News Archive

Clark Center Director, Prof. Balas, PhD (Coordinator, International Studies), presented on India-China Rivalry at A.V. Kamalamma College for Women, Davangere, Karnataka, India
September 14, 2020

On September 14, 2020, Prof. Alexandru Balas gave a webinar presentation titled "Himalayan Rivalry: India-China Relations" via JioMeet to approximately 200 participants as part of an event organized by the A.V. Kamalamma College for Women, Davangere, Karnataka, India. This was the first international webinar organized by the A.V. Kamalamma College for Women in its 74 years of existence. The webinar was introduced by Prof. Shivaprakash P.S., Principal of the College, and Dr. B.P. Kumar, Associate Professor and Head of Department, History, and the vote of thanks was given by Dr. Anuradha P.M., Head of Department, English Department. The event was covered in several Indian newspapers including Vijaya Karnataka and Prajavani:

Clark Center Director, Prof. Balas (Coordinator, International Studies), gave 15 public lectures in India
March 30, 2020

During a 10 days trip in January 2020, Prof. Balas gave 15 public lectures at 6 different institutions of higher education in India (St. Aloysius College, St. Aloysius Institute of Management and Information Technology, University of Mangalore, Civil Service Academy Mangalore, Karnataka Theological Research Institute, and St. Joseph College Bangalore). The list of public lectures is below:

"Global Conflict and Peace Levels: An Assessment”, St. Joseph College, Bangalore, India, January 2020

“The History of European Union Integration”, St. Joseph College, Bangalore, India, January 2020

“India’s Contributions to Peacekeeping Operations”, St. Joseph College, Bangalore, India, January 2020

“Global Conflict and Peace Levels: An Assessment”, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“Conflicts and Security in South Asia”, Karnataka Theological Research Institute, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“European Union – Its History and Politics”, Civil Service Academy, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“United Nations, International Law and Genocide”, Political Science Department, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“US Under the Trump Administration”, Political Science Department, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“Conflicts and Security in South Asia”, Psychology Department, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“EU-India Relations”, Political Science Department, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“India’s Contributions to Peacekeeping Operations”, University College, Mangalore University, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“Eurocrisis and EU Integration”, Business Administration Department, St. Aloysius Institute of Management and Information Technology, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“Cybersecurity”, Information Technology Department, St. Aloysius Institute of Management and Information Technology, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“History and the Politics of European Integration”, History Department, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, January 2020

“Conflict and Security in South Asia”, Political Science Department, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India, January 2020

4th Annual European Union Day Keynote Address @ SUNY Cortland:
Brexit: In or Out? Implications for the EU, the U.K., and the U.S.

Lecture by Laurie Buonanno, Ph.D. (Professor, Political Science, SUNY Buffalo State) 
April 16, 2019 

SUNY Cortland Sesquicentennial Event

Date and Location: Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. in Sperry Center, Room 204

After years of acrimony between pro- and anti-EU forces in the British electorate, in 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron called for an “In/Out” referendum in which a majority voted to “Leave.” The UK has been expected to exit the EU on March 29, 2019, however PM Theresa May’s agreement with the EU for an “orderly” exit was soundly defeated by the House of Commons. The lecture begins with the “state of play,” followed by a deep dive into the UK’s history as the EU’s “awkward partner,” the different post-BREXIT scenarios, and implications for EU and US political and economic security.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

This event is organized by the Clark Center for Global Engagement with support from the SUNY Cortland Sesquicentennial Committee and the International Studies Program

This event is part of the SUNY Cortland Sesquicentennial

COIL Press Release-Stevens Initiative Grants
April 11, 2016

Working as an International Diplomat

Lecture by Ionut Lacusta, Career Diplomat and Foreign Policy Analyst 
November 21, 2014 

Working as an International Diplomat

Lecture by Ionut Lacusta

Career Diplomat and Foreign Policy Advisor; MA in Public Administration candidate, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Friday, November 20th at 12:45p.m.

Old Main 230 

Ionut Lacusta will share his experience as an international diplomat. What do you need to become a diplomat? What should you focus on in your college years? What tools do you need in your toolset to achieve this dream? What is it like to work as a diplomat? What are the challenges and what are the benefits?

Sponsored by the Clark Center for International Education, the International Studies Program, the Project on Eastern and Central Europe (PECE), the Department of Political Science, and the Campus Artist and Lecture Series

For more information about this talk, please check the press release here 

1989-2014. Berlin Wall to Ukraine. From Cold War to Cold War? 
Lecture by Ionut Lacusta, Career Diplomat and Foreign Policy Analyst
November 20, 2014

1989 – 2014 Berlin Wall to Ukraine From Cold War to Cold War?

