Global Reach

Amal Khoury, an assistant professor in the Department of Global Studies, will present “The Middle East: Regional Disorder” as part of the 2019 Great Decisions Lecture Series. This free, public presentation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the International House, 1817 Central Ave. 

Annette Schavan, former federal minister of education and research in Germany, will present “Engaging Students to be Catalysts for Innovation” at 11 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 14, in the Popp Martin Student Union, Multipurpose Room.

Schavan, who also served as the German ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican), is a former member of the German-Federal Parliament. She spent much of her political and professional life in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, a center for many of the country’s mid-sized companies, including Daimler AG, Porsche, Bosch, Zeiss and Zap.

James Walsh from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs will present “The National Opioid Crisis” at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center, Salon D.

Walsh was appointed the bureau’s principal deputy assistant secretary in September 2018. In his UNC Charlotte talk, he will address the global dimensions and international implications of the opioid crisis and the drug trade.

Beth Whitaker, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, will discuss “Refugees and Global Migration” as the second speaker for the 2019 Great Decisions Lecture Series. This free, public presentation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 6, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

Alexa Royden, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Sociology at Queens University, will present “Cyber Conflict and Geopolitics” at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 30, at UNC Charlotte Center City. This presentation is the first in the University’s 2019 Great Decisions Lecture Series.

Daniel Mulhall, the ambassador of Ireland to the United States, will present “A Virtuous Circle: Ireland, the EU and the U.S.” at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center, Salon A.

Mulhall became the 18th ambassador of Ireland to the United States in August 2017. His initial appointments were in India, Austria, the European Union and Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2005, while Ireland’s Ambassador to Malaysia, he was conferred with an honorary fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland for his work in connection with the Asian tsunami.

International Education Week is Nov. 12-16, and the Office of International Programs, in collaboration with campus partners, will offer programming that highlights the role that colleges play in shaping global awareness.

A full calendar of UNC Charlotte’s International Education Week events is online, but below are highlights of the observance.

During Saturday’s International Festival, the Office of International Programs will spread the message via video and social media that international students are welcome at UNC Charlotte. The University is among a number of higher education institutions in the United States participating in the social media awareness campaign #YouAreWelcomeHere; the effort is designed to affirm that participating institutions are diverse, friendly, safe and committed to student development.

The city of Charlotte has a rich, cultural heritage, and its ethnic communities continue to flourish. For more than 40 years, UNC Charlotte has celebrated its global population through its International Festival. Its core message – all are welcome here.

Kirsti Kauppi, ambassador of Finland to the United States, will present “Transatlantic Relations: A Finnish Perspective” at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3, in the Cone University Center, Room 208, as part of the Fall 2018 International Speaker Series.