Discussions with Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows Robert Cogan and Pozzi Escot, composers and faculty members at the New England Conservatory, a global business panel discussion, and the showcasing of Chinese language, international student programs and study abroad opportunities are among the highlights of Rider University’s International Week, March 26-30.

“One World, Many Voices” is the theme. Week-long activities are sponsored by several campus departments and programs. All events are free and open to the public.

“This year’s theme expresses the week’s most fundamental goal: to allow us to pause and listen to voices, ideas, and opinions of those from different cultures through the foreign films, panel discussions, and other multicultural events,” said Dr. Mary Poteau-Tralie, associate professor of French and co-director of the week’s activities with Dr. Margaret Schleissner, professor of German. “Students, faculty and staff will have a chance to experience wonderful events and to pause and open their ears to voices they might not otherwise have the chance to hear.”

Cogan and Escot will add a musical dimension to the “voices” theme. The husband-and-wife team will visit Rider’s Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses to discuss many diverse topics with students, faculty and staff, including the art and science of music, the mathematics of music, learning language through music, and music physics. On Wednesday, March 28, they will give the keynote address, “Across Mountains and Oceans: Science and Art and Us” at 7 p.m. in Bristol Chapel at Westminster Choir College.

For more than 30 years, Cogan served as chair of graduate theoretical studies and professor of composition at the New England Conservatory. His book, “New Images of Musical Sound,” won the Society for Music Theory’s Distinguished Publication Award in 1987. Escot is a professor of composition and music theory at the New England Conservatory and holds a professorship at Wheaton College. She is editor-in-chief of the internationally acclaimed journal, “Sonus.” In 1975, she was chosen as one of the five most remarkable women composers of the 20th century.

On Tuesday, March 27 at 11:30 a.m., a Student Global Village, (a global and multinational student panel on videoconferencing with the American University of Cairo, moderated by Dr. Roberta Fiske-Rusciano, adjunct assistant professor of political science, and Dr. Frank Rusciano, professor of political science), will take place in Room 205 in the Fine Arts Building. A global business panel, moderated by Dr. Christine Lentz, associate professor of management and human resources, will take place on that day at 3:30 p.m. in Sweigart Hall Auditorium.

Producer/filmmaker Janet Gardner will present her documentary, "The Last Ghost of War" (Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange) on Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. in Sweigart Auditorium. The film, narrated by Kevin Kline and directed by Pham Quoc Thai and Gardner, documents the class action suit against 32 U.S. chemical companies brought on behalf of the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. Discussion will be moderated by Dr. Schleissner.

On Thursday, March 29, “Chinese Links: A Showcase Event of Chinese Language and International Programs and Student Study Abroad Opportunities,” will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Daly’s Board Room. Rider and Sanda University students, Chinese language faculty and visiting faculty from Sanda University will give presentations on campus happenings. The Office of International Programs will also present information on a 3-credit summer 2007 language immersion and English language tutoring program in Fuzhou, China. Dr. Linda Materna, professor of Spanish and chair of the department of foreign languages and literatures, and Dr. Minmin Wang, professor of communication, will moderate.

Other highlights of the week include: “Around the World in 80 seconds: Foreign Language Mini Sessions,” a French Club Trivia Contest, foreign films, student panel discussions on service learning trips abroad to Santo Domingo and Jamaica, a sculpture exhibit honoring the late Ukrainian sculptor and artist, Peter Kapschutschenko, and a foreign language and international honor society induction ceremony. The week will culminate Friday, March 30 at 4:30 p.m. with a foreign wine sampling gathering/discussion led by Dr. Thomas Callahan, professor of history, in the Fireside Lounge at the Bart Luedeke Center.

For more information, call (609) 896-5146.

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