Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq
Tuesday, November 18
7:30-9:00
Student Union Theater

Award-winning author Dahr Jamail will discuss his experiences as an unembedded journalist in Iraq, as chronicled in his book Beyond the Green Zone. Jamail’s book provides an honest, first-hand account of the occupation, presenting the raw stories of average Iraqis in some of the most dangerous areas of Baghdad, Samara and Fallujah. It offers an Iraqi perspective unseen in mainstream media, redefining resistance, occupation and insurgency. Jamail has won numerous awards, including the 2008 Martha Gellhorn Award for Journalism, the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism, and the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage. There will be a book signing after the program.

Performances

MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE PERFORMANCE
Nadia Ibrahim Dance Troupe
Monday, November 17
12:00-12:30
Student Union Lobby

The Nadia Ibrahim Middle Eastern Dance Troupe is the only professional dance group in Western New York which performs authentic dances of the Middle East. Nadia , who is of Lebanese descent , teaches and choreographs dances of Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco and the Sudan , just to mention a few. The troupe will perform “ Wings of Isis” and “Egyptian Pop”.

DANCE PERFORMANCE: “DEBKA”
Organization of Arab Students
Monday, November 17
1:00-1:30
Student Union Lobby

The meaning of "debka" in Arabic is "stomping of the feet". Stomping, as well as jumping and kicking, are moves that characterize the debka in a unique manner. The leader, called raas (meaning "head") or "lawwih" (meaning "waving person"), is allowed to improvise on the type of debka being danced. He or she also twirls a handkerchief or string of beads known as a masbha (similar to a rosary) while the rest of the dancers keep the rhythm.

“GREEK MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCE”
Hellenic Graduate Student Association
Thursday, November 20
12:00-12:30
Student Union Lobby

Dancing has always been important to the Hellenic (Greek) people. In ancient times, dance, song and music were all integral parts of the theater. In fact, the Greek word XOPOC (HOROS) referred to both dance and song. The English words chorus, chorale, choir and choreography all come from this same Greek word. Today, dance is just as important to the Greeks as it was in ancient times. The Hellenic GSA will perform at IEW for the 8 th consecutive year.

PERCUSSION PERFORMANCE: “POONGMUL”
Korean Folk Art Club
Thursday, November 20
12:30-1:00
Student Union Entrance (UB Commons)

Korean Poongmul drumming, also called Nong Ak, means farmer's music. About two thousand years old, it is played during festivals to celebrate planting and harvesting, and is accompanied by an energetic dance. The Korean Folk Art Club (KFAC) will perform at IEW for the 8 th consecutive year.

ARGENTINE TANGO PERFORMANCE
Buffalo Tango X
Thursday, November 20
1:00-1:30
Student Union Lobby

Argentine Tango is a social dance and musical genre that originated in Argentina and spread to the rest of the world. It consists of a variety of styles that developed in different regions and eras, and in response to the crowding of the venue and even the fashions in clothing. Argentine Tango is danced in an embrace that can vary from very open to very closed or anywhere in between. Tango is essentially walking with a partner and the music. Argentine Tango relies heavily on improvisation; although certain patterns of movement have been codified by instructors over the years, there is no "basic step."

JAPANESE FOLK DANCE
Japanese Group of Buffalo, Odori No Kai
Friday, November 21
12:00-12:30
Student Union Lobby

The Japanese Group of Buffalo will perform three originally choreographed dances. “Hanagasa Ondo” is a dance using a flat hat decorated with flowers. "Sushi Ondo” is a dance using a foot-long pipe colored red and white, which is a color combination used for happy occasions in Japan. In “Sasebo Bayashi”, the audience is invited to participate in an easy circle dance with many repetitious movements.

