Archive of Events

2023 International Education Week, Nov. 13–16

International Education Week is a nationwide event that focuses on the benefits of international education.

Monday, November 13

Languages Spoken at CCP

Help us illustrate how many languages are spoken by students, staff and faculty at the College. Write hello and welcome in your native language, noting in English what language it is to help others identify it, on boards that will be available outside rooms W1-1, B2-22 and BR-21.

Learn About Studying Abroad in Japan 

Explore how you can study in Japan, and ask about transfer and scholarship opportunities. Ms. Joy Uetake, Admissions counselor for Temple University's Japan Campus, will talk to you about this program and answer questions.

Tuesday, November 14

International Studies Program Information Session

Are you interested in global perspectives, cross-cultural understanding and communication? International Studies might be the major for you! Hear from students, alumni and faculty to learn about how this program can help you get started on the path toward an internationally-connected career. 

Wednesday, November 15

Modern Korean History and the Current Situation on the Korean Peninsula

Hear about the history of Modern Korea from 1910 to contemporary times, and how this history has shaped the current geo-political situation on the Korean peninsula, one of the most important areas in the Indo-Pacific Region. Dr. Seok Lee, associate director for Academics at the James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, will lead the session.
Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, the Kim Center and CCP’s Center for International Understanding 

Domestic Study and Beyond Information Session

Students, we want your feedback! Learn about the College’s study abroad and domestic study trips over the past years, tell us your thoughts about these and future opportunities, and how we can best inform students about study abroad trips. For more information, please contact Lucia Gbaya-Kanga.  

Global Citizen Panel

Are you a “global citizen,” or do you think you might like to become one? Find out about “Global Citizens of CCP,” a new CCP student club that aims to facilitate dialogue among international students and between international and domestic students. 

In collaboration with the International Student Club and the Global Ambassador group, Global Citizens of CCP will be a forum for discussing ideas to enhance the experience of CCP international students, to promote appreciation of other cultures and to discuss real-world issues of global significance.

Club goals:

  • Engage in community service by volunteering at cultural centers around Philadelphia and working with internationally focused organizations, such as those that assist refugees 
  • Promote the benefits of speaking multiple languages to CCP students
  • Helping interested students to find conversation partners 
  • Hosting informal multilingual conversation events

Hosts Candace Vasquez of the Global Citizen Club and Christian T. Adams, Global Ambassador invite you to learn more and share your ideas!

From Philly to Rome: How to Study Abroad at Temple Rome as a Transfer from CCP

Learn about transferring to Temple and studying abroad in Italy from a panel of experts from CCP and Temple.

Watch a recording of this session. Passcode: =M!%A3X4

Thursday, November 16 

Student Scholarships to Study Critical Need Languages: Study Globally

Learn about scholarships to study a critical need language, including the Critical Language Overseas Scholarship, the Critical Language Spark Scholarship, the Gilman-McCain Scholarship, Project GO ROTC, and others. You’ll also get information about requirements and application processes.

 

2023 International Festival

Date

Event Details

April 15 and 16

2023 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival

The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in historic Fairmount Park in the forest of sakura (flowering Japanese cherry trees). Most of the trees here were planted in 1926 as a gift from the people of Japan to mark 150 years of American independence. Community College of Philadelphia is taking part in this year’s Festival, with an information table on “college row,” highlighting information on our courses dealing with Japan and the Japanese language, along with other internationally-focused programs. The family-friendly festival features taiko drumming, multicultural musical performances and more. This year’s event is a return to pre-pandemic form, with a beer garden, marketplace and Japanese cultural activity center popping up on April 15 and 16, 2023 outside of the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The event is free to attend, but those who make an optional donation are automatically entered into a raffle for a few great prizes.

April 17 

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and the Annihilation of Caste - A Lecture by Dr. Kusuma Satyanarayana 

Join us for the first talk in the lecture series, Caste in South Asia: Past & Present. Dr. Satyanarayana will address the role of caste in modern India as seen in the debate between Dr. B. R Ambedkar, Indian jurist and the father of the current Indian Constitution, and Mahatma Gandhi. Dr. Satyanarayana, visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will discuss their debates in the 1930s, Ambedkar's rejoinders to Gandhi, and the relevance of this debate for contemporary India.

