"Ganesa versus Kusilavau: Myths and Reality of the Oral Composition of the Sanskrit Epics"
A special lecture by John Brockington, Emeritus Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Edinburgh. From the South Asia Seminar.
Genocide Conference Panel 2: “Prevention and Response"
This panel will examine the response of home and international communities to acts of genocide. The panel will focus on a variety of responses including legal action, both national and international, social action, and memorialization. It will analyze how these various responses are used to try to stop genocide as it is occurring, restore justice, an
"Muslim Peace Building in Conflict Regions of Southeast Asia"
A historical overview of the situation in southern Thailand and southern Philippines is presented, followed by a discussion on peace building efforts in conflict regions. Panelists give special attention to welfare and security issues in these areas. The panel is moderated by Kikue Hamayotsu (Ph.D., Department of Political Science, Northern Illinois University). Panelists include: Kriya Lanputeh (Yala Islamic University), Abdulghoni Suetair (Prince of Songkla University), Pattama Hamingma (Asian
"Pens and Swords: How the American Mainstream Media Report the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict"
A talk by Marda Dunsky, former Arab affairs reporter for the Jerusalem Post and editor on the national/foreign desk of the Chicago Tribune. As world attention is renewed and refocused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the sixtieth anniversary of its seminal year of 1948, Marda Dunsky takes a close look at how more than two dozen major American print and broadcast outlets have reported the conflict i
"Superclass: The Global Power Elite and the World They are Making"
"Superclass" provides the first in-depth examination of the connections between the global communities of leaders who are at the helm of every major enterprise on the planet and control its greatest wealth. It is an unprecedented examination of the trends within the superclass, which are likely to alter our politics, our institutions, and the shape of the world in which we live. Rothkopf is also the
PGE Distinguished Lecture: "Is Development Sustainable? Not Even Close"
A talk by Robert Repetto. Is development sustainable? Certainly not the way the world is now going about it. Major trends are heading straight toward ecological and human disasters and if they are not changed and changed soon, development efforts will fail for billions of people, comprising mainly the world?s most vulnerable populations. Climate change, water
"Kafka Comes to America: Fighting for Justice in the War on Terror"
"Our government can make you disappear." Those were the words Steven Wax never imagined he would hear himself say. In his twenty-nine years as a public defender, Wax had never had to warn a client that he or she might be taken away to a military brig, or worse, a "black site", one of our country's dreaded secret prisons. How had our country come to this? The disappearance of people happens in places ruled by t
"Challenges for the New Administration in Iraq and Afghanistan"
A talk by Juan Cole.
Juan Cole will discuss the future of U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan beyond the November presidential elections. Juan Cole is Richard P. Mitchell Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan. He has written extensively about Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and South Asia. He studies and writes about contemporary Isl
"The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power"
Writer, film-maker, and leading figure of the international left Tariq Ali speaks about Pakistan, Afghanistan and the future of U.S. involvement in the region. Ali's new book, "The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power", weighs the prospects of those contending for power in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, and demonstrates Pakistan
Research on Microorganisms that Live Off Carbon Dioxide
This video produced by Teachers' Domain features Cathy Drennan, Professor of Chemistry and Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cathy explains that her research focuses on microorganisms that live off carbon dioxide, one of several greenhouse gases that are widely believed to accelerate global warming. Specifically, Cathy is investigating how a protein inside these microorganisms converts carbon dioxide into energy. Ultimately, Cathy hopes humans might apply what they learn from
"Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Dominance in the Middle East"
A talk by Rashid Khalidi.
Rashid Khalidi is Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies and Director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia University, and is among the foremost U.S. historians of the modern Middle East. He is the author of numerous books on the region--several written during his many years on the faculty at the University of Chicago--
Alash Ensemble Concert
A performance by the Alash Ensemble at International House.
Tuvan throat-singing and traditional Tuvan instruments and music.
Sponsored by the Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies.
“'I Am Who I Am': On Being Nostalgic in Sanskrit”
A talk by David Shulman, Renee Lang Professor of Humanistic Studies, Department of Comparative Religion, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. From the South Asia Seminar.
“Invoking Chola and Maratha Pasts in Colonial Thanjavur: King Serfoji II's Reinvention of the Brih
A talk by Indira Viswanathan Peterson, David B. Truman Professor of Asian Studies, Mount Holyoke College. From the South Asia Seminar.
“The Stones of Banaras: Conservation and Colonial Bureaucracy in a Small Indian City”
A talk by Michael Dodson, Associate Professor of History, Indiana University. From the South Asia Seminar.
“The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa”
A talk by American University professor Deborah Brautigam. Is China a rogue donor, as some media pundits suggest? Or is China helping the developing world pave a pathway out of poverty, as the Chinese claim? This well-timed book provides the first comprehensive account of China's aid and economic cooperation overseas. Deborah Brautigam ta
“Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy”
A talk by Columbia University professor Joseph Stiglitz. The current global financial crisis carries a "made in America" label. In "Freefall", Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz explains how America exported bad economics, bad policies, and bad behavior to the rest of the world, only to cobble together a haphazard and ineffective response when
Recycling on the International Space Station
Join engineers at NASA and astronauts on board the International Space Station to learn about the importance of recycling. Find out how NASA is solving the challenge of giving astronauts water to use without wasting any with the new Water Recovery System. (07:21)
“Celling India: The Mobile Phone's Contribution to Capitalism, Democracy and Unsettling Society”
A talk by Robin Jeffrey, Director, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. From the South Asia Seminar.
“Situating the Subaltern in South Asian Medical History”
A keynote address by David Hardiman, History, University of Warwick at the Seventh South Asia Graduate Student Conference. With the support of the Committee on Southern Asian Studies (COSAS), The Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture (CSRPC) and The Center for Gender Studies (CGS).