Presentations

ANTHROPOLOGY WITHOUT BORDERS
“GOING HOME TO PAKISTAN: RECONSTRUCTIONS OF THE PAST IN THE CONTEMPORARY BALKANS”
Prof. Vasiliki Neofotistos, College of Arts & Sciences, UB
Monday, November 17
1:00-2:00
Student Union 145C

Since the collapse of socialism and its emergence as an independent nation-state in 1991, the Republic of Macedonia has engaged in a heated dispute with neighboring Greece, whose northern province is also called Macedonia, over the use of the name “Macedonia” and the legacy of Alexander the Great. To establish their exclusivist claims to an uninterrupted historical continuity with ancient Macedonia, both states have visited the highlands of present-day northern Pakistan, the most eastern point of Alexander’s kingdom twenty-three centuries ago, and found tribes whose own accounts trace their direct descent to Alexander’s army. It is against this background that, in July 2008, a delegation of the Hunza people from Pakistan consisting of Prince Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Princess Rani Atiqa, and their entourage visited the Republic of Macedonia. The delegation toured historical and cultural sites, met with the prime minister, and was blessed by an Orthodox archbishop. The visit caused mixed reactions in the country; some citizens were convinced of their ancient origins while some others underlined their origins from the Slavs, who arrived in the Balkans around the seventh century AD, that is, a millennium after Alexander. Drawing on her most recent field research in the Republic of Macedonia in the summer of 2008, Dr. Neofotistos will discuss (re)constructions of the past in the contemporary Balkans and explore attempts to grapple with history in today’s Europe.

MEDICINE WITHOUT BORDERS
“WHY BOTHER TO LEAVE THE U.S. FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTIVES DURING MEDICAL SCHOOL?”

Prof. Richard Lee, School of Medicine, UB
Monday, November 17
5:00-6:00
Wende Hall 111, South Campus

Every year for the past decade, groups of Fourth Year UB medical students have spent a month at Capital Medical University in Beijing.  Other UB medical students find individual international electives in Asia, Africa and South America.  The experiences range from super to dismal. Motivations vary from religious conviction to pure escapism. The results always are life changing.

“FULBRIGHT OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S. STUDENTS”
Prof. Patrick McDevitt, Fulbright Advisor, UB
Tuesday, November 18
1:00-2:00
Student Union 145C

This session is for U.S. students who are considering applying for Fulbright grants. There are several different types of grants: 1) Full Fulbright Grants are usually for study in any field. For recently graduated seniors, this usually means being enrolled in a graduate program abroad. For graduate students, this may mean a wide range of activities from independent research to collaboration with local scholars; 2) T ravel Grants supplement other sources of support; 3)

Teaching Assistantships  typically fund students to pursue independent projects part-time while serving as a teaching assistant in English-language classes for children and high school students; 4) Special Program Opportunities include Business Grants, Islamic Civilization Initiative Awards and Fulbright Critical Enhancement Awards.

“WORK ABROAD 101”
Karen Nemeth, Career Services, UB
Wednesday, November 19
2:00-3:00
Student Union 210

This workshop will cover the basic questions and issues involved in making the decision to look for work overseas.  Types of opportunities from low risk to high risk, and factors such as insurance and visas will be addressed.\

“MAKING A DIFFERENCE: LIFE IN THE PEACE CORPS”
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Wednesday, November 19
3:00-4:00
Student Union 210

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Western New York will share their experiences as Peace Corps Volunteers in the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s and 2000’s. Come learn firsthand about the challenges and rewards of these Peace Corps experiences.

UB RESEARCH MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD
"GLOBAL HIV PHARMACOTHERAPY: BUILDING MINDS, CHANGING LIVES”

Dr. Chiedza Maponga, Kelly Tooley, Megne Tantse and Nida Siddiqi, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, UB
Wednesday, November 19
5:00-6:00
Natural Sciences Complex 201

Learn how the International Center for HIV/AIDS Pharmacotherapy Research and Training (ICHAPRT) program has built a bridge between two programs and changed the lives of Zimbabweans living with HIV/AIDS. ICHAPRT is an initial collaborative project of the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences' Office of International Education and Research. The ICHAPRT program has recently blossomed from its inception in 2001, and has provided learning opportunities for undergraduates, as well as post-graduate and post-doctoral training for pharmacists and pharmacologists from Zimbabwe, Taiwan, and Thailand. Find out what the program is doing now and how you can make a difference in the world through participation in this unique research program.

