This content was published: November 14, 2011. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC celebrates international students, programs
Photos and story by James Hill
In conjunction with a national campaign to honor study-abroad programs, Portland Community College is hosting its ninth annual International Education Week with the theme, “Small World, Big Stories,” from Nov. 14-18.
International Education Week features showcases of PCC's international students and their cultures.
Running the PCC event are staff and students from the college’s growing International Education Program. With 700 students from 90 countries, these students will showcase their cultures and countries at all of the four major campuses in addition to hosting guest lectures on a range of international topics. International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education. It is open and free to the public.
For faculty, staff and students, there is the Third Annual International Celebration Dinner from 6-9 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Event Center, Rock Creek Campus. The dinner will feature food, live music, comedy and dancing from around the world, and raffling great prizes like $100 tuition waivers. Tickets, which are $5 per person, are available at International Education program offices at: Cascade (Room 214, SS Building); Rock Creek (Room 223, Building 3); and Sylvania (Room 103, CT Building). This is a costume party so attendees are encouraged to wear traditional dress or a travel-themed costume.
One of the featured events during International Education Week will be a presentation by guest Dr. Stany Thomas, Associate Professor of Political Science at St. Thomas College in Kerala, India and current Fulbright-Nehru Scholar who is teaching at PCC for the year. Thomas will discuss the role of popular movements in resisting globalization with a special highlight on India and especially the latest Anna Hazare movement on anti-corruption. He will speak from 2-3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the Cedar Room, Sylvania Campus (12000 S.W. 49th Ave.).
The International Student Showcases at each PCC main campus is where international students feature their cultures and countries with information tables, music, food, traditional attire and live entertainment. The showcases are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Nov. 14, Building 3 Mall, Rock Creek Campus, 17705 N.W. Springville Road), noon to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15, Mt. Tabor Great Hall, Southeast Center (2305 S.E. 82nd Ave.), 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16, Student Center cafeteria, Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingworth St.), and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17, Upper Mall, College Center Building, Sylvania Campus.
Dr. Stany Thomas, Associate Professor of Political Science at St. Thomas College in Kerala, India and current Fulbright-Nehru Scholar who is teaching at PCC for the year, will discuss the role of globalization and India.
In addition, faculty and staff who have traveled overseas for service projects or faculty exchange programs will share what they experienced in India, Mexico, Turkey, Japan, China and Belize.
For more on the week’s schedule, visit: www.pcc.edu/about/international
PCC has been growing its International Education Program to help meet its mission of meeting diversity goals established by the Board of Directors. The top nations represented at PCC include South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, China, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to name a handful.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »