Guest Speakers and the World

In Lessons from the Killing Fields: Resolving Racial Conflict in the World, Knight Sor discusses his life and how science and he became a global peacemaker who loves quantum physics. Knight Sor serves as a conciliation specialist with the United States Department of Justice – Community Relations Service (CRS). In this capacity, he assists advocacy & civil rights groups, schools & universities, law enforcement jurisdictions, and diverse communities in responding to intergroup tension or specific acts of intolerance. Knight is a naturalized U.S. citizen, having emigrated as a refugee from war-torn Cambodia in 1979; he spent his critical childhood years in the Khmer Rouge concentration camp, where about 80 percent of his family had been killed, whether through execution or starvation. He studied physics and American history at Penn State and then international relations at the University of Denver – Joseph Korbel’s School of International Politics, where he received recognition for his graduate thesis on South Africa as a race-based state which led him to his current profession as a peacemaking conciliation specialist. As a peacemaker, Knight Sor has worked with diverse communities that are in conflict not only in the U.S., but also in Germany, Cambodia, and South Africa with the end goal of helping communities resolve conflict, improve relations, and foster cooperation through trust building. This means having to work with all kinds of people and controversial groups to protect and preserve individual First Amendment and/or their natural rights. Although he’s not religious, he subscribes to the Buddhist notion that In the End, only three things matter: How much you love, How gently you live, and How gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

Dr. Josée Lavoie presents The Canada Health Act, Medicare and the Care of First Nations. At this event, Dr. Josée Lavoi explains how Canadian health care works, and where improvements could be made to better meet the healthcare needs of all Canadians. (Note, the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) The Canada Health Act 1984 (CHA) is considered foundational to Canada’s publicly funded health care system (known as Medicare). The CHA provides for the federal transfer of funding to the provinces/territories, in exchange for provincial/territorial adherence to Medicare’s key principles of universality, comprehensiveness, portability, accessibility, and public administration. Medicare is a decentralized health care system, managed independently by Canada’s 10 provincial and three territorial governments, allowing for regional adaptations to fit varying degrees of urbanity, remoteness and needs. The Act extends care to Indigenous Canadians (first Nations, Métis and Inuit). The Act is however silent on its relationship to the Indigenous health care system – what some have described as Canada’s 14th health care system. The CHA has not kept pace with Indigenous self-government activities that have since spread across Canada. It has unfortunately crystallized the federal/provincial/territorial/Indigenous jurisdictional fragmentation that perpetuates health inequities and has failed to clarify these jurisdictions’ obligations towards Indigenous peoples. Dr. Josée Lavoie is of French Quebec ancestry, raised in northern Quebec isolated communities. She is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Canada and Director of Ongomiizwin Research. A Fulbright Arctic Scholar from 2018-19, she holds a PhD in Health Policy and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.

Dr. Josée Lavoie explains how Canadian health care works, and where improvements could be made to better meet the healthcare needs of all Canadians. (Note, the presentation that accompanies the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) The Canada Health Act 1984 (CHA) is considered foundational to Canada’s publicly funded health care system (known as Medicare). The CHA provides for the federal transfer of funding to the provinces/territories, in exchange for provincial/territorial adherence to Medicare’s key principles of universality, comprehensiveness, portability, accessibility, and public administration. Medicare is a decentralized health care system, managed independently by Canada’s 10 provincial and three territorial governments, allowing for regional adaptations to fit varying degrees of urbanity, remoteness and needs. The Act extends care to Indigenous Canadians (First Nations, Métis and Inuit). The Act is however silent on its relationship to the Indigenous health care system – what some have described as Canada’s 14th health care system. The CHA has not kept pace with Indigenous self-government activities that have since spread across Canada. It has unfortunately crystallized the federal/provincial/territorial/Indigenous jurisdictional fragmentation that perpetuates health inequities and has failed to clarify these jurisdictions’ obligations towards Indigenous peoples. Dr.Josée Lavoie is of French Quebec ancestry, raised in northern Quebec isolated communities. She is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Canada and Director of Ongomiizwin Research. A Fulbright Arctic Scholar from 2018-19, she holds a PhD in Health Policy and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. This event is sponsored with the UAA Division of Population Health Sciences, Master of Public Health Program.

