Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Latin American Studies: So Much More than "¡Hola!"

The great exchange has begun again; starting Friday, April 16th and closing Saturday, April 17th, the Latin American Studies Symposium, hosted by Birmingham-Southern, explores new research and old ideas regarding Latin America. Thoughts will fly as this interdisciplinary undergraduate research conference commences with participants from throughout the Southeast and beyond. Students can gather and collaborate with people from a diverse group of universities and locales, presenting research and studies they’ve worked on for a long time. The theme this year is eco-tourism, and the reception will be held in BSC’s Southern Environmental Center on April 16. To see a detailed schedule of the symposium, please click here.

The Keynote Speaker is even a Birmingham-Southern graduate, Hugh Yarbrough, who will present on April 16 at 1:00pm in Norton Theatre. He graduated BSC in 1990 with a BA in International Business and Spanish, and now he works in the Yachana Foundation in Ecuador as Director of Development. He is a Spanish translator, and works at the Yachana Lodge, a geo-tourism site located in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. His talk is titled: Yachana Foundation: Solutions and Sustainability through Education (or One Gringo’s Take on Creating a World that Works for Everyone). Prepare to be entertained and educated as this alumnus presents.

As scholars on every level begin to share ideas about current issues in this area, expect to come away with renewed fervor for Latin America. Birmingham-Southern is excited to host this great exchange, and hopes to bring fresh light into an important area. For more information about registration and the Latin American Studies Symposium program in general, please visit our BSC link.

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