Upcoming Events

 

Please join Community College of Philadelphia’s

Center for International Understanding
For the 37th Annual International Festival
April 1 – 11, 2022

 
Friday, April 1, 12:40 – 2 p.m. | One Book / One Philadelphia Author Interview

Join Us on Zoom 

One Book One Philadelphia author Quiara Alegría Hudes will read from her memoir and answer audience questions. Her work, My Broken Language is this year's pick for One Book/One Philadelphia. Hudes won the Pulitzer Prize for her 2011 play, Water by the Spoonful, and co-wrote the Tony Award winning-musical and later film adaptation, In the Heights, with Lin-Manuel Miranda. She also wrote the script for the animated children’s film, Vivo, partly set in Cuba. This event was organized Jeff Markovitz, associate professor of English, and is co-sponsored by the Liberal Arts and Communications Pathway and the Division of Liberal Studies.


Monday, April 4, 12:30 p.m. | Critical Language Scholarship Information Session

Join Us on Zoom | Meeting ID: 864 1476 5730 | Passcode: 290382

Mr. Bo Knutson, program officer for the Critical Language Scholarship Program at The American Council for International Education (ACIE), will be sharing a 10-15 presentation on the Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS) and answering questions about the program. The 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.


Monday, April 4, 2 p.m. | Blue Zones Around the World

Join Us on Zoom 

Oscar Cabrera, assistant professor of Foreign Languages, will give a presentation on Blue Zones, regions from around the world that feature extraordinarily long-lived communities. This presentation will examine 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.


Tuesday, April 5, 1 p.m. | Human Sacrifice and Ancestor Worship Among the Ancient Mayan

Join Us on Zoom 

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? Stanley Walling, associate professor of Social Science, will discuss his recent research regarding ancient Mayan religion and culture in an effort to answer this question. (Faculty, this is the 2022 Diane Freedman Memorial Lecture and the 2022 Spring Religious Studies Lecture.)


Tuesday, April 5, 7 p.m. | Temple University Japan Virtual Information Session

Join Us on Zoom 

Learn Japanese, study abroad and more! Students, attend this virtual information session to meet with Ms. Ha Nguyen, admissions counselor for Temple University's Japan Campus, and learn about the opportunities available for YOU to study in Japan! Ask about transfer and scholarships opportunities.


Wednesday, April 6, 2:30 p.m. | Music Genres in Japan: From Enka to Exile

Join Us on Zoom 

Japan has a variety of music genres. J-Pop, Kawaii, Anime and Game music are among the most popular ones among young (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, will introduce a wide variety of Japanese music genres along with their history. She will also talk about K-Pop and U.S. musical influences on Japan’s music scene.


Wednesday, April 6, 8 p.m. | Nuclear Tensions and Crafting Peace: Rethinking North Korea and Our Broken Security Paradigm

Join Us on Zoom 

Dr. David H. Satterwhite, director of the CIEE Kyoto Center and adjunct faculty in Political Science and Asian Studies at Temple University Japan Campus, will discuss tensions on the Korean Peninsula.  Heightened by missile launches and the DPRK (North Korea’s nuclear weapon’s program), tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high, 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. Dr. Satterwhite’s talk will challenge us to envision a paradigm shift on the Korean Peninsula. Are you ready to engage in his proposed paradigm shift?


Thursday, April 7, 1 p.m. | Russia, Ukraine and NATO: Rethinking NATO’s European Defense

Join Us on Zoom 

In light of Putin’s war of choice (war of aggression) in Ukraine, the European community and NATO are radically rethinking what must be done to prevent another such event and future aggression. Join Gary Mullin, associate 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.


Friday, April 8, 1:30 p.m. | Student Global Ambassador’s Program 2022

Join Us on Zoom 

Community College of Philadelphia’s Study Abroad program will be offering the Student Global Ambassador’s program in 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 Lucia Gbaya-Kanga, assistant professor of English and Study Abroad coordinator, to find out what will be happening in summer 2022.


Monday, April 11, 1:30 p.m. | Cultural Diversity in CCP

Join Us on Zoom 

The annual International Talent Show will feature presentations by our international students and faculty. Organized by Mak Khan, assistant professor of English.