Participants in the Multicultural Pre-Professoriate Fellowship (MPF) Program Spring Diversity Dialogue discuss their research. . Guest speakers are Anita Moore-Nall (5:46-34:15), Heidi Senungetuk (34:36-1:05:15), and Amana Mbise (1:05:44-1:35:08). Anita Moore-Nall (Health Sciences/ Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies) presents her research for a medical geology text book on water issues that affect Indigenous People of North America. Heidi Senungetuk (Alaska Native Studies) presents Sounding Indigenous: Contemporary Inupiaq Expressions which highlights the creativity of the Kingikmiut Singers and Dancers of Anchorage. Amana Mbise (Social Work) presents his work on children's rights and rights based approaches to working with children. His PhD research looked at the adoption of rights based approaches by child rights NGO's in Tanzania. This event is sponsored by the UAA Faculty Senate Diversity Committee and is hosted by Thomas Chung (UAA Art Dept.).

In 2017, in celebration of their 70th year birthdays, Ken and Kathy Privratsky walked roughly 600 miles, with backpacks, from France across northern Spain --on the famous pilgrimage route Camino Francés to the Atlantic Ocean. Their adventure, as detailed in their recently released book Every Step Together on the Camino Santiago, is highlighted including how they prepared, what they carried, where they stayed and more. Also, their plans to “do it all again” in 2019 will be shared. Ken and Kathy Privratsky have lived in Alaska for over 25 years. Ken is a retired U.S. Army major general and transportation executive. Kathy, also retired, is an assistive technology and communications specialist, co-founder and former Executive Director of Assistive Technology of Alaska.

Kirill Ole Thompson presents Delving into the Daxue (Great Learning) with Zhu Xi: The Way to Moral Clarity, Ethical Efficacy and Deeper Resonance. Intoduction by Dr. Annie Zeng (1:27-6:16). (Note sound lappses at 15:17-16:18; 35:07-35:48; 47:54-49:44) In the round table discussion offered at the UAA Campus Bookstore, Kirill Ole Thompson discusses Zhu Xi’s work called Great Learning, which investigates the relationship between mind purification and moral institutions. Within this focus, Kirill Ole Thompson examines the Book of Change & Songs of the South and the way appropriate judgments and responses are made. Kirill Ole Thompson is Professor of Foreign Languages & Literature at Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities & Social Sciences, National Taiwan University. He specializes in Chinese philosophy, Zhu Xi (1130-1200) and the Song-Ming Neo Confucian masters. Currently, his research includes investigating the implications in traditional Chinese philosophy regarding the environment and climate change. This event is sponsored by UAA Confucius Institute, UAA Philosophy Department, UAA Office of the Provost, and UAA Campus Bookstore,and Moose's Tooth.

Dr. Kaoru Iokibe presents Distance, Time, Crossroad, and Expansion: Basic Elements of the Modern Japanese History. Dr. Kaoru Iokibe is Professor at University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics. His research focuses on the political and diplomatic history of modern Japan. At this event, he presents a provocative and insightful analysis of the history of Modern Japan. Dr. Kaoru Iokibe is author of two books, one about the formation of the opposition party in Japan ( 2003) and the second about Meiji Japan’s restoration of sovereignty through the revision of “unequal treatises” (2010). His third book, Renegotiating Japan's Unequal Treaties: A Window on Late Nineteenth-Century Diplomacy is forthcoming in 2019. Currently, Dr. Kaoru Iokibe’s is studying the history of political lies and challenges to them in the form of rhetoric and literature. This event is sponsored with Consular Office of Japan, Anchorage and the UAA Department of History.

