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PCC hosts fifth International Education Week

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For a week in November local flavor takes a backseat. From Nov. 13-16, Portland Community College will celebrate its international flair with the Fifth Annual International Education Week.

At each of the three comprehensive campuses around the Portland metro area, PCC will host fairs and speakers who’ll discuss what life is like abroad. Here are a few highlights at PCC’s main campuses:

Rock Creek Campus (17705 N.W. Springville Rd.)

“Ireland: A Model of Business Success in the Global Economy?” – Presenters will discuss Ireland, which has generated strong enthusiasm among U.S. companies to invest in it. Imports from Ireland have been increasing also. The emerald island’s dynamic economy had fueled fast growth in the past and being a part of the European Union is a key to its success. Presenters include Usha Ramanujam, PCC business administration instructor; Vedvyas Shanbhogue of Intel Corporation; Cynthia McBurney, owner of Kathleen’s of Dublin; and Monica Sharma, accountant for Ike Trading Company in Beaverton.

Noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14, Events Center, Building 9.

Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth St.)

“France and the Netherlands: Muslim Communities in Contemporary Europe” – Presenter Diane Kamali, PCC English for Speakers of Other Languages instructor, will pose these questions: “How can secularized societies cope with religious plurality?” “Are

the controversies over Islam in European countries really about religion?” “What does it mean to be a Muslim in Europe?” “How do Muslims live as members of a minority religion and as believers in Western secular societies?” “What kinds of new identifications, youth cultures and conceptions of gender are emerging?”

2 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14, Room 208, SS Building.

Sylvania Campus (12000 S.W. 49th Ave.)

“Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge” – Chanrithy Him, human rights activist and international public speaker, is the award-winning author of the book “When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge.” She will share her and her family’s struggle when the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia in 1975 and how the family began their trek through the killing fields. Him will recount a Cambodia where rudimentary labor camps are the norm and technology, such as cars and electricity, don’t exist.

1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 15, Room 201, CT Building (Little Theatre).

Other events include the International Student Showcase, which celebrates the international community within PCC. Students will explore their culture and countries through food, music and national dress. The showcases will be held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the Building 3 Mall at the Rock Creek Campus; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the CC Building Upper Mall at the Sylvania Campus; and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the cafeteria of the SC Building at the Cascade Campus.

For more information, visit the Web site www.pcc.edu/international, or call (503) 614-7150. Complete schedule: https://www.pcc.edu/about/international/documents/iew-program-2007.pdf

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 »