>> NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR
FROM SOME OF OUR FACULTY,
SOME OF OUR STAFF,
SOME OF OUR STUDENTS,
ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
I THINK IT'LL BE VERY INSIGHTFUL
TO YOU AS YOU THINK ABOUT
AND PREPARE FOR YOUR SERVICE.
ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO I GOT
A CALL FROM THE DIRECTOR
OF EXTERNAL OUTREACH AND
STRATEGIC RECRUITMENT
AT THE UNITED STATES AGENCY
FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
ALSO KNOWN AS USAID.
HE WAS ASKING US IF
WE WOULD BE INTERESTED
IN HOSTING A DEVELOPMENT
DIPLOMAT IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM.
THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED
TO PLACE A SENIOR FOREIGN
OFFICER HERE ON CAMPUS
WHO WOULD CONDUCT OUTREACH AND
RECRUITMENT FOR THE AGENCY.
SO, I CONTACTED DR. RICHARD
MARCUS, PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR
OF THE GLOBAL STUDIES INSTITUTE
AND INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES DEPARTMENT.
AND WE INVITED THE DEPUTY DOWN.
HE WANTED TO VISIT, TOUR
THE CAMPUS, AND TALK TO US.
RICHARD AND I ASKED HIM, "WHY
ARE YOU CONSIDERING OUR CAMPUS?"
HE SAID, "LAST YEAR I ATTENDED
A JOB FAIR ON YOUR CAMPUS
AND I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE
QUALITY OF YOUR STUDENTS,
THEIR STRONG INTEREST IN FOREIGN
AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN SERVICE,"
AND ALSO THE DIVERSITY
OF OUR CAMPUS.
WE WERE IN COMPETITION WITH SOME
VERY ELITE RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MANY BACK
EAST CLOSER TO WASHINGTON
AND THE HEADQUARTERS OF USAID.
BUT HE REALLY ENJOYED THE
VISIT, HE ENJOYED YOU,
AND SO FOR THE LAST TWO
YEARS WE HAVE HAD A DIPLOMAT
IN RESIDENCE ON CAMPUS.
IN A FEW MINUTES, I'LL INTRODUCE
TO YOU THE DIPLOMAT
IN RESIDENCE.
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF
MEETING OUR PRESIDENT,
DR. JANE CLOSE CONOLEY,
A FEW MONTHS BEFORE SHE
BECAME OUR PRESIDENT.
THIS IS A LITTLE
OVER FOUR YEARS AGO.
SHE MAY NOT REMEMBER
OR SHE MAY REMEMBER,
WE WERE ON A VIDEO CONFERENCE
WHERE SHE WAS OFF SITE
AND WE WERE WITH A GROUP
OF STUDENTS DISCUSSING SOME VERY
DIFFICULT ISSUES AT THE TIME,
AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED
WITH HER DEMEANOR
AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS
OUR STUDENTS.
I SAID, "WOW, SHE IS GOING
TO BE GREAT AT LONG BEACH."
I BELIEVE SHE ASKED US
JUST BASED ON HER HISTORY,
HER EXPERIENCE AS A PROFESSOR,
AS A UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATOR,
AS AN AUTHOR, AND
AS A RESEARCHER.
IN FACT, HER MAIN
RESEARCH INTEREST HAS BEEN
TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND THE
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
ACROSS ALL SOCIAL
ECONOMIC AND ETHNIC GROUPS.
I SAID, "WOW, SHE'S
GOING TO BE FANTASTIC
AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH."
SO, AT THIS TIME,
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE
TO YOU OUR PRESIDENT
WHO'D LIKE TO SHARE
WITH YOU SOME OPENING REMARKS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> I APPRECIATED
MANUEL'S REMARKS.
HE HAD THAT IN THE
FUTURE TENSE, DIDN'T HE?
"I THOUGHT SHE MIGHT BE GREAT."
HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO
FINISH THAT SENTENCE DID HE?
"AND SHE WAS."
WELCOME BACK.
I'M REALLY DELIGHTED TO BE
WITH ALL OF YOU TONIGHT.
I HAVE A SPECIAL
WELCOME TO OUR DIPLOMAT
IN RESIDENCE, MR.
ALFRED NAKASUMA.
WE LOVE HAVING YOU ON OUR
CAMPUS, IT'S JUST A DELIGHT.
