Head of Baltic Studies authors book on “Singing Revolution”

The University of Washington Press recently published “The Power of Song“, by Guntis Šmidchens, Associate Professor of Scandinavian Studies and head of the UW Baltic Studies Program. Šmidchens’ work examines the use of song in passive resistance movements in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia during Soviet rule. Read more from A&S Perspectives…

President Young presents at Asian Law Lecture Series

UW School of Law is hosting the Asian Law Lecture Series. In January, UW President and Professor of Law Michael Young will present, “Attitudes Towards Law: The Impact of Legal Education and Historical Experience in Japan and China.” Professor Qi Zhang of Peking University Law School will present in February. Read more from the Asian Law Center…

UW Bothell professor gives keynote at international marketing conference

Dr. P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan, Professor at UW Bothell School of Business, delivered the keynote address at the International Great Lakes – North American Society for Marketing Education in India (NASMEI) conference in Manamai, India in December. He also facilitated an interactive session on management leadership. Read more…

Studying world’s largest carnivores, scientists call for preservation

Together with colleagues from the US, Australia, Italy, and Sweden, UW’s Dr. Aaron Wirsing recently co-authored a review paper on the world’s largest carnivores. The co-authors examined 31 of the Earth’s largest meat-eaters and highlighted their important ecological roles. Read more from UW Today…

NPR pundit highlights Dept. of Classics ‘War Games’ course

Classics professor Sarah Stroup’s ‘War Games‘ course examines Greek athletic games and Roman gladiatorial battles, proposing that many modern team sports descend from these ancient, winner-takes-all contests. Sports commentator Frank DeFord of NPR interviewed Professor Stroup, and UW football players who took the course, for an opinion piece. Read more and listen…

International students meet local 5th grade pen pals

After exchanging letters for several weeks, 45 UW international students met their 5th grade pen pals from White Center Heights Elementary School for the first time on December 5. “I really enjoyed participating in the Pen Pal program,” says Bader Al Farhan, a sophomore student from Kuwait. Read more from FIUTS…

Global public good? Examining strategies to combat global warming

UW researchers led a three-year project bringing together scholars from diverse disciplines to consider new geoengineering techniques designed to counteract the effects of climate change. Read more from UW Today…

UW researchers ask what works in global digital activism

Examining hundreds of international news stories, UW researchers identified and studied over 400 well-documented cases where digital activism was used to affect social change. The study found that digital activism is most effective when social media tools and street-level organization are used in concert. Read more from UW Today…

Vice Provost to visit UW Rome Center

The Vice Provost for Global Affairs will meet with faculty and staff at the UW Rome Center during his visit to the city from November 16 – 22. The meetings will familiarize the Vice Provost with the facility and its operations. Together with Rome Center faculty and staff, Vice Provost Riedinger seeks to put the center on a more sustainable and dynamic footing.

The Office of Global Affairs is exploring opportunities to expand programming for UW students at the Rome Center, including study, research, and service learning, and also to position it as a host for scholarly conferences and a base of operations for faculty conducting research in Italy. “We’re looking at what more we can do to make the Rome Center a true platform for teaching, research, and student engagement,” says Vice Provost Riedinger.

UW welcomes Humphrey fellows

The University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs is hosting ten Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows this year. Mid-career professionals from a variety of fields, this year’s fellows hail from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Humphrey fellows are selected for their dedication to public service and potential for leadership.

Only 17 U.S. universities host Humphrey fellows each year. Since 1987, UW has hosted more than 300 fellows from 100 nations. Kenneth Peavler coordinates a weekly leadership seminar for the fellows on campus. He sees UW as an ideal base for Humphrey fellows, offering “world class opportunities”.

Fellow Naseer Uddin Sarwar, Director of Pakistan’s Department of the Auditor General, will focus on issues of government accountability and transparency during his time at UW. “I aim to develop a personal relationship with the Evans School, and to strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and the U.S.,” he says.

Paula Correa, a Uruguayan fellow who serves as the Entrepreneurship Programs Specialist in her country’s Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, is excited to learn about and use new technologies while at UW. She says, “I’m taking a class where the students are all in front of computers… it’s totally new for me and not what I expected from a university course”.

Throughout the year, the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows Presentation Series will feature talks by the current fellows highlighting their expertise. On November 21, fellow Estelle Antilahy will present “Challenges toward Water Supply and Management in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Madagascar”. Follow the UW Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows on Facebook for updates on future presentations.