Elon University is celebrating International Education Week this week with a series of campus events that include guest speakers, art installations, movie screenings and a food festival. The activities, which run Nov. 16-20, focus on the Middle East, the theme of a 2009 program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education.
From the State Department web site:
“International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.
“We encourage the participation of all individuals and institutions interested in international education and exchange activities, including schools, colleges and universities, embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations, and community organizations.”
Elon University’s calendar of events:
Monday, November 16
Noon-2: Mohammed Ali Kadivar, “The Streets of Tehran,” Irazu Coffee House
7:30-8:15: Alan Liotta, “Statecraft in the 21st Century,” McKinnon Hall
8:30-10: Movie: Captain Abu Raed, introduced by its producer and Elon alum Laith Majali ’05, Under the Oaks in front of West (Rain: Whitley Auditorium)
Tuesday, November 17
9:40-10:30 Middle Eastern Coffee featuring music by Sandy Blocker & Jason Lentz, Belk Pavilion Plaza
4:15-5: Casey Olson, “Oil & the Middle East” (reception follows), KOBC 101
5-8: International Food Festival, Colonnades
6-7:30: “Difficult Dialogues: Three Faiths, One Journey,” Oaks 212
6-7:30: Matt Silver, “Biases & Beliefs: Can there be objectivity about the Middle East?” KOBC 101
Wednesday, November 18
12:30-1:30: Patricia Kabra, US Dept. of State: “Media & Life in the Middle East,” KOBC 101
2-3: Brown Bag Lunch: Patricia Kabra, “A Career as a Diplomat,” Carlton 209
7-8:30: Igal Bursztyn, “Israeli Culture and Israeli Film,” KOBC 145
7:30-9: Women & Gender Studies Movie: They Call Me Muslim, McEwen 011
Thursday, November 19
12:30-2: Jen’nan Ghazal Read: “Who are Middle Easterners? Myths and Realities,” KOBC 101
4:30-6: Sculpture Dedication: “Civilization” by Ahmed Fadaam (reception follows), Elon Arts West
4:15-5:15: Ali Al Ahmed & Rudy Zarzar panel discussion, “Is Democracy Viable in the Middle East?” Lindner 102
Friday, November 20
11:30-4: Mosque Visit (RSVP required: ehale2@elon.edu), Boney Fountain
1-3: Taste of the World, McKinnon Hall
5-9: Synagogue Visit (RSVP required: ehale2@elon.edu), Boney Fountain
Special thanks to:
Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, Elon Hillel, D.E.E.P., Women’s and Gender Studies, Model U.N., the Political Science Department, U.S. Department of Education Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, Aramark, the Grinspoon Foundation, the Israel on Campus Coalition