Lecture by Ionut Lacusta

Career Diplomat and Foreign Policy Advisor; MA in Public Administration candidate, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Thursday, November 20th at 4:30p.m.

Moffett Center 2125

2014 marks 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe. A native of the region, Ionut Lacusta will assess the changes that occurred in the past quarter of a century in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.

A reception will follow the talk at 5:45p.m. in Moffett Lobby. All are welcome!

Sponsored by the Clark Center for International Education, the International Studies Program, the Project on Eastern and Central Europe (PECE), the Department of Political Science, and the Campus Artist and Lecture Series

For more information about this talk, please check the press release here 

Taijiquan & Qiqong: The Ancient Chinese Path to Wellness
Lecture by Master Jesse Tsao
September 5, 2014

Date: September 5 @ 7:30pm, Sperry Room 205 

Sponsors: Philosophy Department; Center for Ethics, Peace, and Social Justice; Physical Education Department; Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies Department; President's Office; Campus Artist and Lecture Series, Faculty Development Small Grant, Clark Center for International Education

Tai Chi Master Jesse Tsao is a former champion from China with over 40 years of Tai Chi experience. Master Tsao has a PhD in Wushu from Shanghai Sport University. He is an internationally known Tai Chi master, Qiqong therapist, and alternative medicine and wellness consultant, and is the founder of Tai Chi Healthways. He specializes in the areas of self-healing, preventive therapies, stress management and min-body wellness. He has made regular teaching tours internationally since 2005 to Germany, France, England, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Russia, and Greece.

Inside the International Criminal Court: A Prosecutor's View
Lecture by Karen Corrie, Prosecutor's Office, International Criminal Court and Fordham University
May 1, 2014

Date: May 1^st @ 7PM ; Location: Old Main 209

Sponsored by:  The Political Science Department, The Clark Center for International Education, and the SUNY Cortland College Arts and Lecture Series 

Karen L. Corrie is a litigator with experience in domestic and international criminal and human rights law.  She currently teaches courses at Fordham as well as serving as an advisor to the President of the International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties.  Previously, Karen Corrie was an associate analyst and associate trial lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

One Year with Pope Francis
Lecture by Bishop Emeritus Matthew M. Clark
March 18, 2014

On Tuesday, March 18^th starting at 5pm in Moffett 2125, Bishop Emeritus Matthew H. Clark will lead a discussion about the Pope who has captivated the world’s attention over the course of the past year.  Pope Francis’ outlook on hot-button issues like homosexuality, the role of women & the global sexual abuse crisis will be covered in relation to how they stand to impact the future of the Catholic Church.

 The event is sponsored by the O’Heron Newman Catholic Chapel and the Clark Center for International Education

2014-2015 Activities

Want to Study Abroad in Germany? Undergraduate and Graduate Opportunities
Presentation by Vera Axyonova, Fulda University & Hugh Anderson, International Programs Office, SUNY Cortland
March 3, 2014

Are you an undergraduate or graduate student who is curious about studying abroad?  Would you like to learn more about German culture, language, and customs?  Well here is your chance to hear about SUNY Cortland’s partnership with Fulda University directly from a Fulda representative visiting our campus.  Come to this talk to get a sense of what this opportunity would mean for you financially, educationally and otherwise!

Democratization in Eastern Europe and Central Asia 25 Years On
Vera Axyonova, Fulda University, Germany
March 3, 2014

    

Vera Axyonova lecturing about democratization  Prof. Henry Steck offers a Red Dragons gift to Ver Axyonova            

On March 4th, 2014 Dr. Vera Axyonova held her lecture "The Process of Democratization in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: 25 Years On." Dr. Axyonova is a distinguished scholar, a speaker of many languages, and an expert on the subject. She shed light on the non-linear process of democratization in both Central Asia and Eastern Europe that has been occurring since the fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago. Dr. Axyonova's presentation paid particular attention to the relationship between a country's identification with the European Union and its overall willingness to move toward democracy.

Putin's Games. Sports, Society, Politics, and Economics 
February 10, 2014

On February 10^th the Clark Center for International Education, the Department of Kinesiology, and the Department of Sports Management collaborated in hosting “Putin’s Games.” Over fifty guests joined together in Corey Union’s Fireplace Lounge to watch panelists Dr. Yomee Lee, Dr. Ted Fay, Dr. Susan Rayl, and Dr. Jing Huang to discuss what goes on behind the scenes of the Olympic Games. The event was moderated by Alexandru Balas, Director of the Clark Center for International Education. Specific topics that were discussed include the expansive nature of the Olympics over the years, the enormous cost of this year’s Sochi Olympics, China’s improvement in the Games, and the debt that is left in the hands of local taxpayers after the event concludes. Overall, this successful event was an eye-opening experience for its attendees, allowing them to see beyond what is televised and look at the Olympic Games through a more critical lens.

