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  • 11 Nov 2009
    BYU's David M. Kennedy Center celebrates international education Nov. 17-20
    • The David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University has listed a series of events to commemorate International Education Week Nov. 16-20:

      Monday, Nov. 16 — Photo Gallery and Awards Reception, 2 p.m., 238 HRCB.

      The new Photo Contest gallery will be unveiled and the student photographers will be honored at a reception where they will discuss their study abroad experiences and the circumstances surrounding the photos they took.

      Tuesday, Nov. 17 — Expand Your World Info Session and Film Screening, 3 p.m., 238 HRCB.

      Enjoy a JDawg and learn how BYU "makes the world our campus" at a screening of the new documentary film, "BYU International Stories," created by the International Vice President's Office. Find out why IIE ranks BYU among the top programs for international study abroad—and how you can plan now to expand your world.

      Wednesday, Nov. 18 — Kennedy Center Lecture, 3 p.m., 238 HRCB.

      "Sudan Before and After 2011: Understanding the Critical Factors Shaping the Future of Sudan"

      with Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, head of mission, Southern Sudan, Washington, D.C.

      Thursday, Nov. 19 — CFR Academic Conference Call, 10 a.m., 237B HRCB.

      "Enhancing Preventative Action" with Gen. John Vessey and Paul B. Stares

      Thursday, Nov. 19 — Kennedy Center Lecture, 2 p.m., 238 HRCB.

      "National Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Career with the National Counterproliferation Center" with Adam Jones, legislative and public affairs advisor, National Counterproliferation Center.

      Friday, Nov. 20 — International Field Studies Lecture, 1 p.m., 238 HRCB.

  • 10 Nov 2009
    International photo contest winners on display beginning Nov. 16

    • At BYU's David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

      The David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies has announced the winners of its Tenth Annual Photo Contest held in conjunction with International Education Week Nov. 16-20.

      A new gallery will be in place for an awards reception Monday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. in the David M. Kennedy Center conference room, 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Participating students will discuss their international study experiences and the circumstances surrounding the photos they took during the 2008-2009 academic year.

      First place and $100 went to David Sharrah for his photo "School Skit" taken in Salkantay, Peru. Sharrah also had an honorable mention entry, "Bubbles."

      Second place and $75 went to Autumn Gardner for her entry "In Preparation" that was taken in Malealea, Lesotho.

      Kathryn Iroz received third-place honors and $50 for "Village Chief Poses" captured in Ghana.

      Honorable mention awards also went to Dannielle Tibbitts, "Twilight at Karnak Temple Ruins"; Kari Stolzenburg, "Austrian Village" and "The Gondolas"; Aimee Garrett, "Art"; Mary Wollenzien, "Eternal Secret"; and Jesús Rosas, "Fresh Catch."

      For more information on international study options, contact International Study Programs, 101 HRCB, (801) 422-3686, isp@byu.edu, or visit kennedy.byu.edu/isp.

  • 4 Nov 2009
    Former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada speaks at BYU Nov. 9
    • The Honorable A. Anne McLellan, former deputy prime minister of Canada, will speak at Brigham Young University’s annual Asael E. and Maydell C. Palmer Canadian Studies Lecture Monday, Nov. 9, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      McLellan’s lecture is “The Future of North American Relations; The Three Amigos: A Friendship Worth Saving?" Admission is free and the public is welcome.

      McLellan now works in the law firm of Bennett Jones LLP, where she provides strategic advice to the firm and its clients. She is also a member of various corporate and community boards, including the board of directors of Nexen, an independent Canadian-based global energy company.

      This year, McLellan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2007, she was awarded with an honorary doctorate of law degree by the University of Alberta. In 2006, McLellan was appointed Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the University of Alberta in the Alberta Institute for American Studies.

      She served four terms as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, serving most recently as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and the first Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in the Government of the Right Honorable Paul Martin. McLellan also served as Minister of Health and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

      The lecture is sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 26 Oct 2009
    Diplomacy and religion topic for BYU lecture Nov. 4
    • C. Randall Paul, founder and president of the Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy, will speak at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Wednesday, Nov. 4, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      Paul’s lecture is “Peaceful Tension Through Respectful Contestation Between Trustworthy Opponents: A Social Psychological Approach to Diplomacy Between Religions.”

      He is currently completing two books, “Fighting about God: Why We Do It and How to Do It Better” and “Converting the Saints: An American Religious Conflict.” He has also had a professional career in the commercial real estate business, receiving the Phoenix Skyline Award for Excellence. Paul received an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate from the University of Chicago.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 20 Oct 2009
    “Arab Women: Perception and Reality” topic for BYU lecture Oct. 23
    • Mona Hamdy, executive director of the Mosaic Foundation, will present “Arab Women: Perception and Reality” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Friday, Oct. 23, at 10 a.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend. Hamdy’s research specializes on a series of essays by prominent Arab women called “Bikinis and Burkas: The Power, Passion and Politics of the Modern Arab Woman.”

      Hamdy was recently appointed executive director of the newly created Earth Village Project. Previously, she worked as associate producer for the Associated Press Television Network-Cairo, was senior editor of Enigma, the Arab world's biggest English-language lifestyle magazine, and worked as assistant director of development at BYU’s FARMS.

      Hamdy received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in political science from the American University in Cairo.

      The Mosaic Foundation is an American charitable and educational organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children, and to increasing awareness and understanding about the peoples of the Arab World in the United States.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 20 Oct 2009
    "Three Cups of Tea" author to speak at BYU forum Oct. 27
    • Greg Mortenson, co-founder of the Central Asia Institute and founder of Pennies for Peace, will give a Brigham Young University forum address titled, “Fighting for Peace through Education,” Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 11:05 a.m. in the Marriott Center.

      Mortenson will speak about his work described in his book, “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time,” which spent 120 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list following its release in January 2007.

      He will also be available for a question-and-answer session immediately following his address in the Marriott Center. The forum will be presented live on the BYU Broadcasting channels. Please note that there will be no rebroadcasts or published copy of Mortenson’s address.

      Born in Minnesota and raised on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania by his missionary parents, Mortenson is a humanitarian and international peacemaker. For 15 years he has been dedicated to promoting education and literacy in rural areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has established more than 90 schools that provide education to more than 34,000 children.

      He is a recipient of several awards for his life’s achievements, including the “Star of Pakistan,” Pakistan’s highest civil award for humanitarian efforts, and the Dayton Literacy Peace Prize in 2007. Last January, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by members of the U.S. Congress.

      Mortenson served in the U.S. Army in Germany and graduated from the University of South Dakota before pursuing graduate studies in neurophysiology.

      For more information, contact Jeffrey D. Keith, associate academic vice president for undergraduate studies, at (801) 422-4331, or visit www.gregmortenson.com.

  • 20 Oct 2009
    Denver Seminary professor to give pair of lectures at BYU Oct. 27-28

    • Richard Hess, scholar of Old Testament and Semitic language

      Richard Hess, a professor of Old Testament and Semitic language at Denver Seminary, will present two lectures during a visit to Brigham Young University.