Xue Tao (768-831 A.D.) was a well-known poet in an age when all men of learning were poets and almost all women were illiterate. At this time, Xue Tao also possessed other identities that achieved her a legendary life coupled with meandering love during the Tang dynasty. Summer Hu, who teaches at the UAA Confucius Institute, reads and explains Xue Tao poems taken from the bilingual collection The Brocade River Poems, translated Jeanne Larsen. (Note, from 18:55-22:18 the music played is from the video House of Flying Daggers and the Q & A period starts at 45:30.) The extraordinary life of Xue Tao, as a poet, courtesan, government official, and printmaker continues to fascinate people all over the world. (The presentation that accompanies the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) This event is a joint effort between UAA Confucius Institute and UAA Campus Bookstore.

This is the presentation for the event about the life and poetry of the legendary Chinese poetess and courtesan, Xue Tao who lived from 768-831 A.D.. (The audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) Xue Tao was a well-known poet in an age when all men of learning were poets and almost all women were illiterate. At this time, Xue Tao also possessed other identities that achieved her a legendary life coupled with meandering love during the Tang dynasty. Summer Hu, who teaches at the UAA Confucius Institute, reads and explains Xue Tao poems taken from the bilingual collection The Brocade River Poems, translated Jeanne Larsen. (Note, from 18:55-22:18 the music played is from the video House of Flying Daggers and the Q & A period starts at 45:30.) The extraordinary life of Xue Tao, as a poet, courtesan, government official, and printmaker continues to fascinate people all over the world.

Jorge Madrazo-Cuellaris is Director of the UNAM-Seattle Center for Mexican Studies (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) and the UNAM Program to Support Mexicans Abroad. In addition, he is the President of the United States Chapter of the Iberoamerican Institute of Constitutional Law and Vice President of Community Relations at Sea Mar Community Health Centers. From 1996-2000 he was Attorney General of Mexico and from 2001-2006, he served as Consul of Mexico in Seattle. This event is a unique opportunity to learn about Human Rights in Mexico and how UNAM is executing practices/programs to help migrant communities. It is sponsored with Sol de Medianoche and Itzel Yarger-Zagal.

This is part 2 of Dr. Daniel Wang-Yi Jiao presents Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Nutrition Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. Dr. Daniel Wang-Yi Jiao is Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He is a graduate from Beijing University and received his DAOM from American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (ACTCM) in 2009. For nine years, he served as commissioner and chair for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and served for twelve years on the board of directors for ACTCM. Everyone is encouraged to learn about TCM theories and their contemporary application to health care. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

Dr. Daniel Wang-Yi Jiao presents Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Nutrition Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. (The event recording continues in Part 2.) Dr. Daniel Wang-Yi Jiao is Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He is a graduate from Beijing University and received his DAOM from American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (ACTCM) in 2009. For nine years, he served as commissioner and chair for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and served for twelve years on the board of directors for ACTCM. Everyone is encouraged to learn about TCM theories and their contemporary application to health care. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

The event examines how the relationship between Responsive Research, Indigenous nations and community partnerships can lead to more culturally informed socio-economic, health and environmental outcomes. And how the 94 recommendations of 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Canada and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), endorsed by the United States in 2010, can help guide future decision making. (Note the audio podcast that accompanies the presentation is also posted in iTunes.) Dr. Jeff Corntassel is a writer, teacher and father from the Tsalagi (Cherokee) Nation and is Wolf Clan. He was the first to represent the Cherokee Nation as a delegate to the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Peoples. He is editor of the collection, Everyday Acts of Resurgence: People, Places, Practices (Daykeeper Press, 2018). Jeff Corntassel received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and is currently Associate Professor at the University of Victoria and Associate Director of the Centre for Indigenous Research and Community-Led Engagement. His research and teaching interests focus on the intersection between sustainable self-determination, community resurgence, climate change and wellbeing. Dr. Jacqueline Quinless is a settler whose family origins are rooted to the communities of Secunderbhad and Hyderabad India. She works as Director of Research at Quintessential Research Group, which is a community, informed research practice specializing in environmental impacts, health and wellness research and gender-based analysis. Her forthcoming book is Unsettling Conversations: Decolonizing Everyday Research Practices (University of Toronto Press) The event is sponsored by UAA Alaska Native Studies, the National Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders (NRC-ANE), and UAA Campus Bookstore.