OUR GOAL AS A UNIVERSITY IS
TO OFFER A GLOBAL EDUCATION,
AND THAT GETS MORE AND MORE
CRITICAL EVERY YEAR AS WE'RE
SO HYPER CONNECTED TO EACH
OTHER ACROSS THE GLOBE.
I'VE HEARD FROM MANY OF
OUR STUDENTS THAT THEY WANT
THAT KIND OF GLOBAL
COMPETENCY, A CLEAR
AND COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING
OF THE WORLD BEYOND OUR BORDERS.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT I
MEAN OUR LITERAL BORDERS,
BUT ALSO OUR INTELLECTUAL
AND CULTURAL BORDERS.
CERTAINLY, WE DO THAT BY SENDING
AND ASSISTING OUR
STUDENTS TO STUDY ABROAD.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT WAY TO
ATTAIN THAT GLOBAL LEARNING.
BUT THE OTHER WAY IS TO BRING
THE WORLD, IN ALL ITS COMPLEXITY
AND WONDER TO OUR CAMPUS.
THE USAID DIPLOMAT IN RESIDENCE
PROGRAM IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE
OF BRINGING INTERCULTURAL
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
TO OUR STUDENTS AND TO
FACULTY [INAUDIBLE].
THERE ARE ONLY TWO
USAID DIPLOMATS
IN RESIDENCE IN THE COUNTRY.
LET THAT SINK IN.
THERE'S ONLY TWO.
AND WE HAVE ALFRED WITH US.
I MIGHT ADD, ALTHOUGH MANUEL
TALKED ABOUT COMPETITION
FROM EASTERN UNIVERSITIES, I
WAS PARTICULARLY GLAD THAT UCS
AND UCLA WANTED HIM
BUT WE GOT HIM.
GO BEACH, RIGHT?
YEAH. GO BEACH.
SO, THE POSITION OF DIPLOMAT
IN RESIDENCE WAS DESIGNED,
I UNDERSTAND, TO CREATE A MORE
DIVERSE TALENT POOL TO CAREERS
IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
[INAUDIBLE].
GIVEN THE CURRENT HIRING
FREEZE ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES,
MR. NAKASUMA WE IMAGINED THE
POSITION TO BECOME MORE BROAD
AND INNOVATIVE, AND THAT'S
WHAT HE'LL BE TALKING TO YOU
ABOUT I'M SURE IN PART.
I ALSO HOPE TO SAY A FEW WORDS
ABOUT YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE
IN [INAUDIBLE] FOREIGN
SERVICE AROUND THE WORLD,
AS I READ YOU BIO I FOUND
IT REALLY FASCINATING.
SO, THANK YOU MANUEL FEZ OF
THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER,
WHICH MARCUS OF OUR GLOBAL
STUDIES INSTITUTE, [INAUDIBLE],
AND THERE'S SOMEBODY
ELSE ON THE PANEL
BUT I DIDN'T BRING THE
PROGRAM SO I APOLOGIZE,
FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORKING
AND PUTTING THIS TOGETHER
AND BRING THIS REALLY RARE
OPPORTUNITY TO THE BEACH.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT
THE COMING TWO YEARS.
GO BEACH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> AS I MENTIONED HOW THE
USAID WAS VERY INTERESTED
IN OUR CAMPUS BECAUSE
OF OUR STRONG INTEREST
IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
A LOT OF THAT HAS
TO DO WITH DR. G. JOSEY.
DR. G. JOSEY IS THE
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT
FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT,
AND DEAN OF THE COLLEGE
OF CONTINUING
AND PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION HERE ON CAMPUS.
AS ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT,
HE IS THE CHIEF INTERNATIONAL
OFFICER OF THE UNIVERSITY,
AND IN THIS ROLE, HE ADVISES
THE PRESIDENT AND THE PROVOST
ON ALL MATTERS RELATED TO
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
AND ADVANCES THE
UNIVERSITY'S GLOBAL MISSION
BY ESTABLISHING STRATEGIC
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
AND CREATING ENGAGEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY,
AND STAFF.
HE OVERSEES THE STRATEGIC PLAN
FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
AND WORKS TO ENHANCE THE
INTERNATIONALIZATION GOALS
OF THE CAMPUS.
HE WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, STAFF,
AND STUDENTS ON ALL
MATTERS RELATED
TO INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE
TO YOU DR. GEOFF JOSEY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU, MANUEL, FOR
THAT NICE INTRODUCTION.
