February 2020
Haiti 10 Years after the Earthquake with Prof. Adam John
Sponsored by the Diversity, Inclusive, Global Committee of the YMCA Adam John is an Associate Professor of French and Spanish. He holds a Ph.D. in French and Francophone cultures and civilizations from the Pennsylvania State University. Adam M. John is an associate professor of French and Spanish and the director of the interim program in Martinique. His research interests include Haitian literature and culture, French language media and post-colonialism. He teaches courses on the Caribbean, France and French-speaking Africa. To Register:…
Find out more »Fulbright Scholarship Program with Waldo Alvarado
Fulbright Scholarship The Fulbright Scholarship program was established in 1946 under the leadership of then Senator J. William Fulbright. Administered by the Department of State, it is one of several United States cultural exchange programs whose goal is to promote intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between citizens of the United States and other countries. The program has awarded approximately 370,000 scholarships to American and foreign students since the inception. Mr. Waldo Alvarado, Director of Equity and Diversity for the…
Find out more »March 2020
Academic World Quest
Academic World Quest is the flagship youth educational program of the national network of World Affairs Councils. It is a competition, sponsored by the WAC of Greater Reading, in which all local high schools can participate. World Quest subjects change each year but might include: International Affairs, History, Geography, Culture as well as Current Events. There are 10 areas of knowledge with 10 questions in each area for a total of 100 questions. Winners travel to Washington, D.C. to compete against…
Find out more »Half of Heaven: Why Women are Needed in National Security with Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese
Sponsored by Comcast, Inc. International Women's Month speaker: Joan Johnson-Freese Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese is a University Professor, holds the Charles F. Bolden, Jr. Chair in Science, Space & Technology, and is former Chair of the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval War College (NWC). In her faculty capacity she teaches Security Studies to US military officers and security practitioners from the United States and over 50 other countries. She has also been part of the Government Department faculty of…
Find out more »Women in Elective Office: Challenges and Opportunities? with Judy Schwank, Sandy Graffius, and Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz
With the ratification of the 19th Amendment, August 20, 1920, women gained the right to vote in the United States. One hundred years later, women are realizing an increasingly stronger presence in elective offices across Pennsylvania and the nation. A panel of three Berks County elected officials, moderated by Lynn Brown, president, World Affairs Council of Greater Reading, will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing women today in seeking and holding elected office. State Senator Judy Schwank represents Pennsylvania’s 11th…
Find out more »April 2020
Foreign Interference in Democracies: What to Watch in 2020 with Jessica Brandt
Sponsored by Vice Admiral Daniel Cooper, ret USN Jessica Brandt is the Head of Research and Policy at the Alliance for Securing Democracy and a Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Her research interests include international security, multilateral institutions, and the geopolitical consequences of state fragility. Jessica previously served as special adviser to the president in the Executive Office and as an associate fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, an International and Global Affairs fellow at…
Find out more »Ukraine: A Personal Perspective with Dr. Timothy Medianick
Dr. Timothy Medianick, Boulevard Dental Associates, Kenhorst, is a native of Ukraine. One of 10 children, his family immigrated to the United States when he was 13. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Dr. Medianick is a graduate of Messiah College and the Temple University of School of Dentistry. Dr. Medianick has returned to Ukraine twice in recent years to perform much needed dental services and plans another trip this May. He has treated soldiers in a dangerous area of conflict in…
Find out more »May 2020
Turkey’s Challenges with Dr. Oya Dursun Ozkanca
Sponsored by Sudhir Dalal, CPA Dr. Oya Dursun-Ozkanca is the College Professor of International Studies (Endowed Chair) and Professor of Political Science at Elizabethtown College. A native of Turkey, she received her BA in Political Science and International Relations at Bosphorus University in Istanbul, and MA and PhD in Government at the Univesity of Texas in Austin. Her research interests include Turkish foreign policy, tranatlantic security, European politics, the Balkans, and peacebuilding missions. Dr. Dursun-Ozkanca is the author of a…
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