This event examines how the relationship between Responsive Research, Indigenous nations and community partnerships can lead to more culturally informed socio-economic, health and environmental outcomes. And how the 94 recommendations of 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Canada and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), endorsed by the United States in 2010, can help guide future decision making. (Note the presentation that accompanies the this podcast is also posted in iTunes.) Dr. Jeff Corntassel is a writer, teacher and father from the Tsalagi (Cherokee) Nation and is Wolf Clan. He was the first to represent the Cherokee Nation as a delegate to the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Peoples. He is editor of the collection, Everyday Acts of Resurgence: People, Places, Practices (Daykeeper Press, 2018). Jeff Corntassel received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and is currently Associate Professor at the University of Victoria and Associate Director of the Centre for Indigenous Research and Community-Led Engagement. His research and teaching interests focus on the intersection between sustainable self-determination, community resurgence, climate change and wellbeing. Dr. Jacqueline Quinless is a settler whose family origins are rooted to the communities of Secunderbhad and Hyderabad India. She works as Director of Research at Quintessential Research Group, which is a community, informed research practice specializing in environmental impacts, health and wellness research and gender-based analysis. Her forthcoming book is Unsettling Conversations: Decolonizing Everyday Research Practices (University of Toronto Press) The event is sponsored by UAA Alaska Native Studies, the National Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders (NRC-ANE), and UAA Campus Bookstore.

Trita Parsi presents What is Happening in Iran? Trita Parsi is President of the National Iranian American Council and is the 2010 recipient of the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is the author of Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy (2017); A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran (2012); and Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States (2007). A frequent guest on CNN, PBS’s Newshour, NPR, the BBC, and Al Jazeera, his articles on Middle East affairs have appeared in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, Jane’s Intelligence Review, the Nation, The American Conservative, the Jerusalem Post, The Forward, and others. Trita Parsi holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins’ School for Advanced International Studies and currently teaches at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. The event is made possible by the Alaska World Affairs Council.

Annie Zeng presents Regimen of Chinese Medicine. Annie Zeng, director of the UAA Confucius Institute and professor in the UAA Department of Languages, introduces traditional Chinese medicine focusing on the concepts and use of herbs, Li Shizhen’s famous Compendium of Materia Medica and the culture of tea and herbal drinks in China. (Note: The event audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.)

Annie Zeng presents Regimen of Chinese Medicine and the culture of tea in China. Annie Zeng, director of the UAA Confucius Institute and professor in the UAA Department of Languages, introduces traditional Chinese medicine focusing on the concepts and use of herbs, Li Shizhen’s famous Compendium of Materia Medica and the culture of tea and herbal drinks in China. (Note: The presentation that accompanies the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes)

Directors of the UAA Confucius Institute, Annie Ping Zeng and Zhanjiang, present current Chinese exploration and technology. In the past three decades, economic reform has led to rapid technological development in China and China has made significant progress in aerospace technology, polar exploration, and applying advanced technologies to daily life. This lecture offers facts and stories about the latest development in these areas, and their impact on Chinese social life. Topics highlighted include China Antarctic expedition, China’s space satellite development; and China's interest in Arctic cooperative development. (Note: the audio podcast that accompanies the presentation podcast is also posted in iTunes.)

