Celebrate International Education Week at Oakton

It’s a small world after all! Join Oakton Community College for International Education Week, November 12 – 14, at its campuses in Des Plaines (1600 East Golf Road), and Skokie (7701 North Lincoln Avenue). This year’s theme is “Latin American Indigenous Peoples’ Responses to Social, Cultural, and Ecological Impacts of Globalization.” Presented by Global Studies at Oakton, all events are free and open to the public.

Bolivian activist Félix Muruchi will serve as the keynote speaker. His history as a miner, construction worker, student, union leader, political prisoner, and indigenous rights lawyer provides an extraordinary lens with which to view the landlocked South American country’s struggle for social justice. Muruchi’s 2011 book, From the Mines to the Streets: A Bolivian Activist’s Life, has been called “possibly the best book about labor and political organizing in Latin America.” Muruchi will present his keynote address, “Social Change in Bolivia: An Indigenous Bolivian Activist’s Perspective,” in Spanish, with an English translation, on Tuesday November 12, from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., in Room 1610, at Oakton’s Des Plaines campus, followed by a Q & A session.

Other presentations include:

·         “Indigenous Language and Culture Preservation in a Globalized World,” 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., Tuesday, November 12, Room 1610, DP.                 Eva de la Riva, Oakton associate professor of psychology.

·        “Environmental Sustainability, Ecotourism, and Indigenous Cultural Preservation,” 3:30 – 4:45 p.m., Tuesday, November 12, Room 1610, DP.       Paul Gulezian, Oakton associate professor of biology.

·         “Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Literature, Agriculture, and Beyond,” 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., Wednesday, November 13, Room 1610, DP; and 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., Thursday, November 14, Room A145, Skokie.                                Evin Rodkey, Oakton humanities and philosophy lecturer.

·        “Indigenous Women, Cooperatives, and Micro-Credit Programs,” 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Wednesday, November 13, Room 1610, DP; and 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Thursday, November 14, Room A145. Skokie.                                Kristen Gundersen, outreach and communications coordinator, Highland Support Project.

·         “Introduction to Global Studies and Peace and Social Justice Studies,” 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., Wednesday, November 13, Room 1610, DP; and 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., Thursday, November 14, Room A145, Skokie.                                  Katherine Schuster, Oakton professor of education, and Madhuri Deshmukh, Oakton professor of English.

·        Study Abroad in India Summer 2014! 2 – 3:15 p.m., Wednesday, November 13, Room 1610, DP.

·        Study Abroad Fair, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thursday, November 14, Main Lobby, Skokie.

Established in 2000 and observed in more than 100 countries, International Education Week is supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. Department of Education. The worldwide celebration offers a unique opportunity to develop a broader understanding of different cultures and languages and foster enduring friendships and partnerships through international education.

For more information, contact Global Studies Coordinator Katherine Schuster at (847) 376-7118 or schuster@oakton.edu. For a complete schedule of events, visit:

www.oakton.edu/academics/special_programs/global_studies/news/international_education_week/2013_event.php.