Every year Kennesaw State University picks a country to study in-depth over the course of several events. This semester wraps up the “Year of Russia” with a two-day celebration on March 16 and 17.
The symposium, titled “U.S.-Russia Relations in Global Context,” will feature several keynote speakers covering topics like Russian ideology, economy and foreign policy. The main focus will be Russian and U.S. relations, as well as Russia’s important place in the world.
“We want students to understand and appreciate the global context that we live in,” said Dan Paracka, director of campus internationalization within the Division of Global Affairs.
“[Russia] is the largest country in the world, and so it’s important to think about the relationship that the United States has with Russia,” he said, “but also within this larger context of understanding, Russia’s important place in the world and in world affairs in general.”
The event, which was co-sponsored by Georgia Tech and the Atlanta Council on International Relations, is part of the Annual Country Study Program. Each year, one country is selected as the theme for campus-wide study opportunities, events, activities and classes, with a special focus on arts and culture.
At least 10 people from Russia will be in attendance at the symposium, including a group of students from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations that will be speaking at the event.
“If you want to be a responsible global citizen, and make informed decisions, that means voting for elected officials who do represent us in global forums and global affairs,” Paracka said.
The symposium will last all day on Thursday, March 16, and run through the morning of Friday, March 17. This will include a lunch and dinner for those who registered online for the event.
The deadline for registration is March 10, and the cost is $50 for students and $85 for faculty. Students who register will also be given a free ticket to the KSU theatre department’s production of Anton Chekov’s “Three Sisters,” the last event on the symposium’s Thursday itinerary.
Any student not registered for the symposium can still attend non-meal events for free. The symposium is specially designed to fit class schedules. The first day of the symposium will be held at KSU Center, and the second will be at Wardlaw Center at Georgia Tech.
For more information on the many “Year of Russia” events, visit the Division of Global Affairs/ website at http://dga.kennesaw.edu/yearof/russia/index.php.