DENTAL MEDICINE WITHOUT BORDERS
“ORDINARY MIRACLES”

Prof. Jude Fabiano and Amy Stone, School of Dental Medicine, UB
Thursday, November 20
12:00-1:00|
Wende Hall 111, South Campus

Buffalo Outreach and Community Service (BOCA) is a School of Dental Medicine organization developed and maintained by dental students and dedicated to providing dental care in underserved areas. Missionary journeys are organized and planned by dental students under the supervision of faculty, who accompany students during each mission as well. In 2007-08, 54 dental students and four dental residents served those in need and gained valuable clinical and cultural experiences in the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala and Mexico

“ENGINEEERS WITHOUT BORDERS IN THAILAND”
Engineers Without Borders – UB Chapter
Thursday, November 20
1:30-2:30
Student Union 145C

The presentation will include a short video which follows the project of another Engineers Without Borders chapter whose goals were to bring clean drinking water to a community in Thailand and to build a permanent water system in the village. There are many different hill tribes in this region, and their living conditions are very poor compared to the rest of the country since they don't have enough water. The water system now brings water from springs to the village so that people can plant their crops all year round.

“TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE OVERSEAS: A PANEL DISCUSSION”
UB English Language Institute Instructors
Thursday, November 20
2:30-3:30
Student Union 330

English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors who have recently returned form overseas assignments will share their teaching experiences.  Learn more about the overseas ESL job market, how to apply for teaching positions, and what to look out for.

“BALI: AN EXOTIC PARADISE IN THE WORLD'S LARGEST ARCHIPELAGO”
Indonesian Student Association
Friday, November 21
11:00-12:00
Student Union 145C

This multimedia presentation will introduce the island of Bali, covering its culture, interesting phenomena as well as its unbelievable tourist spots.

ASIA AT NOON: “FROM A HIERARCHY IN TIME TO A HIERARCHY IN SPACE: EARLY 20TH CENTURY CHINESE PERCEPTIONS OF GLOBAL ORDER”
Tze-ki Hon, Professor of History, SUNY Geneseo
Friday, November 21
12:00-1:00
Park Hall 280

In 1892, Terrien de Lacouperie, Professor of Chinese at University College in London, set out to prove that the Chinese migrated from Mesopotamia in pre-historic times. Lacouperie’s “Sino-Babylonianism” found its way into China and captured the imagination of Chinese historians from the 1900s to the 1930s. Chinese historians were intrigued by his boldness in linking early China to the global network of trade and cultural exchange. In this presentation, Professor Hon examines the ways in which Chinese historians adopted, transformed, and appropriated Sino-Babylonianism in their discourse on the nation.

“UNDERSTANDING INTERNATIONAL CLASSROOM CULTURES: JAPAN”
Japanese Students at UB
Friday, November 21
1:00-2:30
Clemens Hall 120

International students bring to UB expectations of academic culture that differ greatly from that in the U.S. Come hear students from Japan discuss their prior educational experiences, and differences between classroom culture in their countries and the U.S. Learn useful techniques to bridge the gap between your teaching style and the students’ expectations.

“WALKING A FINE LINE: THOUGHTS ON WRITING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA”
Weili Ye, Professor of History and Women’s Studies, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Friday, November 21
3:00-5:00
Park Hall 532

The author of Growing up in the People’s Republic: Conversations between Two Daughters of China’s Revolution will discuss her recent collaborative memoir. The talk will not only address the experiences of two women growing up in the Mao era, but also provide a critical reflection of a complex age and its mixed legacy.