      Hess will address “What Did the Israelites Really Believe?” for an Ancient Near Eastern Studies Lecture Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. He will also present a Kennedy Center Lecture, “Between the Desert and the Sea: Israel’s Wilderness Journey,” Wednesday, Oct. 28, at noon. Both addresses will take place in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      Admission to both lectures is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

      In addition to teaching, Hess is the director of the Denver Journal, an online theological review, and the Bulletin for Biblical Research. He is also the founder and editor of the Bulletin’s Supplemental Series and is a member of a dozen scholarly societies.

      His current research projects include commentaries on the books of Genesis and Kings, an introduction to the Old Testament, Hebrew grammar and the study of ancient Near Eastern texts related to the Old Testament. Hess has authored eight books, including “Israelite Religions: A Biblical and Archaeological Survey,” and published more than 100 scholarly articles and collected essays in journals such as “Biblica” and “Biblical Archaeologist.”

      Hess holds a doctoral degree from Hebrew Union College, master’s degrees in divinity and theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College. He has also conducted postdoctoral research at universities in Chicago, Jerusalem, Cambridge, Sheffield and Munster and has held grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fulbright organization and Tyndale House, Cambridge.

      These lectures will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 20 Oct 2009
    Spanish ambassador to the United States to address BYU students Oct. 29
    • His Excellency Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo, Spanish ambassador to the United States, will address “Spain-U.S. Relations” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Thursday, Oct. 29, at 11 a.m. in B92 Joseph F. Smith Building.

      De Mazarredo was appointed ambassador in 2008 following a long career in the Foreign Service that began in 1971. He previously served as general secretary of the International Strategy Council of Repsol, ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign and Military Order of Malta and director of the National Center of Intelligence.

      Previously, de Mazarredo served in various postings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including special mission ambassador for foreign policy and common security, general director of political affairs , general director of foreign policy for Africa and the Middle East and deputy general director of North Africa and the Near and Middle East.

      De Mazarredo received degrees in law and in international studies from the Diplomatic School in Spain.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 19 Oct 2009
    Giza archaeology subject for BYU David M. Kennedy Center lecture Oct. 22
    • Jessica Kaiser, chief osteologist at Ancient Egypt Research Associates at the University of California, Berkeley, will present “Graves of the Paupers? The Late Period Cemetery at Giza” during a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Thursday, Oct. 22, at 11 a.m. in 2113 Jesse Knight Building.A native of Sweden, Kaiser will dscribe her research on the Late Period Cemetery of the Giza Plateau Mapping Project for which she has been the chief osteologist since 2000. Kaiser’s special research interests include the social archaeology of funerary remains.

      In 2006, she became a member of the Berkeley Hibeh expedition, and since 2005, she has also been responsible for curriculum development and teaching of the bioarchaeology specialization in Egypt at the Ancient Egypt Research Associates and American Research Center field school in Giza and Luxor.

      Kaiser received a master’s degree in osteology and Egyptology from the University of Stockholm, and has since worked extensively as an osteologist and field archaeologist mainly in Egypt, but also in Sweden and California.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu

      For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 9 Oct 2009
    Ambassadors, author featured at David M. Kennedy Center lectures Oct. 19-23
    • Brigham Young University’s David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies will host a trio of Global Focus Series lectures during the week of Oct. 19-23. Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend.
      • On Monday, Oct. 19, His Excellency Balázs Bokor, Hungarian consul general in Los Angeles, will be addressing “Hungary-U.S. Relations” at 2 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      A native of Budapest, Bokor was appointed consul general in 2007 following a long career in the Foreign Service that began in 1981 as an attaché in the Hungarian embassy in Aden, Yemen. As a diplomat, he has also served in Beirut, Amman, Nicosia and Damascus. Previously, Bokor served as the deputy director general, and later as director general, for the Department of Middle East and Africa and as advisor for the Department of Policy Planning in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bokor holds master’s degrees from Moscow State University of International Relation and Budapest University of Economics.

      • On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Graham Robb, British author, will be presenting “Persecution and French National Identity” at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      Robb has published widely in French literature and history. He is an accomplished writer with many awards for his books, including the “Discovery of France,” based in part on 14.000 miles of cycling in France, was awarded the 2008 Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize. He has also been awarded for his biography “Victor Hugo,” winner of the 1997 Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Award and Whitbread Biography Prize, and his “Rimbaud,” winner of the 2000 Enid McLeod Literature Prize. Robb graduated from Oxford University with first-class honors in French and German. He received a doctoral degree from Vanderbilt University, after which he held a British Academy Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Exeter College.

      • On Friday, Oct. 23, His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki, Japanese ambassador to the U.S., will be addressing “Japan-U.S. Relations” at 3 p.m. in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium.

      Fujisaki was appointed ambassador to the U.S. in 2008. Prior to that, he served as ambassador and permanent representative to the International Organizations in Geneva and as Japan’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, during which time he was also the prime minister's personal representative to the G8 Summit and Japan's chief negotiator for free trade agreements. Previously, Fujisaki served as the director-general of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a diplomat, he has also served in Jakarta, Paris and London.

      For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about the lectures, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 5 Oct 2009
    Egyptian ambassador to the U.S. to speak at BYU Oct. 14
    • His Excellency Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian ambassador to the U.S., will address “Egyptian-U.S. relations” during an Ambassadorial Insights Lecture at Brigham Young University Wednesday, Oct. 14, at noon in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium.

      Shoukry joined the diplomatic corps in 1976. He was appointed Egyptian ambassador to the United States in September 2008, having previously served as Egypt’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva as well as ambassador to Austria and permanent representative to the International Organizations in Vienna.

      His previous appointments include serving as the director of cabinet for the minister of foreign affairs and as secretary for information and follow-up for President Hosni Mubarak. He also served the Egyptian embassies in London and Buenos Aires as well as the Egyptian Permanent Mission in New York.

      In addition, Shoukry headed the Department of the United States and Canada in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shoukry holds a law degree from Ein Shams University.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Erlend Peterson at (801) 422-1803.

  • 2 Oct 2009
    Padma Venkataraman to speak on service Oct. 8 at BYU

    • Daughter of India's former president will discuss work with leper outcasts

      Padma Venkataraman, the daughter of India's former president, will speak on “Making a Difference through Service and Humanitarian Outreach” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Thursday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. in the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center.

      During the lecture Venkataraman will discuss her personal experience working with leper outcasts in India.

      Venkataraman, an economics graduate, is known throughout India for her pioneering work facilitating micro-finance projects in leprosy colonies. Currently, she is working with Rising Star Outreach, a humanitarian organization based in the U.S. that has championed her cause.