The Importance of World Languages for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Winnet 

Community College of Philadelphia has made a strategic commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the College. The study of world languages plays a crucial role in advancing DEI at the College, as well as preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow. Please join Massimo Musumeci, assistant professor and department head for World Languages, to learn about the variety of languages offered at the College, and how they can contribute to career and transfer goals. Students can bring questions about which languages are offered at the College, and how these languages can fit into their academic and career plans.

Djembe: The Art of African Drumming

Join master drummer Pape Demba "Paco" Samb for a hands-on workshop on African drumming. Pape Demba Samb comes from a family that have been griots in his native Senegal for hundreds of years. As a griot, Paco is one of the keepers of the ancestral history, stories and music of his Wolof peoples. As a master hand drummer, Paco not only plays the instruments, but he and his brothers build several types of drums as well. He performs both contemporary and traditional Senegalese music, as well as reggae, rap, funk, jazz, pop, and a variety of other styles. Paco heads his own drum ensemble called Super Ngewel and released his first album in 2014. An internationally acclaimed artist, Paco has performed with many major musicians based in Senegal and the Gambia including Senemaio, Ballet Gorgoru, Dormu Africa, Ballet Ngangan, African Ballet, Katchikaly, Youssou N'Dour Cultural Group, Marie Samuel N'Diaye Group, Batin Band, Laba Sosseh, Moussa Ngom, and Bala Sidibé. Join us to familiarize yourself with African drumming and experience playing traditional African drums.

April 18 

International Scholarship Opportunities Day: Study Globally!

Students and faculty are invited to learn about upcoming opportunities to apply for scholarships to study a critical need language and/or to study abroad. This session will feature a presentation on programs such as the Critical Language Overseas Scholarship, the Critical Language Spark Scholarship, the Gilman Study Abroad Scholarships, the Gilman-McCain Scholarship, Project GO ROTC and others. Two current CCP students were awarded the CLS Spark Scholarship and two students were awarded the CLS Overseas Scholarship for the study of Chinese and Arabic. Join David Prejsnar, director of the College's Center for International Understanding, to learn more about these opportunities.

April 19

 

Rule Through Blood: Kinship, Land and Power in Early India 

Dr. Mekola Gomes of Amherst College will explore some of the roots of power differentiation in ancient India. This is part of the spring lecture series, Caste in South Asia: Past and Present.

 

April 20

 

From Philadelphia to Brazil: A CCP International Studie Major's Journey

 

Are you curious about a career in U.S. diplomacy? Do you want to know what it is like to work and live beyond U.S. borders? If yes, we invite you to listen to Aminata Sy, a graduate of CCP's International Studies program, who will share her journey from being a CCP student to serving as an American diplomat in Brazil. This presentation will help you to figure out if majoring in International Studies is right for you, and will provide practical advice to current International Studies majors.

Speakers: Aminata Sy, Political Officer, U.S. Embassy Brasalia; Ben Baker, International Studies coordinator

Watch a recording of this session. Passcode: yr!Qa92T

 

Music Genres in Japan: From Enka to Exile 


Japan has a variety of music genres.  J-Pop, Kawaii music, Anime music and Game music are among the most popular ones among American students, and not so young Japanese, but have you heard of Enka? Akiko Mori, instructor of Japanese at Community College of Philadelphia, will introduce a wide variety of Japanese music genres along with their history.  She will also talk about U.S. musical influences on Japan’s music scene, and the music of Ryuichi Sakamoto who passed away a few weeks ago.

 

2022

Organized by David Prejsnar, Director, Center for International Understanding 

Date

Event Details

Friday, April 1 

One Philadelphia Author Interview
One Book One Philadelphia author Quiara Alegria Hudes was interviewed, read from her memoir and answered students’ questions. Her work, "My Broken Language" is this year's pick for One Book / One Philadelphia.  Her play "Water by the Spoonful" won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  Quiara is perhaps best known for writing the “book” for the Broadway hit “In the Heights” and adapting the musical for the 2021 film.  She also wrote the script for the animated children’s film “Vivo,” partly set in Cuba.    This event was organized by English Prof. Jeff Markovitz and is co-sponsored by the Liberal Arts and Communications Pathway and the Division of Liberal Studies.

Watch the One Book One Philadelphia Author Talk

Monday, April 4 

Critical Language Scholarship Information Session
Mr. Bo Knutson, Program Officer for the Critical Language Scholarship Program at The American Council for International Education (ACIE) shared a 10-15 presentation on the Critical Language Scholarship Program and answering questions about the program. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a summer study abroad opportunity funded by the U.S. government for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world.