GOOD EVENING.
WELCOME TO PEACE CORPS WEEK.
THIS PROGRAM IS PARTLY ORGANIZED
BY THE PEACE CORPS OFFICE HERE
AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH,
AND ALSO THE GLOBAL
[INAUDIBLE] INSTITUTE AND CENTER
FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION.
I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE THIS
PROGRAM THIS EVENING AND IT'S
SO WONDERFUL TO SEE
MANY STUDENTS, FACULTY,
AND STAFF HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
IT IS A SPECIAL PLEASURE FOR ME
BECAUSE BACK IN THE LATE 70S,
EARLY 80S, I USED TO WORK FOR
PEACE CORPS FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I THINK I JUST TOLD
YOU HOW OLD I AM.
ONE OF THE WONDERFUL
EXPERIENCES THAT I HAD
IN MY PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE WAS
WITH PEACE CORPS WORKING
WITH MANY VOLUNTEERS.
I STILL HAVE MANY,
MANY FRIENDS PROBABLY
IN ALMOST EVERY STATE HERE WHO
WERE VOLUNTEERS [INAUDIBLE].
MY SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT
WAS IN NEPAL.
EARLIER THIS EVENING I
WAS TALKING TO ALFRED
ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH USAID
PROJECTS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
SO, BEFORE I CAME TO HIGHER
EDUCATION, SOME 25 YEARS AGO,
I USED TO WORK FOR A LOT
OF DEVELOPING AGENCIES,
INCLUDING PEACE CORPS,
USAID PROJECTS,
PROJECTS IN AFRICA,
PROJECTS IN ASIA.
MAINLY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
WITH GOVERNMENTS IN
FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
THESE EXPERIENCES
LED ME REALLY TO WORK
IN AN INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION ARENA.
I ENDED UP WHERE I ENDED UP.
I WAS AT A CONFERENCE LAST
WEEK, THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
OF INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS
OUT IN WASHINGTON DC.
WE WERE AT CAL STATE
LONG BEACH ONE
OF THE MASTERS COMPREHENSIVE
UNIVERSITIES FOR ONE
OF THE TOP 10 FULBRIGHT
PRODUCING UNIVERSITIES
FOR LAST YEAR.
SO, THAT WAS A VERY NICE
RECOGNITION FULBRIGHT
[INAUDIBLE] INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTE
FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, IIE
AND FULBRIGHT [INAUDIBLE] PUT
THAT PROGRAM TOGETHER.
SO, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO
BE RECOGNIZED THAT WAY.
WE WERE ALSO ONE OF
THE TOP RESEARCHERS
IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS, AS WELL.
NOT LONG AGO, CAL STATE
LONG BEACH WAS ALSO ONE
OF THE TOP PRODUCING
UNIVERSITY FOR PEACE CORPS.
WE USED TO SEND QUITE A
FEW PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
FROM HERE.
WHAT THAT TELLS IS
US HOW GLOBAL WE ARE
AND HOW MUCH WE VALUE
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS,
THAT WE ARE EXCELLING
IN MULTIPLE FRONTS.
CERTAINLY, WE HAVE MANY
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
FROM ALMOST 100 COUNTRIES
IN THIS UNIVERSITY.
WE HAVE 62 DIFFERENT
EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS
WITH OVERSEAS INSTITUTIONS
SO THAT MANY
OF OUR STUDENTS COULD
STUDY ABROAD.
IN ADDITION, SOME 40 PLUS
PROGRAMS EVERY SUMMER
AND WINTER IS LED
BY OUR OWN FACULTY
IN ALL DIFFERENT
LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
ALL IN ALL, ALMOST WE'RE
APPROACHING 1,100 STUDENTS,
CAL STATE LONG BEACH
STUDENTS, WHO STUDY ABROAD.
SO, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF STUFF
IN THE INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION ARENA.
OUR FACULTY IS INSTRUMENTAL
IN THIS, AND PROFESSORS
AROUND THE WORLD
PROGRAM HAS TAKEN THEM
TO MULTIPLE DESTINATIONS,
AS WELL.
IN THE MEANTIME,
WE ARE INTERNATIONALIZING
OUR CURRICULUM ON CAMPUS
WITH SOME FACULTY INCENTIVES
TO INFUSE INTERNATIONAL CONTENT
IN THE COURSE CURRICULUM
THAT WE HAVE ON CAMPUS.