Directors of the UAA Confucius Institute, Annie Ping Zeng and Zhanjiang, discuss current Chinese exploration and technology. In the past three decades, economic reform has led to rapid technological development in China and China has made significant progress in aerospace technology, polar exploration, and applying advanced technologies to daily life. This lecture offers facts and stories about the latest development in these areas, and their impact on Chinese social life. Topics highlighted include China Antarctic expedition, China's space satellite development; and China's interest in Arctic cooperative development. (Note: the presentation that accompanies the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) --

Yang Liu and Yuan Tian present China’s Transportation Development and China’s Interest in Exploring A Waterway through the Arctic This event offers an overview of China's growing transportation network, including efforts to develop Arctic shipping routes. Guest instructors from the UAA Confucius Institute, Yuan Tian and Yang Liu offer a contemporary look at China’s transportation goals. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

This is the presentation for Bingzeng Zou, PhD presents Ancient Wisdom to Modern Healthcare: Understanding Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. The audio podcast is also posted in iTunes. Dr. Zou had over thirty-four years of expertise in practicing and teaching acupuncture and Chinese medicine. He is the Academic Dean at Bingzeng Zou (ACTCM) at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco. At this event, the benefits of having an integrative approach to health using Chinese acupuncture and Chinese medicine will be explored. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

Bingzeng Zou, PhD presents Ancient Wisdom to Modern Healthcare: Understanding Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. (The presentation accompanying the event is also posted in iTunes.) Dr. Zou had over thirty-four years of expertise in practicing and teaching acupuncture and Chinese medicine. He is the Academic Dean at Bingzeng Zou (ACTCM) at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco. At this event, the benefits of having an integrative approach to health using Chinese acupuncture and Chinese medicine will be explored. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

Members of the UAA Confucius Institure, Yuhua Cui and Yuan Tian, discuss financial management with cellphones in China, online banking, the WeChat Purse, online purchases and transportation orders. Shopping, food, and social communication in China today is explored. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

WeChat Culture and Functions in China is the topic for this event. Xuanyi Qu and Yang Liu from the UAA Confucius Institute discuss China social media, WeChat and communication media, photos/videos, information sharing. Included is a discussion of the Culture of Circles in China today.

Dr. Shinian Wu presents linguistic challenges and cultural congruence in learning Chinese as a second language. His talk will discuss contrasts between Chinese and English, how languages create socio-cognitive processes in language socialization.Dr. Shinian Wu. Professor of English and director of the graduate program in Applied Linguistics, English Department, Grand Valley State University, Michigan. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

Major General Kenneth Privratsky, USA Retired, presents The Falklands Today: 35 Years After the War. For over 175 years, an archipelago, known as the Falkland Islands to the British and the Malvinas to Argentines, has been a source of tension. Some in Parliament were pushing for a shared agreement for the islands, when Argentina's military Junta surprised the world by invading the Falklands in 1982. Under Margaret Thatcher's leadership at the time, the British military overcame tremendous challenges to retake the islands, which led to the collapse of the Junta and restoration of democracy in Argentina. Yet today, 35 years after the surrender, tensions over sovereignty remain. This lecture will highlight the long-standing dispute, summarize what happened during the war in 1982, and discuss the situation today. Major General Kenneth Privratsky, USA Retired, served in the infantry in Vietnam before becoming a logistician. He taught at West Point, was a National Security Affairs Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and commanded organizations supplying U.S. forces worldwide. In civilian life, he was an executive in the ocean transportation industry. He has lectured on military subjects to both national and international audiences and is the author of the book Logistics in the Falklands War, now in its third printing.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Yasuhito Nakasato came to Alaska in 2010 to study graphic design art at UAA. After he graduated UAA, he started to experiment making drawings out of acrylic. As an artist, much of his inspiration came from studying Art History with Professor Charles Sean Licka where he came to realize “anything is possible in art”. At this event, Yasu discusses his artwork, what motivates his artistic expression and creative passion. Living as an outsider in a both a homogenious society and in a diverse society is contasted.