      Prior to her partnership with Rising Star, she spent nearly 20 years with the U.N. in Vienna as a permanent representative of the All India Women’s Conference, president of the U.N. Women’s Guild, and vice president of the NGO Committee on Women. Venkataraman is a founding member and current vice president of the Women’s India Association.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 1 Oct 2009
    Women in the African peace process subject of BYU lecture Oct. 7
    • The recipient of the 2008 Right Livelihood Award known as the alternative Nobel Prize, Asha Haji Elmi will present “Sixth Clan in Somalia: Women’s Influence for Peace,” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Wednesday, Oct. 7, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      Elmi formed the Sixth Clan, a women's network after women were excluded from the peace process in Somalia, which involved the five traditional clans. The Sixth Clan won a place in the discussion, and she was selected to the Transitional Federal Parliament of the Republic of Somalia in August 2004 and served until 2009.

      Elmi is also the founder of Save Somali Women and Children, created in 1992 during the height of the Somali Civil War, and is an activist against female genital mutilation. Her activism has been recognized in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, visit the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 1 Oct 2009
    Freedom of speech topic for South African editor at BYU lecture Oct. 6
    • “Freedom of Speech and Press: The Need and the Reasons” will be the topic at a David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies lecture at Brigham Young University Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      Jovial Rantao, editor of The Sunday Independent and deputy editor of The Star newspapers in Johannesburg, will present the lecture.

      Rantao is also the chairman of the South African National Editors’ Forum, a South African organization that promotes freedom of expression. Professionally, he has spent much of his journalistic career at The Star, where he has held the posts of content and executive editor, news editor, political editor and political correspondent.

      Rantao is co-author of the book, “Life and Times of Thabo Mbeki,” a biography of the second post-apartheid president of South Africa. Rantao received a bachelor’s degree in journalism with honors from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on David M. Kennedy Center events, visit the calendar at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 24 Sep 2009
    Chilean ambassador to the U.S. to speak at BYU Oct. 9
    • His Excellency José Goñi, Chilean ambassador to the U.S., will address “U.S.-Chilean Relations,” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Friday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m. in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium.

      Goñi was appointed ambassador to the U.S.in April 2009, having served previously as Chile’s minister of defense and ambassador to Mexico, Italy and Sweden. He also served as the Chilean representative at the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program at the United Nations.

      Previously, Goñi was the director for Europe of the General Directorate for International Economic Affairs, head of the team assigned to negotiate the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union and director of the Stockholm branch of the Chilean Promotion Office for Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland.

      Goñi graduated in business majoring in economics from the University of Concepción in Chile and was a researcher and professor of Latin American economics at the University of Stockholm.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Erlend Peterson at (801) 422-1803.

  • 23 Sep 2009
    Terrorism analyst to discuss global threat Sept. 30 at BYU
    • Terrorism and Homeland Security analyst Ryan Chavez will address “Eight Years Later: Assessing the al-Qaida and Global Terrorist Threat” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Wednesday, Sept. 30, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      Chavez’s discussion will include the contemporary state of the terrorist threat to the United States and worldwide eight years after the Sept. 11 attacks. He will highlight key factors that may impact the evolution of the terrorist threat. Chavez will not be speaking in an official capacity, and the views he will express do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. government.

      Chavez was among the first employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He has almost a decade of experience analyzing terrorism, homeland security and other national security issues for the U.S. government. His research interests include intelligence and military innovation.

      Chavez received a bachelor’s degree in international politics from BYU and a master’s degree in security studies from Georgetown University.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 15 Sep 2009
    "Meaning in Sacred Architecture" subject of BYU lecture Sept. 23
    • “Finding Meaning in Sacred Architecture” will be the topic of an address presented by Val W. Brinkerhoff, associate professor of photography at Brigham Young University, Wednesday, Sept. 23, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. The lecture is free, and the public is welcome.

      Brinkerhoff has authored or co-authored seven books. Three of the most recent centered on unlocking the visual symbolism of sacred architecture, ancient and modern, including that of the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This research has taken him to 40 countries in the last six years, often with students as part of the “Sacred Places” project.

      His fine art print work has been exhibited widely, and his photography and writing have been featured in periodicals including Photo Life, Photo Electronic Imaging, Photo Techniques, Darkroom Photography, PhotoGraphic, Modern Photography, BYU Studies and others. He received a degree in art and design from BYU.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 11 Sep 2009
    Chinese-Korean border topic of BYU lecture Sept. 16
    • Documentary film producer and director Dodge Billingsley will visit Brigham Young University to present a free lecture, “Life Along China’s Korean Border” Wednesday, Sept. 16, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      Billingsley began covering war in 1993, eventually founding Combat Films and Research in 1997. He has since spent much of his time documenting global hotspots including Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Western China and Iraq, splitting his time among producing documentaries, writing and lecturing.

      He is co-writing a book and documentary on the operation commissioned by the U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office. Billingsley also co-wrote, produced, and directed “Immortal Fortress: A Look Inside Chechnya’s Warrior Culture." He is a past recipient of the MacArthur Foundation’s Regional Security Travel Grant for his work in Abkhazia.

      Billingsley received a bachelor’s degree in history from Columbia University and a master’s degree in war studies from King’s College Department of War Studies in London. He has lectured on various security-related topics for the U.S. government and numerous academic institutes in the U.S. and abroad.

      For more information, contact Jeff Ringer at (801) 422-3378.

  • 31 Aug 2009
    The Enlightenment topic for BYU Kennedy Center lecture Sept. 9
    • Terrence James Reed, a fellow of the British Academy, The Göttingen Academy of Sciences and the Jena Collegium Europaeum, will present a free David M. Kennedy Center lecture, “Reversals — Enlightenment and the Movements of the Heavens,” Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building at Brigham Young University.

      Reed’s speech will focus on the 18th-century history of ideas analyzing a wide range of sources from the Bible to the German poet, Bertolt Brecht.

      Reed was also a Fellow at St. John’s College at Oxford after which he held the Taylor Professorship in German at the University of Oxford from 1988 to 2004. In 1999, Reed was the Schiller Professor at the University of Jena and received the Gold Medal of the International Goethe Society in Weimar. In 2003, he was awarded a Humboldt Foundation research prize.

      Reed is the author of many articles and books, including “Thomas Mann: The Uses of Tradition,” the first comprehensive study of Thomas Mann in English. His most recent book on the German Enlightenment will be published in German this year and later in English version.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information please contact Cory Leonard at (801) 422-0382.

  • 28 Aug 2009
    Jordanian Ambassador to the U.S. to speak at BYU Sept. 9
    • His Excellency Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Jordanian Ambassador to the United States and non-resident Ambassador to Mexico, will present a David M. Kennedy Center lecture, “The 60th Anniversary of U.S. – Jordanian Diplomatic Relations,” Wednesday, Sept. 9, at noon in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium at Brigham Young University.

      Prince Zeid was appointed ambassador in 2007. Previously, he served as the Kingdom of Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2000 to 2007. He was also Jordan’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN with the rank of ambassador.

      An expert in international justice, he played a central role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court. In 2002, he was elected the first president of the governing body of the court where he served until November 2005. Prince Zeid also served as a political affairs office in UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia from 1994 to 1996.

