International week in full swing

Waterloo International, which was created earlier this year to bring together various units involved in UW's worldwide activities, will hold its grand opening today at its new offices in Needles Hall, just in time for International Education Week.

The week runs from November 12 to 16, says Virginia McLellan of the marketing and undergraduate recruitment office, who heads UW's efforts to attract students from points as remote as Mexico and Turkey. This week, she writes, "will provide an informative and educational look into unique aspects of many different nationalities, as well as promote internationalization at UW. Events will be held in various faculties and university colleges and range from international cuisine to formal presentations.

"The goal of the week is to provide an opportunity for students from all countries to learn more about and interact with the many different cultures on campus. The activities of the week will help to raise an awareness of international education and its significant benefits to Canada and UW."

McLellan goes on: "The events will focus on opportunities for our current students to learn more about international opportunities such as UW’s exchange programs. Information on exchange opportunities are being hosted by each faculty throughout the week. Renison College is also hosting some interesting sessions about studying and teaching English abroad and a fun session called 'Guess what it is' where students bring in unique international objects and people guess what they are used for. Renison College will also host the Consul General of Japan who will be on campus to talk about Japan-Canada relations and Japanese Canadians.

"As well as practical sessions, there will be opportunities to learn from about various countries during the country presentations that usually involve a movie and cuisine from the region. For other tasty international dishes, St. Paul’s College is hosting international cuisine lunches and dinners throughout the week.

"And throughout the entire week the International Education Week Committee is encouraging the entire campus community to wear their international apparel on campus — my Norwegian sweater will be appropriate for our snowy weather!

"The committee hopes that UW staff, faculty, and students will have the opportunity to participate in one of the many events during the week, and learn more about the international education opportunities and events that benefit our campus."

A full list of activities and events can be found online. It includes an information session on teaching English, today at 12:15 in Renison College room 2103, and a 4:30 reception in the atrium of St. Jerome's University to launch its Beyond Borders program. There will also be a panel of co-op students, discussing "lessons learned" in their international placements, at 4:30 in Tatham Centre room 1208.

And then there's the open house for Waterloo International itself, from 2:30 to 5:00 at Needles Hall room 1101, where the International Programs Office, International Student Office and an International Alumni Affairs officer have just opened new offices. "Internationalization is a dynamic high-priority area for UW," Wendy Mertz writes from the new office, which is headed by associate vice-president Gail Cuthbert Brandt. "Waterloo International is a new amalgamated office designed to provide exemplary customer service to UW students, faculty, staff and international visitors. . . . Join us in celebrating International Education Week and the official opening of Waterloo International by attending our Open House."

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Prof's book on 'celebrity diplomacy'

a news release from the Centre for International Governance Innovation

CIGI and Paradigm Publishers/UBC Press have announced the release of Celebrity Diplomacy, the first in-depth study examining this new phenomenon in international relations as a serious global trend with important implications.

In his latest book, CIGI Distinguished Fellow and associate director Andrew F. Cooper explores the shift from traditional diplomacy by professionally trained civil servants to a new form of advocacy by famous entertainers and entrepreneurs — such as Bono and Bill Gates — with no formal background in global affairs.

Cooper suggests that these new actors have a significant and increasingly important role in the world of diplomacy. "Bono and Bob Geldof have made African debt relief a staple feature of the G8's agenda, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation operates on a much larger budget than the World Health Organization," notes Cooper, "and Mia Farrow has influenced China's policy towards intervention in Sudan." Citing these examples, the author concludes that this new type of activity is changing the way diplomacy is conducted.

In her foreword to the book, CIGI Distinguished Fellow and former UN Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette comments, "Neither the demands nor the actions of celebrities are going to save the world, but their engagement and often their generosity can help convince many in the younger generations that solutions to problems come in unpredictable but robust guises. Their activities also serve as a valuable signaling device that the status quo in terms of global health/poverty/debt agenda remains contested by some who could easily enjoy rich, private, and even frivolous lives."

Celebrity Diplomacy is published in both the United States and Canada. The Canadian launch will take place on November 27 at the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto.