Films

“SINGAPORE DREAMING” (Singapore, 2006)
ASEAN Graduate Student Association
Monday, November 17
6:00-8:00
Student Union Theater

This is a poignant, yet darkly humorous story about a typical Singaporean family coming to grips with their aspirations. It weaves a layered and moving tale about a family dealing with loss, ambition and the search for what really matters in life.

“A MAP FOR SATURDAY” (U.S., 2007)
UB Hostelling and Travel Club
Wednesday, November 19
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Clemens Hall 120

On a trip around the world, every day feels like Saturday. This film reveals a world of long-term, solo travel through the stories of trekkers on four continents. The documentary finds backpackers helping neglected Thai tsunami victims. It explains why Nepal's guesthouses are empty and Brazil's stoplights are ignored. But at its core, the film tracks the emotional arc of extreme long-term travelers, including teenagers and senior citizens who wondered "What would it be like to travel the world?" and then did it.

“CROSSING THE BRIDGE: THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL” (Turkey, 2005)
Turkish Graduate Student Association
Wednesday, November 19
7:00-8:30
Clemens Hall 120

A European musician and composer set out to capture the musical diversity of Istanbul. A lover of experimenting with sound, Alexander Hacke roams the streets of Istanbul with his mobile recording studio and "magic mike" to assemble an inspired portrait of Turkish music.

CULTURE IN MOTION FILM SERIES
“THE EDGE OF HEAVEN” / “ Auf der anderen Seite” (Germany/Turkey, 2007)

Thursday, November 20
7:00-9:30 p.m.
Clemens Hall 120

This year’s “Culture in Motion” film selection is “The Edge of Heaven” (“Auf der anderen Seite”, Germany/Turkey, 2007). Awarded Best Screenplay at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, “The Edge of Heaven” is a coming-of-age story of six characters whose lives cross and intertwine, but in many ways clash and never truly meet. Writer-director Fatih Akin, the German-born son of Turkish parents, explains how his cultural experiences influenced this film, “I was born in Germany, but I’m in between the two cultures…it’s natural that my films are in between too”. A panel discussion by UB Turkish students will follow the film.

Displays & Exhibitions

“MEHNDI (HENNA) IN MINUTES”
Graduate Indian Student Association
Monday, November 17
12:00-2:00
Student Union Lobby

Mehndi is a temporary form of skin decoration from South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Somalia as well as expatriate communities from these areas. In the late 1990’s, Mehndi decorations became fashionable in the West, where they are sometimes called henna tattoos. Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and festivals.

“THE JOY OF ORIGAMI”
Japanese Student Association
Tuesday, November 18
12:00-2:00
Student Union Lobby

Participants will receive hands-on origami instruction from students who are very experienced in the art of Japanese paper folding.

“YIN DEE TON RUB”
Thai Graduate Student Association
Tuesday, November 18
12:00-2:00
Student Union Lobby

Breathtakingly beautiful photos of places of interest in Thailand will be on display. Free samples of delicious Thai tea will also be available.

“WORLD VIEW: STUDY ABROAD PHOTO CONTEST & EXHIBITION”
Study Abroad Programs
Thursday, November 20
4:00-6:00
Social Hall, 2nd Floor, Student Union

UB Study Abroad is hosting the 6 th annual World View: Photo Contest and Exhibition.  This event showcases the study abroad experience through the “lens” of UB students. Photos will be on display from approximately 100 students who recently studied abroad on UB and other SUNY programs all around the world. Awards will be given for the best photos in categories such as Architecture, Local Life, UB Abroad, Originality, etc.  Audience members will also have the opportunity to vote for the Peoples’ Choice Award.

“A TASTE OF VIETNAMESE FOOD”
Vietnamese Graduate Student Association
Friday, November 21
5:30-7:30
Student Union 145B & D

At this event, participants will be able to sample some delicious Vietnamese food without even having to leave campus. This will be the fourth time that the Vietnamese Graduate Student Association has offered this delightful meal.