Putin's Games. Sports, Society, Politics, and Economics 
February 10, 2014

Interested learning about what goes on behind the scenes during the Olympics? Come to the Clark Center for International Education’s event “Putin’s Games: Sports, Society, Politics, and Economy.” It will be held on Monday, February 10th at 3 PM in Corey Union’s Fireplace Lounge. Panelists Dr. Yomee Lee, Dr. Ted Fay, Dr. Susan Rayl, and Dr. Jing Huang will be discussing issues that stem from the Olympic Games. Dr. Alexandru Balas will be moderating the event. The Clark Center for International Education, the Department of Kinesiology and the Department of Sport Management are the sponsors of this event.

We hope to see you there!

An International Career with the United Nations
Catherine Bertini, former Director of the UN's World Food Programme
February 13, 2014

The Clark Center for International Education hosted an event in which the former Director of the World Food Programme, Catherine Bertini, discussed international careers to an audience of over sixty individuals. By 1992 she became the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, and from 2003-2005 she began to work for the UN under the Secretary General for Management. She began by providing the attendees with an overview of her experience working internationally, such as the time in which she and her colleagues were dropping food out of airplanes for the hungry in Sudan during a time of violence. After telling her story about working internationally, Bertini then explained the various career opportunities offered by the United Nations, noting the requirements one needs to fulfill to be considered for these jobs. Bertini’s lecture not only proved the audience that they, too, can change the world, but also informed attendees how to go about doing so.

An International Career with the United Nations
Catherine Bertini, former Director of the UN's World Food Programme
February 13, 2014

Considering a career in international affairs? Interested in global organizations such as the World Food Programme? SUNY Cortland’s International Studies Program and Clark Center for International Education will be hosting “An International Career with the United Nations,” featuring Catherine Bertini, the former director of the World Food Programme. Join us on February 13th at 4:30 PM in Moffett, room 2125. 

Clark Center's Council Member Marley Barduhn, Global Fellow @ SUNY Office of Global Affairs
November 21, 2013

The Clark Center for International Education would like to congratulate our Clark Center Council colleague, Dr. Marley Barduhn, who was invited to serve as a Global Fellow in the SUNY Office of Global Affairs. The scope of Marley's work as a Global Fellow will include: a) conducting a baseline system-wide assessment of globalization of teacher and educational leader preparation programs; b) creating a pre-conference or targeted session at the COIL Conference in NYC in March 2014; and c) exploring ways to enhance electronic means of communication focused on increasing global competence of faculty, staff, and students.

Luckily for SUNY Cortland, Marley will continue to be based at SUNY Cortland and will continue her current work on an education-related initiative between SUNY Cortland and the University of the West Indies.

Marley, congratulations and thank you for the great work on internationalization you're doing on our campus and throughout the SUNY system.

Successful International Celebration Month 2013 @ SUNY Cortland
November 21, 2013

From October 21 to November 20, 2013, SUNY Cortland was the host of the International Celebration Month. The Clark Center for International Education is the focal point for the International Celebration Month activities, but more than 20 different units on campus have organized events during this period. The events took the students, faculty, and community members on journeys to explore the Arab Spring in the Middle East, life in East Germany as portrayed in movies, Bollywood and South Korean music, gender studies in Ghana, life of a Guatemalan Mayan family, and potential international jobs. The Clark Center would like to thank all the participants, organizers, and sponsors of these events that show how valued international education is on the SUNY Cortland Campus.

As every year, the Clark Center for International Education has bestowed the Clark Center Internationalization Award to a member of our community that has done an impressive work to promote international education at SUNY Cortland and in the community. The 2013 recipient of the Clark Center Internationalization Award is Sharon Steadman, Professor of Anthropology in the Sociology/Anthropology Department at SUNY Cortland. Sharon Steadman is the Director of the Prehistoric Project at Cadir Hoyuk (a combined ethnographic and archaeological study in central Turkey) and one of the leaders of the World First Learning Community at SUNY Cortland. Until August 2013 she coordinated the International Studies Program and was the Interim Director of the Clark Center for International Education. Professor Steadman has worked tirelessly to promote internationalization and international education at SUNY Cortland. Below is a photo of Professor Steadman with the Internationalization Award received at the Closing Reception of the International Celebration Month 2013.