      Prince Zeid holds a bachelor's degree from The Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about this lecture, contact Erlend Peterson at 801-422-1802.

  • 30 Jun 2009
    Kennedy Center film series opens window on the world
    • Looking for an innovative way to escape the summer heat? Expand your world beginning Wednesday, July 1, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark building as the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies kicks off “Essential Bollywood—Kennedy Center Summer Film Series.

      ”The summer film series will open with a discussion by Professor Gideon Burton of the English Department, who will discuss the importance of Hindi cinema to help us better understand this window into Mumbai (Bombay). His discussion will be followed by a screening of "Mother India."

      Bollywood produces around 900 films annually, making it the world’s top producer of cinematic entertainment—enjoyed from Africa to the former Soviet Union by a worldwide audience.

      Watch Bollywood develop through 10 films presented through Summer Term 2009 as follows: July 1, Mother India; July 8, Mughal-E-Azam; July 10, Bobby; July 15, Amar Akbar Anthony; July 17, Umrao Jaan; July 22, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge; July 29, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai; 31 July, Devdas; Aug. 5, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai; Aug. 7, Bunty Aur Babli.

      See more information at kennedy.byu.edu.
  • 9 Jun 2009
    U.S. immigration policy subject for BYU lecture June 12
    • Jen Smyers, an associate for Immigration and Refugee Policy for Church World Service, will discuss “Immigration, Refugee Protection and Other U.S. Global Policy Issues at Home” during a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Friday, June 12, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Church World Service is an ecumenical humanitarian organization that extends disaster assistance, social and economic development, and refugee protection to people around the world.

      As chair of the Refugee Council USA Advocacy Committee, Smyers coordinates the work of 25 humanitarian organizations in efforts to increase humanitarian assistance to displaced persons and improve services for resettled refugees.

      Smyers received bachelor’s degrees in law and society and public communication as well as a master’s degree from the American University.

      For more information, visit the Web site at kennedy.byu.edu.
  • 5 Jun 2009
    China migrant workers subject for BYU lecture June 10
    • “The World is Flat — Lessons from China's Migrant Workers” is the subject of a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Wednesday, June 10, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building by Gary Oba, officer-designee, Xiamen/Fujian, U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou.

      Oba will also discuss “Inside the U.S. Foreign Service” that same day at 3 p.m., also in 238 HRCB for students considering Foreign Service careers.

      An experienced diplomat, Oba previously handled political/military issues in the Office of Japanese Affairs at the Office of Japanese Affairs in Washington, D.C. He holds a juris doctorate degree from BYU.

      For more information, visit kennedy.byu.edu or call Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.
  • 29 May 2009
    BYU students participate in Model European Union meet
    • Six students from Brigham Young University participated in the fifth West Coast Model European Union at the European Union Center of Excellence, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington in Seattle. The Model EU is a simulation of a European Council Summit. Teams made up of two undergraduate students play the roles of representatives of EU member state delegations.

      “This year, students negotiated issues that were discussed during the Czech Presidency of the EU, in particular enlargement and energy policy,” said faculty advisor Christopher Jones.

      BYU delegations included Jeffrey Dickamore and Nickolas Wester, Romania; Arielle Badger and Christopher Sorensen, Luxembourg; and Hirgen Bezhani and Spencer Pearce, Italy (head of government and energy minister, respectively).

      “The simulation was a very engaging and stimulating exercise for the students,” said Jones. “In the heads of government sessions, the realities of European politics soon became clear, as despite concerted diplomatic engagement, Silvio Berlusconi was frozen out by the French, British and German delegates."

      "Little Luxembourg punched above her weight and steered much of the morning's deliberations, only to be out-muscled by Greece on the issues of enlargement to FYROM—the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia," he said. "Romania was the proverbial spider in the web of the discussions, both formal and informal, bringing the delegates together on key issues."

      “At the energy minister's meeting, perhaps the more content-rich and productive of the two sessions, BYU's representatives made well-informed contributions to the difficult questions of energy security and dependency, matters that vex the Europeans as much as they do the United States. Their contributions, as with those of all the energy ministers, received special mention at the conclusion of the Summit,” he said.

      “Students who participate gain a more applied understanding of how negotiations and policies at the European Union emerge,” said Cory Leonard, assistant director of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at BYU. “The Center for the Study of Europe sees a great value to students, as the experience is part internship, part seminar — with a chance to develop political and diplomatic skills in the process.”

      For more information regarding Model EU, contact cory_leonard@byu.edu.
  • 22 May 2009
    BYU international law chapter named most improved
    • Brigham Young University’s chapter of the International Law Students Association was selected to receive the “Most Improved Chapter” award for 2008-2009.

      BYU competed with more than 100 chapters internationally and was one of five winners.

      Over the last year, the ILSA chapter at the J. Reuben Clark Law School significantly improved in membership numbers, events and recognition among the student body.

      “ILSA partnered with the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies to bring in interesting speakers and connect with undergraduate students interested in studying international law,” said Kaycee Hulet, ILSA chapter president and chief officer. “Guests have included Husain Haqqani, Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., John Dinkelman, head of the U.S. Consulate in Nogales, Mexico, Diane Card, a private attorney working in international law, and David Nevin, a defense attorney for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the ‘high-value detainees’ at Guantanamo Bay.”

      ILSA members also participated in practices of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition team and observed the Vis International Arbitration Moot team.

      “Some of our events involve networking and informational sessions,” Hulet said. “At our opening social last semester, we invited students and faculty to speak about externship and job opportunities in public and private international law.”

      Members were also invited to participate as volunteers in the annual Law and Religion Symposium hosted at BYU, where they had the opportunity to interact with government and nonprofit leaders and academics from all over the world.

      ILSA has attracted the attention of the administration and the SBA this year and looks to achieve even more progress in the coming year, said Hulet.

      For more information or to join ILSA, see the Web site at http://www.law2.byu.edu/.

  • 1 Apr 2009
    Ukrainian ambassador to UN to address BYU students April 9
    • His Excellency Yuriy A. Sergeyev, Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations, will address “Ukraine-U.S. Relations” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture Thursday, April 9, at 2 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Sergeyev was appointed permanent representative of Ukraine to the U.N. in April 2007, having previously served as ambassador to France, Greece and Albania, as permanent representative to UNESCO and as secretary of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine.

      He speaks English and French and received a doctorate from T. Shevchenko Kyiv State University in Ukraine.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu or contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 1 Apr 2009
    Consul general of Egypt in San Francisco to speak at BYU April 9
    •  His Excellency Hesham Elnakib, consul general of Egypt in San Francisco, will present a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture, “Egypt and the U.S. under the Obama Administration,” Thursday, April 9, at noon in 303 J. Reuben Clark Building. Elnakib has had a distinguished career in diplomatic service. Recently appointed consul general of Egypt in San Francisco, Elnakib is responsible for Egyptian affairs in Arizona, Alaska, California, Idaho, Washington, Utah, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Hawaii and Wyoming.