Muslim students studying a variety of disciplines at UAA come together to discuss their life and convictions. Students include Sajid Raza (Civil Engineering), Bin Shabaan Jones (Elementary Education), Nasteha Abdi (Accounting), Rabia Hatch (Legal Studies). Acting as moderator is Gregory Shuiab Jones, Muslim Chaplain for the Muslim Student Organization at UAA. Embracing Islam in one’s daily life and having the right to wear the hajib are discussed.

Sajid Raza is a UAA Graduate Student in Civil Engineering. At this event discusses life in Pakistan and the misconceptions people may have about Pakistan. Accompanying his talk is a slideshow, also posted in iTunes.

This presentation accompanies the podcast for the event Liu Zhen presents Political Ideas Conceived in the Zhouyi, The Book of Change. In it, Dr. Liu Zhen compares traditional ideas and values in the Zhouyi, The Book of Change and Confucius philosophy. His talk also focuses on the rituals, political advocacy, and virtuous pursuit conceived in the Book of Change (Zhouyi) for government administrators and analyzes the value of traditional ideas in the Zhouyi for contemporary social developments. Translating for this event is John C. Yang, owner of Painting with Words. Dr. Liu Zhen is Associate Professor at China University of Political Science and Law and currently a visiting professor at College of William and Mary Confucius Institute.

Dr. Liu Zhen compares traditional ideas and values in the Zhouyi, The Book of Change and Confucius philosophy. His talk also focuses on the rituals, political advocacy, and virtuous pursuit conceived in the Book of Change (Zhouyi) for government administrators and analyzes the value of traditional ideas in the Zhouyi for contemporary social developments. Translating for this event is John C. Yang, owner of Painting with Words. (Note, the presernation for this event is also posted in iTunes.) Dr. Liu Zhen is Associate Professor at China University of Political Science and Law and currently a visiting professor at College of William and Mary Confucius Institute. Thisevent is sponosored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

Over the past two decades, the U.S. military has focused almost exclusively on operations in the Middle East. However, U.S. strategy specifies that military services must be ready to operate in remote areas, aka expeditionary warfare. At this event, today’s U.S. military situation is compared to that of Britain’s in 1982 when, while concentrating exclusively on NATO and the Warsaw Pact, it found itself waging a war 8,000 miles away with little wherewithal. And the dramatic difference of deploying to and operating in remote areas will be highlighted using a photo slideshow of the Falklands War. Major General Kenneth L. Privratsky, USA (Retired), served in the infantry in Vietnam before becoming a logistics specialist. He taught at West Point, was a military fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and commanded organizations supplying U.S. forces worldwide. In civilian life he was an executive in the ocean transportation industry. He has lectured on military subjects to both national and international audiences and is the author of the recently published Logistics in the Falklands War. Now retired, he lives in Anchorage.

What are the keys to investment success? According to Jeff Pantages, it is NOT about “beating the markets” but rather following basic principles that can help investors reach their long term goals. Find out how to invest wisely and not to lose one’s shirt at this informative event. Note: The audio podcast of this event is also posted in iTunes. Jeff Pantages, CFA® is Chief Investment Officer at Alaska Permanent Capital Management. Alaska Permanent Capital Management was founded by Dave Rose in 1992

What are the keys to investment success? According to Jeff Pantages, it is NOT about “beating the markets” but rather following basic principles that can help investors reach their long term goals. Find out how to invest wisely and not to lose one’s shirt at this informative event. The presentation that accompanies the podcast is also posted in iTunes. Jeff Pantages, CFA® is Chief Investment Officer at Alaska Permanent Capital Management which was founded by Dave Rose in 1992.

UAA international students, Douglas Baye from Nigeria and Munkh-Urguu Enkhbold from Mongolia, discuss their home countries, education and coming to Alaska. Douglas Baye explains education requirements in Nigerian schools. And (starting at 36:58) Munkh-Urguu Enkhbold shares stories of his travels to schools in China, Japan, California and Alaska. Note: The event presentions that accompany the audio podcast are also posted in iTunes.