Watch the Critical Language Scholarship Program Information Session

Passcode: ##8^!i@8 

Blue Zones Around the World
Blue Zones are regions from around the world that feature extraordinarily long-lived communities.  This presentation examined a number of these regions and consider how factors such as diet, the environment and a healthy lifestyle may play a key role in these communities. Presented by Prof. Oscar Cabrera.

Watch Blue Zones Around the World

Tuesday, April 5

Human Sacrifice and Ancestor Worship Among the Ancient Maya
The Ancient Maya may have had one of the most complex systems of religious belief of any culture, ancient or modern.  Yet, Maya religious practice included various forms of human sacrifice.  Is there a contradiction here between religious practice and the level of religious sophistication?  Prof. Stan Walling discussed his recent research regarding ancient Maya religion and culture in an effort to answer this question.   (This is the 2022 Diane Freedman Memorial Lecture and the 2022 Spring Religious Studies Lecture)

Watch Human Sacrifice and Ancestor Worship Among the Ancient Maya 

Temple University Japan Virtual Information Session – Learn Japanese, Study Abroad and more!
A virtual webinar, information session where students met with Ms. Ha Nguyen, Admissions Counselor for Temple University's Japan Campus to learn about the opportunities available for study abroad in Japan. Ask about transfer and scholarships opportunities.

There is no recording of this event, however if you wish to learn more about Temple University Japan at the following website, and students can do an extra credit report based on this website: www.tuj.ac.jp

You can also email Ms. Ha Nguyen for more information at ha.nguyen@tuj.temple.edu

 

Wednesday, April 6

Music Genres in Japan: From Enka to Exile
Japan has a variety of music genres.  J-Pop, Kawaii music, Anime music and Game music are among the most popular ones among you and not so young Japanese, but have you heard of J-Reggae, J-Metal or J-Jazz?  How about Enka?  Prof. Akiko Mori, the College’s Japanese instructor, introduced a wide variety of Japanese music genres along with their history.  She also talked about K-Pop and U.S. musical influences on Japan’s music scene.

Watch Music Genres in Japan: From Enka to Exile

Nuclear Tensions & Crafting Peace – Rethinking N. Korea & Our Broken Security Paradigm
Dr. David H. Satterwhite, Director of the CIEE Kyoto Center and Adjunct Faculty in Political Science & Asian Studies to Temple University – Japan Campus (TUJ), will discuss tensions on the Korean Peninsula.  Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high – heightened by missile launches and the DPRK (North Korea’s) nuclear weapon’s program – yet media stereotypes do little to explain why an impoverished nation persists in developing such weaponry, and few give thought to an end-game of reduced threat or peaceful reconciliation.  Korea specialist Dr. Satterwhite’s talk challenges us to envision a Paradigm Shift on the Korean Peninsula – stuck as we are in a broken paradigm since the fighting stopped with an Armistice in 1953, but a perpetual Korean War goes on.  Are you ready to engage in his proposed Paradigm Shift?

Watch Nuclear Tensions & Crafting Peace – Rethinking N. Korea & Our Broken Security Paradigm 

Thursday, April 7

Russia, Ukraine and NATO: Rethinking NATO’s European Defense
In light of Putin’s war of choice (war of aggression) in Ukraine the European community and NATO is radically rethinking what must be done to prevent another such event and future aggression.  Join Prof Gary Mullin, professor of Political Science, to learn more about how NATO and the EU might evolve as they confront the first such war in Europe since World War II.

Russia, Ukraine and NATO: Rethinking NATO’s European Defense

Friday, April 8

Student Global Ambassador’s Program 2022
Community College of Philadelphia’s Study Abroad Program will be offering the Student Global Ambassador’s program this summer 2022.Last year student ambassadors learned about Cambodia, Costa Rica, and South Africa through virtual exchanges, tours, films, and dynamic speakers. Students also received a stipend and credit for the program!  Join Prof. Lucia Gbaya-Kanga, Study Abroad Coordinator, to find out what will be happening in Summer 2022.

Sponsored by the Middle East Center, University of Pennsylvania

Watch Student Global Ambassador’s Program 2022

Monday, April 11

Cultural Diversity in CCP
The annual International Talent Show will feature presentations by our international students and faculty organized by Prof. Mak Khan.

