Learn about international opportunities as last year’s Fulbright recipients and international scholars share their experiences with you. All presentations will take place 12-12:50 in Fenton Hall English
Reading room (Fenton 127). Drinks provided.
1. Monday, February 4 – Ann Deakin, Department of Geosciences,
Tomsk: An Eclectic Urban Experience in Western Siberia.
As the intellectual capital of Siberia, Tomsk is home to eight universities and attracts large numbers of students from China, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and Vietnam. While many of the permanent residents of Tomsk trace their families’ Siberian roots to the Stalinist repression, the city itself was founded in 1604 when Tsar Boris Gudonov granted protection to the local Tatar population from Kyrgyz incursions. Professor Deakin will share her experience living and working in this historic and intellectual urban center on the West Siberian Plain.
2. Monday, March 4 – Melissa Mallaber, graduate student, Department of English
Why Study Abroad?
Have you ever dreamed of studying abroad, but thought it was out of reach? If you have the desire to learn about history and culture, in a foreign land, turn your dreams into reality and study abroad.
Fredonia State University offers wonderful opportunities to travel, and Melissa recommends that you take advantage of these programs. She applied for a scholarship to London, and had the greatest experience of her life! It can happen to you, too. She can show you how.
3. Monday, April 8– Richard Jankowski, Department of Political Science
Economic Development and the Role of Culture in Japan and China
Max Weber argued that the economic development, and dominance of the West, was due to a unique
Protestant ethic. I examine whether the Protestant ethic has parallels in Confucian Japan and
China. Recent scholars have argued that nationalism and risk-taking are alternative cultural explanations of the economic rise of Japan and China, and why other countries have not developed their economies. I review the cultural explanations, and contrast them to explanations based on the political and economic institutions of a country.
4. Monday, May 6 – Guangyu Tan, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Migrant Workers and The Rising Urban Poverty in China.
The presentation first reviews the historical background of the internal migration movement and its impact on China’s economy as well as on urbanization. It further describes the hardships and challenges migrant workers are facing. Finally, this presentation discusses the emotional and economic toll that urban poverty takes on the migrant workers, their family, and Chinese society in the context of social stability and future economic sustainability.