      His previous appointments have included postings in Washington, D.C.; Vienna, Austria; and Egypt. He has served as director of press and public diplomacy, director of the Press Counselor and Spokesperson of Press and Information Office and director and counselor for the North American Department.

      Fluent in Arabic, English and French, Elnakib received a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in economics from American University in Cairo, a master’s degree in international relations from the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris and a doctorate degree in history from the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Science in Moscow.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu or contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 25 Mar 2009
    American Enterprise Institute scholar to discuss Iran April 1 at BYU
    • Michael Rubin, American Enterprise Institute scholar, will present a David M. Kennedy Center Lecture, “Can Diplomacy Tame Iran?” Wednesday, April 1, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building at Brigham Young University. Rubin is a resident scholar in foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. His major research area is the Middle East, with special focus on Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Kurdish society. He also writes frequently on transformative diplomacy and governance issues.

      At the American Enterprise Institute, Rubin chaired the “Dissent and Reform in the Arab World” conference series and is also lead drafter of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s special report on Iran.

      In addition, Rubin travels to military bases across the United States and Europe to instruct senior U.S. Army and Marine officers deploying to Iraq and Kuwait on issues relating to regional state history and politics, Shiism, the theological basis of extremism and strategy.

      He received a bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s and doctorate degrees in history from Yale University.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu, or contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 24 Mar 2009
    Brazilian diplomats plan lectures at BYU
    • Two Brazilian diplomats, an ambassador and a consul general, will present David M. Kennedy Center lectures at Brigham Young University: • His Excellency Antonio de Aguiar Patriota will present a lecture Tuesday, March 31, at 2 p.m. in the Harold B. Lee Library. He was appointed as ambassador in 2007, having previously served as undersecretary-general for political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chief of staff and secretary for diplomatic planning to the minister of foreign relations.

      He also served as deputy diplomatic adviser to the president of Brazil, adviser to the secretary-general of political affairs, minister counselor at Brazil’s Permanent Mission to the international organizations in Geneva and political counselor at Brazil’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. In addition, Patriota has worked at Brazilian Embassies in Venezuela and China.

      • His Excellency José Alfredo Graça Lima will present a lecture Thursday, April 2, at 11 a.m. in the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center. Lima was recently appointed consul general of Los Angeles.

      Throughout his career of diplomatic service, he has specialized in international economics and trade in positions in Suriname, Brazil, Switzerland and Belgium. He also served as consul general in New York and Brazilian ambassador to Belgium.

      These lectures will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

      For more information about these lectures, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 24 Mar 2009
    BYU students can learn of Foreign Service careers in April 2 lectures
    • Amy J. Hyatt, diplomat in residence at Arizona State University, will present “An Insider’s View of the Foreign Service” to Brigham Young University students Thursday, April 2, in B106 Joseph F. Smith Building. She will discuss “Life in the Foreign Service” from 3 to 4 p.m., and she will give pointers on “Preparing for the Foreign Service Oral Exam” from 5 to 7 p.m.

      Hyatt is a career Foreign Service officer with more than 23 years of experience working for the U.S. Department of State, serving in Washington, D.C., six embassies overseas and now at Arizona State University.

      Her previous assignments include deputy chief of mission and chargé at the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, Finland. She has also served in Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Norway and the Czech Republic.

      Prior to entering the Foreign Service, she was a litigation attorney in San Francisco, having received a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a juris doctorate degree from Stanford and a master’s degree in social science from the National War College at the National Defense University.

      These lectures will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu, or contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 23 Mar 2009
    CIA staff historian to lecture at BYU March 30
    • Nicholas Dujmovic, CIA staff historian, will present a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture, “Can We Know the Truth about CIA History?” Monday, March 30, at 3 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Dujmovic joined the agency in 1990 as an analyst. He has also served as speechwriter to John Deutch and George J. Tenet, former CIA directors, and as editor of the “President's Daily Brief.”

      Prior to his agency career, Dujmovic was a seagoing officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and taught at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

      He received a bachelor’s degree in government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a doctorate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this event, contact Lee Simons at 801-422-2652.

  • 19 Mar 2009
    Pulitzer Prize-winning NY Times reporter to discuss Obama March 27 at BYU
    • Joseph Kahn, the Pulitzer Prize-winning deputy foreign editor for The New York Times, will present a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center Lecture, “The Challenge of Obama in the New World,” Friday, March 27, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Prior to his current assignment, Kahn served as The New York Times Beijing bureau chief, as a reporter in the Washington Bureau and as a reporter on the business desk in New York. Before joining The New York Times, he spent four years as a China correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.

      He also worked as a city desk reporter and foreign correspondent for the Dallas Morning News, where he was part of a team of reporters awarded the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for stories on violence against women around the world. He also received the Pulitzer Prize, the Harry Chapin Media Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for stories about China.

      Kahn received a bachelor’s degree in American history and a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Harvard.

      This lecture is sponsored by The New York Times Educational Partnership and will be archived online. For more information on events hosted by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.
  • 18 Mar 2009
    Early Christian writing topic for David M. Kennedy Center lecture March 19
    • "Writing Christian: Some Observations on the Identification of Early Christian Letters in Egypt" will be the topic presented by Lincoln H. Blumell, a visiting assistant professor Tulane University, on Thursday, March 19, at 11 a.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Blumell’s research interest is ancient Christianity, and he will defend his dissertation, “Lettered Christians: Christians, Letters, and Late Antique Oxyrhynchus,” at the University of Toronto in June.

      He has had a number of refereed publications, including “Reconsidering the Dates of Three Christian Letters” in Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete (2008), “Petition to a Beneficiarius from Late Third Century A.D. Oxyrhynchus” in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (2008) and the forthcoming “A Note on the Meaning of the Term MONOKTISTHS” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik."

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

  • 13 Mar 2009
    U.S. and Third World subject for David M. Kennedy Center lecture March 25
    • Jason C. Parker, assistant professor of history at Texas A&M University, will present a David M. Kennedy Center lecture, “Kipling's Ghost: Decolonization, Public Diplomacy, and the Invention of the Third World,” Wednesday, March 25, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building at Brigham Young University. After teaching for four years at West Virginia University, Parker joined the A&M History Department in 2006. His research interests include U.S. foreign relations, decolonization and the Cold War, race and diplomacy and Caribbean/inter-American affairs.

      He is the author of “Brother's Keeper: The United States, Race, and Empire in the British Caribbean, 1937–1962” and articles in Diplomatic History, International History Review” and the Journal of African American History.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.
  • 12 Mar 2009
    U.S. intelligence failure subject of David M. Kennedy Center lecture March 17
    • Loch K. Johnson, an author and professor of political science at the University of Georgia, will present a David M. Kennedy Center Lecture, “Limiting the Risk of Intelligence Failure,” Tuesday, March 17, at 2 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Johnson’s research interests are the American Presidency, Congress and national security policy, and his expertise lies in the activities of U.S. intelligence agencies.