Watch Cultural Diversity in CCP

 

2017

Diversity In The Workplace

Go to MyCCP to view the entire schedule.

Join us for a series of events exploring our global citizenry.

Highlights include:

Date

Event Details

Monday, April 3, 2017

Lecture on Tanzania
6 to 7:30 p.m. | Winnet Student Life Building, Great Hall, Room S2-19 Speaker: Dr. Richard Mshomba, professor of Economics, La Salle University

 

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Using Literature to Enhance Language Skills and International Understanding
10 to 11:20 a.m. | Winnet Student Life Building, Great Hall, Room S2-19 Speaker: Soad Shindy, adjunct Arabic instructor, Community College of Philadelphia

Fair Trade Chocolate and the Need to End Forced Child Labor in the International Chocolate Industry
3 to 4 p.m. | Center for Business and Industry, Room C2-28
Presenters: Ari Bank, assistant professor of English, and members of the International Student Association

 

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Taste the World Event
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Pavilion Building, Klein Cube
Experience cuisine from around the world, prepared by Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students.

South Asian Dance Performance
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Bonnell Building, Large Auditorium, Room BG-2

 

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Diane Freedman Memorial Speaker
11:20 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. | Winnet Student Life Building, Room S2-3
Dr. Frank Chance, adjunct associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will discuss his 1,200 km journey along a route of 88 Buddhist sites in Shikoku, Japan.

 

Friday, April 7, 2017

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul—The Work of Immigrant Architects
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Outside of Center for Business and Industry
Take a walking tour of the historic Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, designed by Scottish and French immigrants. Guides: Michael Stern, assistant professor, Architecture, Design and Construction; and David Prejsnar, assistant professor, History, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Community College of Philadelphia

Social Activist Hip Hop Duo Obsesion
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Winnet Student Life Building, Great Hall, Room S2-19
Obsesion, from Havana, Cuba, will showcase samples of their work and discuss how they have used hip hop as an expression of Cuban culture.

 

Monday, April 10, 2107

Two-part Series on Cuba
10:20 to 11:20 a.m. | Center for Business and Industry, Room C2-28
The Issue of Race in the Cuban Spanish-American and Cuban Independence Wars: Jose Marti/Antonio Maceo/Juan Gualberto Gómez

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Transforming Economic and Cultural Policies of Cuba in the 21st Century: From the Ideology of Fidel Casto and Che Guevara to New Outlooks
Speaker: Enrique Sacerio-Garí, Dorothy Nepper Marshall Professor of Hispanic and Hispanic-American Studies, Bryn Mawr College

Sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Pittsburgh

 

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Italian Colonialism and its Legacies in the Horn of Africa
8 to 9:30 a.m. | Winnet Student Life Building Coffeehouse
Dr. Lee Cassanelli, associate professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, will provide a consideration of why Mussolini invaded Africa in the 1920s and 1940s, and how this era can help us understand aspects of the Middle East and East Africa today.

Sponsored by the Middle East Center, University of Pennsylvania

 

2016

International Center Calendar Spring Semester 2016

World Cultures and Languages Days: Nov. 3-4, 2016

Explore different cultures and languages through a series of discussions and activities. These events have been organized by the Center for International Understanding with generous support from the International Studies degree program, the Foreign Language Department, the Office of Student Life, the College's U.S. Department of Education Title VI project, “Changing Environments in East Africa;” and a partnership with the National Resource Centers (NRCs) of the University of Pennsylvania.

All events held in the Winnet Student Life Building, Room S2-19

World Cultures Day Flyer World Cultures Day Flyer

 

Date

World Cultures and Languages Days: Event Details

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Sustainable Development in East Africa

Center for Business and Industry, Room C2-28

Margareth Awiti, President, Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance, will discuss sustainable development in East Africa and ideas to expand a Community College of Philadelphia partnership to promote clean water, education and women’s welfare in East Africa.

Margareth Awiti was born in Tanzania and came to the United States in 1996. She works as a nurse at the Inglis Foundation, and has long been interested in developing a larger outreach program to help people in Tanzania. The goals of the Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance have grown out of her own experience of life in Tanzania, where as a nurse midwife, she encountered many individuals, especially women and children, who were and still are deprived of human rights, clean water, education, economic well-being and health care.