SO THAT EVEN IF YOU,
FOR SOME REASON,
AREN'T ABLE TO TRAVEL OVERSEAS,
YOU HAVE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
THROUGH YOUR COURSE WORK
RIGHT HERE ON CAMPUS.
SO, I'M QUITE EXCITED
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
I DO KNOW THAT EXPERIENCE
OVERSEAS, EITHER THROUGH USAID,
PEACE CORPS, OR ANY OTHER NUMBER
OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE,
LIKE THE INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM WE'RE PROMOTING
AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH,
IS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE
TO COMPLETE YOUR OVERALL
EDUCATION THAT YOU [INAUDIBLE].
IT'S AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY
TO HAVE,
BEING ABLE TO DO AN INTERNSHIP,
WORK ABROAD, OR STUDY ABROAD
FOR A SEMESTER, FOR A
SUMMER, OR FOR THE FULL YEAR.
WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, WHATEVER
FITS IN YOUR SCHEDULE,
IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY.
SO, I WELCOME YOU TO THIS
PROGRAM AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD
TO THE CONVERSATION THAT
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
I'M SURE IT'S GOING
TO BE AMAZING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS OUR
SECOND YEAR HAVING A DIPLOMAT
IN RESIDENCE.
LAST YEAR WE HAD A WOMAN
NAMED MISS CHERYL [INAUDIBLE].
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE
WORKED WITH HER.
I THINK SHE DID A GREAT JOB
IN LAYING THE FOUNDATION
FOR USAID ON CAMPUS.
THIS YEAR THE DIPLOMAT
IN RESIDENCE IS MR.
ALFRED NAKASUMA.
HE HAS DEDICATED HIS CAREER
TO INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT WITH USAID.
HE IS A MEMBER OF
THE HORN SERVICE
AND SERVED USAID MISSIONS IN
BOLIVIA, GUATEMALA, INDONESIA,
PHILIPPINES, THE REGIONAL
ASIA, A MISSION IN BANGKOK,
AND WASHINGTON DC HEADQUARTERS.
PRIOR TO HIS CURRENT POSITION
AS DIPLOMAT IN RESIDENCE HERE
ON CAMPUS, HE WAS THE DIRECTOR
OF USAID'S ASIA'S REGIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICE
WHERE HE OVERSAW US
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
ACTIVITIES IN 24 COUNTRIES.
AS THE DIPLOMAT IN RESIDENCE,
HE WILL ESTABLISH HIS STRENGTH
IN INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS,
CARRY OUT PUBLIC DIPLOMACY,
AND IMPLEMENT THE
AGENCY'S DIVERSITY OUTREACH
AND IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES.
HE WILL COVER NOT ONLY THIS
CAMPUS BUT THE WESTERN REGION
OF THE UNITED STATES,
INCLUDING HAWAII.
WE'RE TRYING TO CONVINCE
HIM TO TAKE ME ON ONE
OF HIS RECRUITING
TRIPS TO HAWAII.
HE GRADUATED WITH A BACHELOR'S
OF SCIENCE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
FROM STANFORD UNIVERSITY, A
MASTERS OF ARTS IN ECONOMICS,
AND A MASTER'S IN URBAN REGIONAL
PLANNING FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
HE RECEIVED A FULBRIGHT
FELLOWSHIP [INAUDIBLE] PERU,
AND A [INAUDIBLE]
SKILLED FELLOWSHIP
AS AN EXCHANGE OFFICIAL INSIDE
THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN.
HE SPEAKS FIVE LANGUAGES,
INCLUDING SPANISH, INDONESIAN,
PORTUGUESE, AND JAPANESE.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME
TO CAL STATE LONG BEACH
AND TO INTRODUCE TO
YOU ALFRED NAKASUMA.
>> I ALSO AM HUMBLED AND
HONORED THAT THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNIVERSITY, DR. JANE
CLOSE CONOLEY, WAS HERE.
SHE'S HAD AN EXPLOSIVELY BUSY
DAY IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
THE FACT THAT SHE CAME ALL THE
WAY, THANK YOU DR. FOR COMING.
I'M SO HONORED THAT YOU'RE HERE.
I'M SO THANKFUL TO BE
AT THIS UNIVERSITY.
IT'S A GREAT UNIVERSITY
IN SO MANY WAYS.
I'M MEETING FACULTY.