Andrew F. Cooper (left) is associate director of CIGI as well as a professor of political science at the University of Waterloo. In 2000 he was a Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of the GARNET Network of Excellence and holds a DPhil from Oxford University. Celebrity Diplomacy is his eighteenth book.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation is a think tank that addresses international governance challenges and provides informed advice to decision-makers on multilateral governance issues. CIGI supports research initiatives by recognized experts and promising academics; forms networks that link world-class minds across disciplines; informs and shapes dialogue among scholars, opinion leaders, key policy-makers and the concerned public; and builds capacity by supporting excellence in policy-related scholarship. CIGI's IGLOO (International Governance Leaders and Organizations Online) is an online network that facilitates knowledge exchange between individuals and organizations studying, working or advising on global issues. Thousands of researchers, practitioners, educators and students use IGLOO to connect, share and exchange knowledge regardless of social, political and geographical boundaries.

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Flu shots start today, and other notes

The cold and cough that's hit so many of us over the last few weeks is quite bad enough, let alone the prospect of getting the dreaded flu, with its weakness, muscle aches and general wretchedness. So take note: flu shot season is here. Health services will operate an immunization clinic today through Friday from 10:00 to 5:00 in the Student Life Centre multipurpose room. Students, staff, faculty, community and family members are all welcome. "Please wear loose-fitting short-sleeve shirt," the health services announcement adds.

'Tis the season for high school students to be applying to university, and that means UW, like other Ontario institutions, has its team in the field to provide information and talk up the Waterloo brand. Jody Reid, liaison manager in the office of marketing and undergraduate recruitment, tells more: "Our high school liaison team has been busy recruiting students from high schools all over Canada. This year our team of seven travellers will be visiting approximately 600 schools in Ontario and will attend university fairs in Québec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. These visits are in addition to our participation in the Ontario Universities Fair, where we gave UW-specific presentations to approximately 6,400 parents and students and connected with more than 35,000 people at the UW booth. This year our presentation has been enhanced to provide students with a feel of the tradition and spirit of UW. Liaison is often one of the first times that prospective students connect in person with someone from UW and our enthusiastic team this year is doing a fantastic job of making a great first impression. A picture of the team and visits dates and times can be found on our website."

The first and biggest match of co-op students with jobs took place early last week, and more than 2,700 students now know where they'll be working in the winter term. Says a memo from the co-op and career services department: "The current employment statistics for Winter 2008 show 5,070 students scheduled for co-op work terms, with 2,755 employed as a result of the main match. The current employment rate is 56.4%, a percentage point higher than the rate at this point last year, a very positive result given the increase of over 200 more students scheduled to work next term. The next interview cycle began today, with 1,100 job openings posted already for that cycle. About 160 more job openings were posted in the main round this year than last, and almost 200 more students were matched after this year’s main match than last year’s. As expected, the current employment rate is highest for senior students and lowest for junior students. Over 200 students have not submitted applications to any jobs to date; we will be following up with those students."

“If you have ever wondered what treasures are hiding within the Library’s Special Collections,” says a note from the latest issue of the UW library’s online newsletter, “you will get a better idea from now on. The Library has recently installed new display cases intended to showcase and celebrate the Collections’ many often-hidden treasures. Framing the Special Collections’ entranceway on the lower level of the Dana Porter Library, the controlled-lighting display cases are prominently visible from both the department and adjacent study room. . . . By bringing the collection out, the bright and inviting cases send the message that rare research materials are not solely for preserving — they are also for viewing and enjoying. The displays will be changed monthly to showcase different areas of the collection. This month’s display, entitled ‘Canada and the First World War’, helps mark Remembrance Day by highlighting a number of items from the collection, including books, such as F. G. Scott's In the Battle Silences, and two editions of John McCrae's In Flanders Fields, and archival materials, including diary entries and correspondence. The purchase and installation of the new display cases was made possible through a generous and welcome gift from library retiree Elaine Reaman, who is a former Head of Circulation at the Dana Porter Library.”

Finally, I need to correct a few recent errors in people's names. A major donor to the School of Optometry building project, as noted in the Daily Bulletin of November 6, is actually Ian Ihnatowycz. The chemistry faculty member who hosted the 35th Ontario-Québec Physical Organic Mini-Symposium at UW over the weekend is Monica, not Monika, Barra. And the first prime minister of Canada, for whom a large high school in Waterloo is named, was Sir John A. Macdonald (left), with no capital D in the middle of the surname.

CAR

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