      Three of his books, “A Season of Inquiry,” “America’s Secret Power” and “Secret Agencies,” display a comprehensive grasp of U.S. intelligence.

      Johnson received the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Award, the University of Georgia’s highest honor for instructors. He was also instrumental in founding the School of Public and International Affairs. He received a doctorate in political science from the University of California-Riverside.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 12 Mar 2009
    BYU professor to discuss Tour de France at lecture March 18
    • Julie R. Hartley, Brigham Young University assistant professor of anthropology, will present a David M. Kennedy Center Lecture, “The Tour de France: Modern Heroes, Mythologized Landscape, and the Ritual Nation” Wednesday, March 18, at 4 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Hartley’s research interests are applied anthropology, anthropology and education, political rhetoric, nationalism, tourism, international development and violence.

      Her publications include “Cultural Tourism in Utah” in “Folklore in Utah: A History and Guide to Resources” and “Triumph of the Commons: The Balance between Heritage Tourism and Sustainable Agriculture in a Swiss Alpine Commune” in the “International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability.”

      She received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and French from BYU, a master’s degree in American studies from Utah State University and a doctorate in anthropology from Columbia University.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 11 Mar 2009
    Russian ambassador to the United Nations at BYU March 16
    • His Excellency Vitaly Churkin, Russian ambassador to the United Nations, will present a briefing on "Russian Foreign Policy" on Monday, March 16, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building at Brigham Young University. His visit will help prepare BYU students who will be participating in the National Model United Nations in New York City in April. The lecture is also open to the community.

      Churkin was appointed the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in 2006 following a long career in the Foreign Service that began in 1974.

      His previous appointments include postings with the UN Security Council; the Barents/Euro-Arctic Council; and as ambassador to Canada, Belgium, NATO, and WEU. He also served as deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation, director of the Information Department and spokesman of the USSR Foreign Ministry, as a special adviser to the USSR Minister of Foreign Affairs, and positions at the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

      Churkin graduated from the Moscow Institute for Foreign Affairs (1974) and received a doctorate in history from the USSR Diplomatic Academy (1981).

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

  • 5 Mar 2009
    UC-Davis professor to discuss Iraqi war in BYU lecture March 18
    • David Simpson, a professor of English at the University of California, Davis, will present a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center lecture, “Running from Liberty Plaza and Running in Baghdad,” Wednesday, March 18, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Simpson joined the faculty of UC-Davis in 1997 after teaching at Columbia, the University of Colorado, Northwestern University and Cambridge. His areas of research and teaching are Romanticism and literary theory.

      He is a member of the editorial board of Cambridge Studies in Romanticism and Modern Language Quarterly. He is also author of several books, including “9/11: The Culture of Commemoration” and “Situatedness or, Why we Keep Saying Where We're Coming From.”

      Simpson received his master’s degree from the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Magdalene College at Cambridge.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 3 Mar 2009
    Thunderbird School of Global Management executive at BYU March 10
    • Tom Brennan, director of Global Recruitment at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, will visit Brigham Young University to speak to students Tuesday, March 10, at 3 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Brennan is a 2005 graduate from Thunderbird’s full-time MBA program. Prior to enrolling at Thunderbird as a student, Brennan worked as an English teacher, as a corporate trainer in China and at an investment company in his home city of Philadelphia. He now lives in Arizona where Thunderbird is located.

      Founded in 1946, Thunderbird is the first and oldest graduate management school focused exclusively on global business. Thunderbird is dedicated to educating global leaders who create sustainable prosperity worldwide. Thunderbird has consistently been ranked No. 1 in international business by the Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report and the Wall Street Journal

      Thunderbird offers graduate programs in global management and global affairs both on site and for working professionals, some of which are available for recent college graduates with less than two years of work experience.

      For more information on David M. Kennedy Center events, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu, or contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 26 Feb 2009
    Annual BYU Hunger Banquet March 6-7 to spotlight global income disparity
    • Brigham Young University’s Students for International Development will host the 19th Annual Hunger Banquet Friday and Saturday, March 6-7, in the Wilkinson Student Center Terrace. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 2, for $7 at the WSC Information Desk, $6 with a college-level textbook published within the last seven years to donate, or $8 at the door. The event is open to the public.

      Attendees will be randomly assigned to sit in a high-, middle- or low-income geographical area and provided a meal corresponding to their assigned income class, creating a visual and culinary representation of the global wealth disparity.

      This year's banquet will include speakers who understand the issues faced by all involved in international development and how to engage in helping with these issues.

      All proceeds from the event will be donated to student-selected aid organizations operating across the globe to relieve the suffering of those in need. Past recipients include Sowers of Hope, Koins for Kenya, Kedesh, Reforestation and Turn International.

      For more information, see the Web site at kennedy.byu.edu/student/SID, or contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 26 Feb 2009
    David M. Kennedy Center hosts annual Inquiry Conference March 3-6
    • Brigham Young University’s David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies will host the 11th annual Inquiry Conference, featuring topics such as development, microlending and literacy, Tuesday through Friday, March 3-6, in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Admission is free and all are invited to attend, especially those interested in cross-cultural or international studies. Daily sessions run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

      This conference is an academic forum for students to present the results of their cross-cultural research and the insights they have gained through field study experiences around the globe. All students who participate in a field study receive faculty mentoring and complete a research paper.

      A schedule of events will be posted online at kennedy.byu.edu/events/inquiry, and the conference will be archived online at the same location for later viewing.

      For more information, see the online schedule or contact inquiryconference@yahoo.com.

  • 20 Feb 2009
    BYU's David M. Kennedy Center plans panel discussion, lecture on Book of Semester
    • William Easterly's “The White Man’s Burden: How the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good,” Four Brigham Young University faculty perspectives on the ideas presented by William Easterly in his book, “The White Man’s Burden: How the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good,” will be given Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.

      The panel discussion is a prelude to the Book of the Semester Lecture featuring William Easterly Thursday, March 5, at 4 p.m. in the Joseph Smith Building auditorium. All are welcome to attend both events.

      Wednesday’s panel will include Randy S. Lewis, professor of chemical engineering; Daniel L. Nielson, associate professor of political science; Frank L. McIntyre, assistant professor of economics; and Joseph Price, assistant professor of economics.

      Easterly is an economics professor at New York University and co-director of NYU’s Development Research Institute. He is also a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and co-editor of the “Journal of Development Economics.”

      “Foreign Policy” magazine named Easterly one of the world’s “Top 100 Public Intellectuals” in 2008. His areas of expertise are the determinants of long-run economic growth, the political economy of development and the effectiveness of foreign aid. He has worked most heavily in Africa, Latin America and Russia.