A Title VI sponsored event.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Politics and Social Change: The Role of Cuban Literature in Revolution

Winnet Student Life Building | Room S2-3

Tania Pérez-Cano, Ph.D., Director, Undergraduate Studies Program, Hispanic Languages and Cultures, University of Pittsburgh, will lead a discussion of the current connections between the U.S. and Cuba through an understanding of Cuba’s Independence Movement and the role of the U.S. in the Spanish-American War. The second hour will explore changing attitudes of Cuban leaders since the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in 1959. Readings showing diverse and changing perspectives over time will be available.

A Title VI partnership between the Center for International Understanding and the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

2015

Center Workshops held at Community College of Philadelphia 

Center for International Understanding Calendar Fall 2015 

January 29, 2015

Reading Hiroshima: World War II in History and Memory

11:20 a.m. - 1 p.m. with faculty discussion 2:15 - 4 p.m.

Professor Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor of history and East Asian Languages and Cultures, Chair, Weatherhead East Asian Institute Publications Program.

March 30, 2015

International Festival "U.S. Policy at a Time of Global Shifts in Power"

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Plenary Speaker
William Burke-White, Richard Perry Professor and Inaugural Director, Perry World House; Deputy Dean and Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania

April 2, 2015

"Religion, Warriors, Power and Prestige in the World of The Tale of the Heike"

11:20 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Featured Speaker
Royall Tyler, Visiting Fellow, Princeton University

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2015 U.S. Department of Education Roundtable Discussion Series in the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

January
15

Thursday 12:15 -1:45 p.m.

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Workshop #1.  Introduction to texts re teaching Carol Gluck's concept of "Global Memory Culture" and films related to Hiroshima / Nagasaki Atomic Bombings.  Discussion of John Hersey's Hiroshima and the role of The New Yorker in publicizing the effects of our atomic bombing as early as 1946. See: Eighty-Five from the Archive: John Hersey - The New Yorker.

January 21

Wednesday, 4 - 5:30 p.m.

Teaching Hiroshima / Nagasaki.  Akiko Mori and David Prejsnar:  "Remembering and Forgetting World War II in Film."  Materials and methods to prepare students for the Japanese Film Series.

January 22

Thursday, 3 - 4:30 p.m.

Teaching English 108 "Academic Reading Across the Disciplines" with a thematic focus on war, peace and Japan.  Work with colleagues "Across the Disciplines."

February
4

Wednesday, 3:45 - 5:15 p.m.

Teaching Approaches to The Tale of the Heike: "The Atsumori Incident in the Tale and in Zeam's Noh Play."

February 12

Thursday, 3 - 5 p.m.

Teaching Approaches to The Tale of the Heike "A Woman's Perspective: The Ending of The Tale of the Heike, "The Initiate's Chapter."

March
17

Tuesday,  1:30 - 3 p.m.

Barry George, Teaching, Creating, Valuing Haiku

April 1

 

Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Eduardo Corral Reading Q &A book signing organized by Prof. Kelly McQuain for International Festival12:30-1:30 Corral Master Class

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2015 Architecture, Construction and Design Professor Michael Stern's Series

Co-Sponsored by the Center for International Understanding and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

January 
23

February
13

March 13

Friday, 3 - 4 p.m. ; 
Erotic Temples of India
Friday, 2 -3 p.m. 
Chinese  Gardens
Friday, 2 - 3 p.m.
Japanese Gardens

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2015 Japanese Film Series Related to Hiroshima-Nagasaki

Film Series: Organized by Akiko Mori, Foreign Language Dept./Japanese, and David Prejsnar, Religious Studies and Humanities.  Community College of Philadelphia is buying these films, so they can also be shown at different times.  The current time schedule supports classes that fit the material into the syllabi.

March 12

Thursday 8 – 9:30 a.m.

Kurosawa’s They Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail

February
25

Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

David Prejsnar Introduces Kurosawa's Dreams

March
30

Monday, (During International Festival) 3 - 5 p.m.

Akiko Mori Introduces:  Grave of the Fireflies

April
8

Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. - 1:40 p.m.

Professor Carol Stein Introduces:  Film Showing of  Black Rain 1989

April
15

Wednesday, 6-7:30 p.m.

Professor Akiko Mori introduces:  The Bells of Nagasaki (Hideo Oba, 1950)

 

2014

ASDP ARCAS Report 2014 - 2015

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