This presentation for UAA international student Munkh-Urguu Enkhbold, discusses Mongolia, his global travels, education and coming to Alaska. The audio podcast for this event is also posted in iTunes which starts at 36:58.

This is the presentation by UAA international student Douglas Baye who discusses the education system in Nigeria and the challenges he has faced coming to Alaska. The audio podcast of the event is also posted in iTunes.

Di Gao offers a a brief history of Confucius' life and times and gives an overview of Confucius' Analects. Di Gao is a professor in the Center for Ideological and Political Education at Northeast Normal University, China. He has translated the book, The Development of Social Knowledge: Morality and Convention by Elliot Turiel and is the author of Research on Socialist Core Values of Chinese Communist Party (People’s Publishing House, 2013). Currently, Di Gao is a visiting scholar in the field of children’s social and moral development and education at the Graduate School of Education, UC Berkeley. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

At this event, Thomas H. Cox explores Warren Delano’s career and the complicated relations between early American, British and Chinese merchants which formed the basis for future U.S. foreign policy towards Asia. Warren Delano II, the maternal grandfather of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was one of the most successful early American maritime traders in China. Although he openly supported the British war effort during the First Opium War, he discreetly traded with Hong merchants and condemned British naval attacks on Chinese ports. As U.S. Vice-Counsel, Delano negotiated with the British for the return of Canton to China and helped secure the Treaty of Wangxia, the first U.S.- Chinese diplomatic agreement. Then, in the 1860's, he worked with British and Chinese partners to pursue opium profits in Hong Kong. Dr. Thomas H. Cox is associate professor of history at Sam Houston State University. He earned an M.A. and Ph.D in history at State University of New York at Buffalo. And he is the author of Gibbons v. Ogden, Law, and Society in the Early Republic. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

Eric Odle shares his experiences and insights into understanding the Japan of today. Everyone is encouraged to come and learn about the Japan not depicted in American media. Joining Eric will be Yasuhito Nakasato, an experienced Japanese-English interpreter. Eric Odle received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from St. Louis University and graduated from UAA with a degree in Japanese. He has been working as a Japanese-English translator in Japan for the past three years. And while teaching English and acting as a medical interpreter, he founded Borealis Translations a document translation business. Yasuhito Nakasato, born and raised in Tokyo, came to Alaska in 2010 to study art at UAA. For the past 3 years he has worked for UAA Student Activities as a graphic designer. His creative expression promotes numerous events on and off campus for the UAA community.

This is the presentation that accompanies the audio podcast of Misconceptions about Japan with Eric Odle and Yasuhito Nakasato. Eric Odle shares his experiences and insights into understanding the Japan of today. Everyone is encouraged to come and learn about the Japan not depicted in American media. Joining Eric will be Yasuhito Nakasato, an experienced Japanese-English interpreter. Eric Odle received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from St. Louis University and graduated from UAA with a degree in Japanese. He has been working as a Japanese-English translator in Japan for the past three years. And while teaching English and acting as a medical interpreter, he founded Borealis Translations a document translation business. Yasuhito Nakasato, born and raised in Tokyo, came to Alaska in 2010 to study art at UAA. For the past 3 years he has worked for UAA Student Activities as a graphic designer. His creative expression promotes numerous events on and off campus for the UAA community.

This presentation accompanies the audio podcast for Di Gao presents Confucius’ Perspective on Morality. Di Gao offers a a brief history of Confucius' life and times and gives an overview of Confucius' Analects. Di Gao is a professor in the Center for Ideological and Political Education at Northeast Normal University, China. He has translated the book, The Development of Social Knowledge: Morality and Convention by Elliot Turiel and is the author of Research on Socialist Core Values of Chinese Communist Party (People’s Publishing House, 2013). Currently, Di Gao is a visiting scholar in the field of children’s social and moral development and education at the Graduate School of Education, UC Berkeley. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute.

