International Education associate director, 308.865.8946
During International Education Week (IEW) at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, participants can learn about terrorism, drug-rings, capitalism and even hear a speech by Nebraska’s lieutenant governor.
Part of a nationwide effort, the IEW activities held on the UNK campus will take place Monday-Friday, Nov. 13-17. All events are free and open to the public.
The first IEW event is a presentation by Capt. Cesar Barrera, a 17-year veteran with the Bogota Police, on Monday. He will begin his talk, titled “Drugs and the Influence of International Terrorist Groups on Colombia,” at 3:30 p.m. in Copeland Hall Room 140.
The UNK International Center and the James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs will host Barrera’s speech.
On Tuesday, Colombia is also the focus of a presentation given by UNK assistant professor of political science Dr. William Aviles. Dr. Aviles will begin “Global Capitalism, Democracy and Civil-Military Relations in Colombia” at 4:30 p.m. in Thomas Hall Room 107.
Sponsors for this IEW event are the Department of English and the World Affairs Conference.
Wednesday is host to the Phi Beta Delta induction ceremony. The ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Cedar Room. Phi Beta Delta is an international honor society.
The International Education reception is scheduled for Thursday. Sponsored by the UNK International Center, the event will feature Kearney Mayor Galen Hadley and will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Ockinga Conference Room.
During Friday, two events will be held for IEW. The first is the “Proclamation of International Education Week by Gov. Dave Heinemen,” which will be done as a speech given by Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy. The presentation will take place at 10:15 a.m. on the second floor balcony of the Nebraskan Student Union.
The final activity for IEW at UNK is “Mini World Cup” exhibition soccer. This event begins at 3 p.m. at Foster Field and is hosted by the Japanese Association at Kearney, International Student Association and the Hispanic Student Association.
Throughout IEW at UNK, international flags will be on display at various campus locations, and a poster detailing all the events will be visible in the Nebraskan Student Union Atrium.
The seventh annual IEW is a joint effort by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education to spotlight the educational exchange between America and other countries. The theme this year is “International Education: Engaging in Global Partnerships and Opportunities.” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings have both issued statements regarding IEW.
“IEW provides schools, universities, communities, nonprofit organizations, and businesses across the United States and abroad the opportunity to recognize and encourage international educational exchange,” Rice said. “Each year, more than 550,000 students from all over the world come to the United States to study in order to gain a better understanding of this country. They return to their home countries to share their experiences and develop careers that build on the knowledge and insights they gain at our colleges and universities.”
“More than ever, success in the world depends on what you know, not where you live,” Spelling said. “Technology has leveled the playing field and ‘flattened’ the world. It has shown the value of math, science and other subjects in high demand across the globe. And it has illustrated the importance of foreign languages in communicating, and forming partnerships with citizens from other cultures and countries.”
For more information about IEW, log-on to: iew.state.gov.
