SDSU ‘Understanding Globalization’ Lecture Series to Explore Many Facets of International Interdependence

Lecture to explore 'Globalization and the Environment' at 7 p.m. Thurs. Jan. 25

Contact:
Gina Speciale
San Diego State University
(619) 594-4563 office
speciale@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO (Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007)-- San Diego State University is presenting a semester-long lecture series “Understanding Globalization.” The weekly lectures will explore the topic of international interdependence and its implications for wide-ranging disciplines such as medicine and capitalism.

SDSU Professor Dipak Gupta is organizing the semester-long lecture series 'Understanding Globalization'

The Fred J. Hansen Distinguished Lecture Series is free and open to the public and is being organized by Dipak K. Gupta, SDSU political science professor and Fred J. Hansen Professor of Peace Studies and Ron Bee, director of the Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs.

“Globalization is changing the world in a most profound way,” Gupta said.  “These lectures will provide students with a glimpse of the topic’s many facets and explore its influence in their own lives, now and in the future.”

This week’s lecture will take place at 7 p.m. tomorrow with a presentation on globalization and the environment by Richard Matthew, professor of social ecology at the University of California, Irvine.  The series began last week featuring a discussion on globalization and the rise of prejudice, and will conclude on May 3 with an SDSU faculty panel discussion on the concept of globalization and how it will affect the future of the world.  See below for the complete schedule of lectures.

The series is funded by the Fred J. Hansen Foundation and the Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs. The mission of the Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace is to promote peaceful relations among adversary nations through cooperation on programs of mutual benefit and interest. Hansen was one of the San Diego region’s first avocado growers and, based on his travels around the world, Hansen became convinced that if adversary nations could be encouraged to work together on projects of mutual benefit, they could help heal their differences.

The Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs, founded in 1942, is beginning its 65th year at SDSU. It is the second oldest organization of its kind west of the Mississippi River. Its purpose is to make available to the SDSU community, and to the people of Southern California, a forum for the discussion of critical topics in international affairs by hosting ambassadors to the U.S. from around the globe. Hostler is a former U.S. ambassador to Bahrain and a former SDSU adjunct professor of political science.

Hundreds of people turned out last semester for lectures as part of the Fred J. Hansen Distinguished Lecture Series.

The following lectures will be presented as part of the “Understanding Globalization” lecture series:

Jan. 25 — Globalization and the Environment features a presentation by Richard Matthew, professor of social ecology at the University of California, Irvine. He is also the senior fellow for security at the International Institute for Sustainable Development; a member of the World Conservation Union’s Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy; and a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (Region 1). Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

Feb. 1 — Globalization and Changing Identities features a presentation by Ronald Suny, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Chicago.  He was the first holder of the Alex Manoogian Chair in Modern Armenian History at the University of Michigan (1981-1995), where he founded and directed the Armenian Studies Program. Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

Feb. 8 — Judy Bernstein and Benson Athiin Deng will present “The Lost Boys of Sudan and Darfur:  A Missing Global Agenda."  Bernstein works with the International Rescue Committee and is one of the coauthors of the book, They Poured Fire on Us from the Skies with Benson Athiin Deng and two other "Lost Boys" from Sudan. This lecture is also co-sponsored by: The Baron Fund for Ethics Education.  Hardy Tower  140, 7-9 p.m.

Feb. 15 — Raymond Clemencon will address "Globalization and Climate Change." Clemencon is based at the UCSD Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, where he also edits the Journal of Environment and Development.  Clemencon served as a member of the Swiss delegation to the 1992 Rio Conference where the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as the Climate Convention, got its start. He has consulted for the World Bank on environmental change and biodiversity issues. Hardy Tower  140, 7-9 p.m.

Feb. 22 — Globalization of Service Work features a presentation by Rhacel Parrenas, associate professor of Asian American studies at the University of California, Davis.  Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

March 1 — Globalization, Human Rights and Crimes Against Humanity: The Case of Pinochet's Chile features a presentation by Peter Kornbluh, director of the National Security Archive’s Chile Documentation Project. 
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.
                                                             
March 8 — “Who Are the Rulers of the World?” features a presentation by internationally renowned author, lecturer and political analyst Michael Parenti.
Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, Room 280, 7-9 p.m.

March 15 —"Understanding the Terrorist: from Profiling to Pathways" features a presentation by John Horgan, author and lecturer at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Horgan is also senior research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence. 
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9- p.m.

March 22 — Globalization: Transnational Terrorism and Crime features Loretta Napoleoni, the best-selling author of “Terror Incorporated” and “Insurgent Iraq.” She is an expert on financing of terrorism and advises several governments on counter-terrorism.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

April 5 — Global Rise of Religious Violence features Mark Juergensmeyer, director of the Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies and professor of sociology and religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. 
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

April 12 — Globalization and Global Poverty features Pranab Bardhan, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-chair of the MacArthur Foundation-funded network on the “Effects of Inequality on Economic Performance.”
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

April 19 — The Labor of Globalization: How Chinese Workers Confront 21st Century Capitalism features Ching Kwan Lee from Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Studies. 
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

May 3 — Understanding Globalization will feature a roundtable discussion with SDSU political science faculty members Latha Varadarajan, Jonathan Graubart, Ahmet Kuru and Lei Guang. 
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelors degrees in 81 areas, masters degrees in 73 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSUs more than 34,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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