Alexandru Balas, Director of the Clark Center for International Education, Sharon Steadman, the recipient of the Clark Center Internationalization Award, and Mary Schlarb, Director of the International Programs Office

Larbi Touaf Talk - "The Arab Spring Between Secularism and Religion"
November 21, 2013

On October 21, Larbi Touaf, Visiting Fulbright Scholar at SUNY-Cortland and Associate Professor, Universite Mohammed I Oujda, Morocco opened SUNY Cortland's International Celebration Month with a talk titled "The Arab Spring Between Secularism and Religion". His talk presented an overview of the Arab Spring events and focused on three case studies: Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. Prof. Touaf presented the model of the Moroccan approach to the Arab Spring that allowed this country to avoid violence and bloodshed. The event was organized at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3), as part of a cooperation between the Clark Center of International Education and the Institute for Civic Engagement at SUNY Cortland and the Global Initiatives Council & the Social Science Department, TC3. The Clark Center for International Education would like to thank Professor David Flaten from TC3 for his hospitality and help in organizing this event. Below are some photos from this talk than gathered approximately 35 faculty members and students.

        
Larbi Touaf Talking About the Arab Spring in Egypt    

The Impact of the Free Trade Treaty, GMOs, and Seed Banks on Farmers in Guatemala
November 13, 2013

Tuesday, Nov 19, 12-1pm ; Old Main 220, Colloquium             

Presented by members of the Macario-Saquic family, Guatemalan-Mayan farmers

Sponsored by: Clark Center for International Education, La Familia Latina & Latino and Latin American Studies (LLAS) @ SUNY Cortland;  Global Initiatives Council & Social Science Department @ TC3

Food Security, Farming, the WTO and CAFTA.  As a necessary element to human survival, food is a human right. Small, local family farms are the bedrock of traditional rural communities and global food security- the ability of countries to produce the food they need to survive. Yet the global food supply is increasingly falling under the control of giant multinational corporations. Large agribusinesses have rewritten the rules of the global agricultural economy, using “free trade” agreements to turn food into a commodity for profit rather than a human right. What is the impact of CAFTA on local farmers’ lives in Guatemala? How do all these global agricultural policies impact the daily lives of farmers in Guatemala?

Syrian Scholar talks to International Relations students via Skype
September 30, 2013

On September 30, 2013, Katty AlHayek, a Syrian scholar at Ohio University, gave a short lecture via Skype to students in the International Relations, POL 250 course, taught by Alexandru Balas, Assistant Professor of International Studies. Katty AlHayek received her BA in Media and Journalism from Damascus University (2008) and will receiver her MA in Communication and Development from Ohio University (2014). She is the recipient of the prestigious Open Society Foundation Fellowship MEROL (Middle East Rule of Law) for 2012-2014. Previously she has worked for the Geneva Institute for Human Rights (2010-2012), was the editor-in-chief of a Syrian magazine, Frog, and represented the Syrian Women’s Network at the United Nations session on “Women and the political process in Syria -how to promote their inclusion and participation”, held in United Nations Plaza in New York, June 13, 2013.

During her Skyped-in lecture, she provided a personal analysis of the conflict and the potential for sectarian violence and gave several examples from her family's experience about what is going on in Syria. She also provided some suggestions about how the international community should address this conflict in a non-violent way. The students were very interested in the topic and had numerous questions for the guest speaker. This activity was linked to an assignment that the students were asked to write.

Conflict in Syria: How Should the U.S. Respond?
September 18, 2013

On September 18, 2013, The Clark Center for International Education together with the Institute for Civic Engagement and the Center for Ethics, Peace, and Social Justice (CEPS) organized a teach-in panel titled “Conflict in Syria: How Should the U.S. Respond? The event gathered three SUNY Cortland scholars to discuss about the implications of the current civil war in Syria for U.S. foreign-policy decision-making. The panel was moderated by Richard Kendrick, Director, Institute for Civic Engagement & Professor, Department of Sociology/Anthropology.

Larbi Touaf, Fullbright Scholar at SUNY Cortland & Associate Professor, Universite Mohammed I Oujda, Morocco gave an excellent overview of the historical elements of the conflict and placed the Syrian conflict in the larger framework of the Arab Spring. Alexandru Balas, Director, Clark Center for International Education & Coordinator, International Studies Program presented a conflict analysis of the major actors and the type of activities a third party, like the United Nations, could take. Andrew Fitz-Gibbon, Director, Center for Ethics, Peace and Social Justice (CEPS) & Chair, Department of Philosophy presented some options for peace and social justice that should be at the forefront of any type of third party intervention in the Syrian conflict.

The event gathered approximately 60 participants and was also featured in the local media.(http://www.wbng.com/story/32983628/clearing-up-the-syrian-conflict).

The panel "Conflict in Syria: How Should the U.S. Respond?" co-organized by the Clark Center for International Education was featured in the local media

http://www.wbng.com/story/32983628/clearing-up-the-syrian-conflict
September 25, 2013

Alexandru Balas Heads Clark Center 
September 13, 2013