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Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA
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Take advantage of global engagement opportunities in March

Contact: Korey Force
February 27, 2017
Welcoming messages left for international community.
Welcoming messages left for the international community at a recent "You Are Welcome Here" town hall event

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University and the Kalamazoo community will offer numerous global engagement opportunities during the month of March. Highlights include a Model United Nations conference for high school students, opportunities to teach international students about the area and a wide scope of globally focused lectures.

Global Engagement at WMU

WMU prepares its students to thrive as global citizens and professionals in a diverse workplace by encouraging them to be locally oriented and globally competent, culturally aware, and ready to contribute to world knowledge and discovery. To support these efforts, WMU offers global engagement opportunities on campus and in the greater Kalamazoo area. Events are published weekly at wmich.edu/global/events by WMU's Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

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March 2017 opportunities

Wednesday, March 1

  • 2017 Yomiuri Prize for Literature Reading—an awards reception—4:30 to 6 p.m. in 1035-1045 Fetzer Center, WMU. Join the reception to celebrate Dr. Jeffrey Angles, WMU professor of Japanese and recipient of the 2017 Yomiuri Prize for Literature in the poetry and haiku section for his book "Watashi no Hidsuke henkosen (My International Dateline)." Free and open to the public.
  • "Social Media in China: An Update" lecture—4 p.m. in 1028 Brown Hall, WMU. The lecture will be given by Dr. King-wa Fu, associate professor of journalism and media studies at the University of Hong Kong. Free and open to the public.
  • "Robots in Japan" lecture—5 p.m. in 103 Dewing Hall, Kalamazoo College. The lecture will be given by Dr. Jennifer Robertson, the 2017 Nagai Kafû lecturer and professor of anthropology and the history of art at the University of Michigan. Free and open to the public.

  • "Wadado Leo Smith: Ankhrasmation, the Language Scores" art exhibition—daily until March 5 at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. A pioneer in the fields of contemporary jazz and creative music, Wadada Leo Smith is a composer, educator and visual artist who developed "Ankhrasmation" over the course of 50 years. The word for his musical language is composed of Ankh, the Egyption symbol for life; Ras, the Ethopian word for leader; and Ma, a universal term for mother. Admission for students is $2 and $5 for adults. Open to the public.

Thursday March 2

  • Farewell reception—3 to 5 p.m. in the Bernhard Center's Bronco Global Lounge, WMU. Join the farewell reception for Dr. Wolfgang Schlör, associate provost of the WMU Haenicke Institute for Global Education. Refreshments provided. Free and open to the public.
  • "Mental Health in a Cultural Context" Real Talk Diversity Series—6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Trimpe Building Multicultural Center, WMU. The talk will be given by Deidre Begay, WMU Ph.D. candidate in counselor education and counseling psychology. Free and open to the public.

Friday, March 3

  • Deadline for applications for short-term summer I faculty exchange—midnight. The Universidad de Burgos, Spain, Musashino University, Japan, and the University of Passau, Germany, invite applications for a short-term faculty exchange during the summer I session. To apply, send a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to michelle.metro-roland@wmich.edu. WMU faculty members from any discipline are eligible.
  • Deadline for CIEE International Faculty Development Seminar funding—midnight. The WMU Haenicke Institute for Global Education is inviting faculty who are interested in joining a CIEE International Faculty Development Seminars this summer. Applications should be submitted Dr. Michelle Metro-Roland, director of faculty and global program development, at michelle.metro-roland@wmich.edu.

Saturday, March 4

  • National History Day—District 6 competition day—8 to 4 p.m. in the Bernhard Center, WMU. Elementary and secondary students are invited to participate in a National History Day competition. Open to elementary and secondary students; registration required.

Monday, March 6

  • Spring recess day trip with international students: Gilmore Car Museum—10 a.m. to noon at the Gilmore Care Museum in Hickory Corners. Join the international students as they spend a day of spring recess learning about the history of cars in Michigan. Registration is $5 and includes admission and transportation; register at intl-activities@wmich.edu. Open to the public.

Wednesday, March 8

Saturday, March 11

  • Spring recess day trip with international students: Gilda's Laughfest—day event at the Super Saturday Kids Zone in Kalamazoo. Join the international students as they spend a day of spring recess at Gilda's Laughfest at the Super Saturday Kids Zone. Registration is $5 and includes admission and transportation; register at intl-activities@wmich.edu. Open to the public.

  • Sir András Schiff: The Gilmore Piano Masters Series—8 to 10 p.m. at the Wellspring Theater Epic Center in Kalamazoo. Sir András Schiff is world-renowned and critically acclaimed as a pianist, conductor and lecturer. The Hungarian-born virtuoso has been recognized with Grammy Awards, Gramophone Awards, the Gold Medal from the Royal Philharmonic Society, and the Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize. Tickets start at $6 for students and $30 for non-students. Open to the public.

Sunday, March 12

  • Learn about teaching English abroad—4 p.m. in 3025 Brown Hall, hosted by the global and international studies program. This informational panel will discuss opportunities for teaching English overseas. Free and open to the public.

Tuesday, March 14

  • Volunteering with international students—10:30 to 2 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. Join international students as they give back to the Kalamazoo community. Register in person in 3516, 3521 or 3530 Ellsworth Hall or via email to intl-outreach@wmich.edu. Free and open to the public.
  • International Ladies Sports Club—4 to 5 p.m. in the WMU Student Recreation Center. Join female international students for an hour of exercise the second and fourth Tuesday of each month of the spring 2017 semester. Registration is $5 and includes a T-shirt. Open to the public.

Wednesday, March 15

Thursday, March 16

  • "How to Make Chinese Cities Skilled" lecture—4 p.m. in 1028 Brown Hall, WMU. The lecture will be given by Dr. Shihe Fu, fulbright scholar and professor of economics at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China.

Wednesday, March 22

  • "SHARE Out: You and Why Race Matters" lecture—noon to 1 p.m. in the Lee Honors College Lounge, WMU. The lecture will be given by Maime Butler and Jacob Pinney-Johnson of the Society for History and Racial Equity. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, March 23

  • Volunteering with international students—10:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the KRESA West Campus Head Start in Kalamazoo. Join international students as they give back to the Kalamazoo community by reading stories to head-start students from all over the world. Register in person in 3516, 3521 or 3530 Ellsworth Hall or via email to intl-outreach@wmich.edu. Free and open to the public. Additional information

Friday, March 24

Saturday, March 25

  • Great Lakes PeaceJam Youth Conference—daily March 25 and March 26 at WMU. The event will bring together more than 300 high school and college-aged youth from the Midwest for two days of learning about social justice. WMU student volunteers are needed to serve as mentors which involves facilitating small groups of high school participants during the event. To volunteer, contact Shannon Sykes at greatlakes@peacejam.org.
  • Model UN Conference for high school students—Three-day event at WMU. High school students from around Michigan, Indiana and Ohio are invited to simulate Model UN activities and introduce potential future students to WMU's campus. Open to high school students in the Midwest.

Monday, March 27

  • International Women's Day: Being Bold for a Change—5:30 to 8 p.m. at Sister of St. Joseph in Kalamazoo. Join for the Intrepid Professional Women Network for a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, March 30

Friday, March 31

For more information on the events listed above or to learn more about global engagement opportunities at WMU, visit wmich.edu/global or contact Korey Force at korey.force@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3993.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.