      These events will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about these events, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.
  • 20 Feb 2009
    South African ambassador to U.S. at BYU lecture March 4
    • His Excellency Welile Nhlapo, South African ambassador to the United States, will speak on “South Africa Today: Challenges and Opportunities” Wednesday, March 4, at noon in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium at Brigham Young University. Nhlapo was appointed ambassador to the U.S. in 2007, having served previously as ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa since 1995.

      During his term in Addis Ababa, Nhlapo served as South Africa’s nonresident ambassador to Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan. In 1997, he was appointed South Africa’s special envoy on Burundi.

      Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nhlapo was active in the South African Students Organization, co-authoring the publication “Black Review” on the activities of black organizations. After receiving a banning order in 1973, he went into exile to Botswana, where he joined the African National Congress.

      Nhlapo was a part of the South African delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York when South Africa was readmitted to the world body in 1994, after which he became director of the Africa Division in the Department of Political Affairs at the UN.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 19 Feb 2009
    Careers in foreign service subject of BYU lecture Feb. 26
    • "Inside the Foreign Service: Getting In and Thriving as a Diplomat" will be the topic of discussion for a David M. Kennedy Center lecture on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building at Brigham Young University. 

      Guest speaker Andy Wilson is a career diplomat with 15 years of service in Taiwan, Japan, China and Turkey.

      Wilson is now a political officer in Kabul, Afghanistan, working on political/military affairs. Prior to joining the diplomatic corp, he received master's degrees in Asian studies from the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu.

  • 18 Feb 2009
    "Global Car" documentary to be featured at BYU lecture Nov. 25
    • Dodge Billingsley, documentary film producer and director, will present a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies lecture, “Making of ‘Global Car’: The Director’s Perspective,” Wednesday, Feb. 25, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. “Global Car” is the most recent film in the “Beyond the Border” series, films of international scope that Billingsley has been producing for the David M. Kennedy Center.

      Billingsley began covering war in 1993, eventually founding Combat Films and Research in 1997. He has spent time documenting global hotspots including South Ossetia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. He is currently co-writing a book and documentary on the operation commissioned by the U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office.

      A frequent contributor to various defense and security-related journals, he has a recent article, “Weaponizing the Story: Chechen and Russian Media Operations 1994 to the Present,” that will appear in the spring issue of the “Harriman Review.”

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about the lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 17 Feb 2009
    Visitor to discuss indigenous communities of Chihuahua at BYU lecture Feb. 20
    • Horacio Echavarría González will present “Pobreza entre las Pueblos Indigenas de Chihuahua” at a David M. Kennedy Center Lecture on Friday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. The lecture will be given in Spanish. This lecture is part of the “Conference on Poverty and Development in Indigenous Communities: The Case of the Tarahumara.”

      Echavarría works among the indigenous communities in the Sierra Tarahumara of Chihuahua, where he focuses on the environmental impact of economic activities and the social conditions of the population.

      For the past ten years, he has been a researcher at the Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios en Investigacion Intercultural, an organization where he now serves as president. Licensed in social sciences, with a master’s degree in educational research, Echavarría has provided service in public and private schools for twenty-seven years.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on David M. Kennedy Center events, please see the web site at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 13 Feb 2009
    BYU students conduct 19th Annual BYUMUN Conference for Utah public school students
    • High school and junior high students from around Utah gathered on Saturday, Jan. 24, to participate in the 19th annual BYU Model United Nations Conference, wholly organized by BYU’s MUN team. Utah students spent the day in committee sessions, where they represented various countries from around the world as delegations to the United Nations and its various organs. The delegates had opportunities to give speeches, write resolutions and form alliances in order to pass the resolutions they considered most appropriate to the problems their committees were assigned to deal with.

      Marie Kulbeth, director of the Human Rights Council, noted that the delegates on her committee improved throughout the day. “At the beginning, a few students were outspoken and dominated the group, but as they continued to work together and become more invested in the outcome, all of the delegates participated more fully,” she said.

      Overall awards were given for the schools whose delegations performed well across the committees. The Outstanding Awards went to Lakeridge Junior High, West High School and Woods Cross High School, and faculty awards were given to Jenny Nichols of West High and David Hansen of Springville Junior High. The conference also awarded five Distinguished Delegation awards and ten Honorable Mentions.

      BYU students who organized this conference consider it an excellent opportunity to increase global awareness and practical skills in Utah’s youth as well as to hone their own skills for the April National MUN Conference in New York.

      “A necessary part of every learning process is to teach what you have learned to others,” said Carl Brinton, director for the Crisis Committee. “BYUMUN is the perfect opportunity for BYU students to reach out to the community and teach the next generation of MUN delegates.”

      The conference began with a keynote address by Aaron Sherinian, managing director for public affairs for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Brooke Gregg, the faculty advisor for Woods Cross High School, appreciated Sherinian’s comments on poverty., “It was the best keynote I have heard at BYUMUN. Mr. Sherinian involved the students in his message and helped them understand the timeliness of the issues they had come to discuss.”

      Later in the day, three guest speakers focused on topics tailored to specific committees. Frank McIntyre spoke to students on the issues of development and technology; Matthew Stearmer from the WomanStats Project presented issues of gender equality; and James Parkinson addressed human rights as discussed in his book Soldier Slaves.

      “The BYUMUN Conference went very smoothly," said Drew Ludlow, conference director. "Our students as well as the delegates worked hard and were rewarded by participating in one of the best MUN conferences BYU has hosted.”

      For more information on Model United Nations, please see the web site at kennedy.byu.edu/student/modelun/munmain.php.

  • 11 Feb 2009
    NPR producer, BYU alumnus to discuss Iraq coverage at BYU lecture Feb. 19
    • Dianna Douglas, national desk producer at National Public Radio, will present a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center Lecture, “Dispatches from the Red Zone — National Public Radio's Baghdad Bureau Chief on Covering the Iraq War,” Thursday, Feb. 19, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Douglas has reported from across the nation and around the world. She served as NPR's bureau chief in Baghdad, covering the American occupation and its effects on Iraq and shared in the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award that NPR won for its coverage of the war in Iraq.

      Her productions include the signature pieces heard on NPR’s award-winning news magazines “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” including long-format investigations and breaking news stories on everything from hurricanes to immigration and elections to social justice.

      Douglas received a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from BYU in 2002. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and a former LDS missionary in Rome, Italy, she now lives in Washington, D.C.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 9 Feb 2009
    Afghanistan, Iraq subjects of David M. Kennedy Center lecture Feb. 18
    • Adam Fife will present “Afghanistan, Iraq and Counterinsurgency: Similarities, Differences and the Way Forward” at a Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center Lecture Wednesday, Feb. 18, at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Fife is the director of unconventional solutions for a U.S. government services provider, where he works with various U.S. agencies in new approaches to countering terrorism and insurgencies worldwide.

      He works throughout the Horn of Africa, Middle East and Southwest Asia to better understand the complex problem sets that face counterinsurgency practitioners. Previously, he worked in Iraq with Multi-National Force-Iraq as a senior strategic communications adviser and advised senior policy makers, U.S. government officials, military commanders and politicians in communications and policy implementation strategy.