Author Glenn Kurtz discusses his research and extraordinary book, Three Minutes in Poland, Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film. “Both a memoir and an impressive feat of historical research, Three Minutes in Poland documents Kurtz’s four-year search for surviving Nasielskers, who he hopes can piece together a narrative from the fragments of film.... In a genre so often preoccupied with the recitation of horrors, Three Minutes in Poland is the rare work that seems more about people than about ghosts." —The Washington Post. "Best Book of 2014" by The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, and National Public Radio. Glenn Kurtz holds a PhD from Stanford University in German studies and comparative literature. He is also author of the highly acclaimed book, Practicing: A Musician's Return to Music. This event is sponsored by Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association (AMIPA), UAA/APU Consortium Library, Congregation Beth Sholom, UAA Campus Bookstore. Everyone is invited to attend. Note: David Kurtz Collection can be seen online at US Holocaust Memorial Museum: http://www.ushmm.org/online/film/display/detail.php?file_num=5221 (15'43").

UAA Student Ana Spaic Rodgrigues shares her experiences living in China for 4 years Her amazing adventurous spirit is showcased including how she engaged with people and explored new territories are highlights of the event. Note: The audio podcast focusing on Brazil for Passport Series: China and Brazil with Ana Spaic Rodgrigues is also posted in iTunes, (17:55-39:11)

UAA Student Ana Spaic Rodgrigues shares her experiences living in China for 4 years Her amazing adventurous spirit is showcased including how she engaged with people and explored new territories are highlights of the event. , Note: The audio podcast focusing on China for Passport Series: China and Brazil with Ana Spaic Rodgrigues is also posted in iTunes,(0:30-17:34).

UAA Student Ana Spaic Rodgrigues shares her experiences living in China for 4 years (0:30-17:34) and visit to Brazil (17:55-39:11) . How she engaged with people and explored new territories are highlights of the event. And her amazing adventurous spirit is showcased as we learn about different cultures and lifestyles. Note: The accompanying slide show presentations for China and Brazil are also posted in iTunes.

International student Kyung Yeun Choi discusses her life in South Korea and her challenges coming to Anchorage and going to school. The audio podcast of her talk is also posted in iTunes, see Passport Series Korea and Hungary.

The Passport series welcomes students from around the world to talk about their home countries and experiences living in Alaska. Anna Berecz is from Hungary (0:55-37:07) and Kyung Yeun Choi is from South Korea (39:02-1:32). Note, also posted in iTunes is Kyung Yeun Choi's presentation slides about Korea.

UAA international student and basketball star, Jackson McTier, discusses his life in NE Australia before coming to UAA. The challenges he faces living in Anchorage and going to school are highlighted. The Passport series welcomes students from around the world to talk about their home countries and experiences living in Alaska.

Professor Robin Wang presents a philosophical and historical analysis of women in China. Robin R. Wang is Professor of Philosophy and Director of Asian Pacific Studies at Loyola Marymount University. She is author of the highly acclaimed book, Yinyang: The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture. She has a earned a BA. MA in philosophy, Peking University, PR China; a MA in Philosophy, University of Notre Dame; and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom. This event is sponsored with the UAA Confucius Institute. Dr. Annie Zeng presents the introduction.

Brian Feltman is an Assistant Professor of History at Georgia Southern University. His research focuses on German prisoners of war during WWI where approximately 9 million soldiers became captives. At this event, the experiences of prisoners held in the United Kingdom and the effects of captivity will be examined. And his book, The Stigma of Surrender, published by University of North Carolina Press, Spring 2015 will be highlighted. Thus event is held honor of the centennial anniversary of WWI and is sponsored with the UAA History Department, UAA Honors Society, UAA Department of Languages.