      Fife received a bachelor’s degree in international studies from BYU and a master’s degree from the University of Utah.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about the lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 2 Feb 2009
    Contemporary Jerusalem topic for David M. Kennedy lecture Feb. 11
    • “Contemporary Jerusalem: Between Confrontation and Conciliation” will be the topic of a David M. Kennedy Center Lecture by Daniel Seidemann Wednesday, Feb. 11, at noon in the Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium. Seidemann is the founder and legal advisor for Ir Amim, a nonprofit association dedicated to an equitable, stable and sustainable Jerusalem. He has been a practicing attorney in Jerusalem and a partner in a firm specializing in commercial law since 1987.

      In 2001, he successfully filed suit to the Israel Supreme Court, requiring the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israeli Ministry of Education to provide adequate educational facilities and services to the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.

      He has served as lead counsel of Ir Shalem, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to the development of Jerusalem, participated in Track II talks on Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians and specialized in legal and public issues in east Jerusalem.

      A native of Syracuse, New York, and a graduate of Cornell University, he emigrated to Israel in 1973.

      This lecture will be archived online. For a complete schedule of David M. Kennedy Center events, visit kennedy.byu.edu. For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652 or lee_simons@byu.edu.

  • 2 Feb 2009
    Eurasian energy, national security subject for BYU lecture Feb. 11
    • Roger D. Kangas, a professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., will present a David M. Kennedy Center Lecture, “Please Don’t Turn Out the Lights: Eurasian Energy and National Security,” Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building at Brigham Young University. Kangas works with programs on terrorism and transnational threats. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and has written articles and book chapters on central Asian politics and security. His latest work is “Playing Solitaire: Competing National Security Strategies in Central Asia.”

      From 1999 to 2007, he was a professor of central Asian studies at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

      This lecture will be archived online. For more information on events sponsored by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, see the calendar online at kennedy.byu.edu. For more information about this lecture, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652.

  • 15 Jan 2009
    Olympic Games subject ot BYU David M. Kennedy Center leture Jan. 28
    • Corry L. Cropper, Brigham Young University associate professor of French studies, will present a David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies lecture titled “The Olympic Games: European Elitism for the Masses” Wednesday, Jan. 28, at noon in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium. In his latest book, “Playing at Monarchy: Sport as Metaphor in Nineteenth-Century France,” he examines the ways sports and games are metaphorically used to defend and subvert, to praise and mock, both class and political power structures.

      His research interests include 19th-century Mérimée literature, political criticism and French sports and games. He is the author of several articles published in “Nineteenth-Century French Studies,” the “French Review” and “French Literature Series.”

      Cropper received a bachelor’s degree from BYU and a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Illinois.

      This lecture will be archived online. For a complete schedule of David M. Kennedy Center events, visit kennedy.byu.edu. For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652 or lee_simons@byu.edu.
  • 15 Jan 2009
    Foreign aid subject of David M. Kennedy Center address Jan. 23
    • Brigham Young University’s David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies will host a lecture on U.S. foreign aid by Aaron H. Sherinian titled “Why We Do It; Why It Matters; New Approaches” Friday, Jan. 23, at noon in B-092 Joseph F. Smith Building. As managing director for public affairs in the Department of Congressional and Public Affairs at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Sherinian manages strategic relationships with media outlets and the organization’s ongoing outreach efforts with stakeholders and public institutions.

      Prior to this assignment, he served as press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador. His diplomatic experience also includes serving as deputy political and economic chief at the U.S. Embassy in Armenia and in the political and consular sections of the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica. He also served at U.S. Missions in Colombia and the Holy See (Vatican).

      A native of Pasadena, Calif., he received degrees from BYU and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

      This lecture will be archived online. For a complete schedule of David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies events, visit kennedy.byu.edu. For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652 or lee_simons@byu.edu.
  • 15 Jan 2009
    “Is U.S. a Declining Superpower?? topic for David M. Kennedy Center lecture Jan. 21
    • Earl H. Fry, Brigham Young University political science professor and Canadian studies coordinator, will present a Global Awareness Lecture titled “Is the United States a Declining Superpower?” Wednesday, Jan. 21, at noon in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium. Fry recently returned to the United States after directing BYU’s academic study abroad program in Paris. He served as a Fulbright lecturer at the Sorbonne, as director of International Education and Canadian studies at SUNY Plattsburgh and as a special assistant in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, specializing in international investment issues and U.S.-Canadian trade relations.

      His many publications include “The Decline of the American Superpower” in Forum: A Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics and “The Long Road to Free Trade” in Policy Options.

      He has made presentations on international and regional trade, investment, economic development and foreign policy issues to business and academic audiences in Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.

      This lecture will be archived online. For a complete schedule of David M. Kennedy Center events, visit kennedy.byu.edu. For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652 or lee_simons@byu.edu.

  • 12 Jan 2009
    International Study Programs Winter Fair at BYU Jan. 15
    • The Brigham Young University David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies will host an International Study Programs Winter Fair Thursday, Jan. 15, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Herald R. Clark Building. Former program participants and directors will speak to students about the specific department-sponsored programs.

      “For the vast majority of ISP participants, their international experience leads to greater graduate school or career potential,” said T. Lynn Elliott, ISP director.

      ISP manages all credit-bearing international study for BYU. College deans and department chairs interested in adding international study to their academic programs are invited to contact Elliott at (801) 422-6244, or visit the administrative offices in 204 HRCB.

      Students can direct questions about the application process to facilitators in the Student Services office located in 280 HRCB. Students are encouraged to plan early to incorporate an international experience into their curricula. Financial aid options are available for qualifying students.

      For more international study program information, visit kennedy.byu.edu/isp.

  • 12 Jan 2009
    “The Rule of Law in a Time of Terror? topic for BYU lecture Jan. 14
    • David Nevin, adjunct professor of trial practice from the University of Idaho College of Law, will present a Global Awareness Lecture titled “The Rule of Law in a Time of Terror” Wednesday, Jan. 14 at noon in the Harold B. Lee Library auditorium. Nevin has defended criminal cases in Idaho, the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years. He obtained acquittals in a number of high profile prosecutions that included issues of civil rights and government overreaching, including the 1993 Ruby Ridge case and the recent terrorism prosecution of a Saudi Arabian graduate student, Sami Omar Al-Hussayen.

      He was a deputy Ada County Public Defender in Boise, Idaho, for three years before forming his present firm in 1983. After law school, he served as an instructor of law at the University of Toledo College of Law in Toledo, Ohio, and as a law clerk for the Honorable Joseph J. McFadden, Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court.

      Nevin received a bachelor’s degree in English from Colorado State University and a law degree from the University of Idaho in 1978.

      This lecture will be archived online. For a complete schedule of Kennedy Center events, visit kennedy.byu.edu. For more information, contact Lee Simons at (801) 422-2652 or lee_simons@byu.edu.
 
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