I'VE MET A NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
I SINCERELY HOPE THAT I
CAN BE SOME VALUE ADDED
AND MAKE SOME CONTRIBUTIONS
TOWARDS THE NOBLE GOALS
THAT HAVE BEEN SPOKEN
ABOUT JUST BEFORE ME.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY
FOR THE WELCOME.
I AM HERE AT THE BEACH
AND I WORK FOR AN AGENCY
THAT SENDS HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE TO AFGHANISTAN
AND PAKISTAN AND IRAQ.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO SYRIA,
SOUTH SUDAN, CONGO, BURUNDI,
LIBERIA, ON AND ON AND ON.
SO, THESE ARE MY BUDDIES,
I'VE WORKED WITH
THEM FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY SAID, "ALFRED,
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT GOING?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
I SAID, "WELL, WORK AT A PLACE
CALLED THE BEACH IN CALIFORNIA."
I COULD JUST SEE SEEM
THE CHANGING THEIR HEAD
AND ROLLING THEIR EYES.
I TELL THEM, "BUT LISTEN,
I'M DOING SOME SERIOUS
AND IMPORTANT WORK OUT HERE."
THEY SAY, "REALLY?
WHAT'S THAT?"
I SAY, "HONESTLY, MY JOB
IS TO INFORM, INFLUENCE,
AND MAYBE EVEN INSPIRE
THE NEXT GENERATION
OF AMERICA'S SUCCESSFUL
PROFESSIONALS
AND MAYBE EVEN LEADERS.
THAT'S MY JOB.
I TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO."
SO, HOW AM I GOING TO
TRY TO ACHIEVE THAT?
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT
AN INTERNATIONAL ELEMENT
IN YOUR EDUCATION FOR
PROFICIENCY, FOR COMPETENCY,
FOR JUST UNDERSTANDING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN THIS PLANET IS
REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT.
I SPENT A LONG TIME WORKING
IN WASHINGTON WITH SOME
OF THE LEADERS OF OUR COUNTRY.
SPENT OVER 20 YEARS
WORKING OVERSEAS,
AND I REALLY BELIEVE
THAT THAT IS TRUE.
IT'S TRUE FOR A NUMBER
OF REASONS.
IF YOU ARE MINDED TO GET A
JOB HERE IN THE UNITED STATES,
IT'S TRUE FOR YOU, AS WELL.
I'M NOT ONLY ADVOCATING
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL CAREERS.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED
IN EAST LOS ANGELES.
MY MOTHER WAS BORN AND
RAISED IN WALHALLA, MEXICO.
MY FATHER IS [INAUDIBLE]
JAPANESE.
SO, I AM THE PRODUCT
OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES.
YOU MIGHT SAY, "WELL, LISTEN,
I WANT A JOB IN AMERICA.
MY PARENTS WANT ME
TO STAY CLOSE.
MY DAD WANTS ME TO
MAKE A LOT OF MONEY."
I'VE GONE THROUGH ALL
OF THAT MYSELF ACTUALLY,
IT'S NOT EASY CONVINCING PARENTS
THAT YOU WANT TO DRILL WELLS
IN BURKINA FASO, OR
DISTRIBUTE BED NETS
IN MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES.
BUT I'M NOT SAYING
YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
WHAT I'M SAYING,
AND I THINK A LOT
OF THE OTHER TEACHERS
ARE SAYING, AS WELL,
IS JUST DEVELOP SOME
PROFICIENCY IN UNDERSTANDING
ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON
OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
FURTHERMORE, IF YOU
WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL
IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR,
THERE'S SO MANY REASONS
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING
ON OUTSIDE THESE BORDERS.
FURTHERMORE, IF YOU WANT TO
ASPIRE TO BECOME SOME KIND
OF LEADER, YOU'VE GOT TO
KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE
OF THE UNITED STATES.
I'M NOT GOING TO
LEAVE IT JUST AT THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO TALK
ABOUT SERVICE.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, ULTIMATELY,
AND I CAN SAY THIS
LOOKING BACKWARDS NOW,
YOU WANT TO LIVE A LIFE THAT'S
INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING
AND REWARDING AND MEANINGFUL.
I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, SERVICE,
WHEREVER, IT COULD BE IN EAST LA
WHERE I'M FROM OR IN BURKINA
FASO, SERVICE IS A NOBLE
AND INTERESTING AND
CHALLENGING AND REWARDING
AND MEANINGFUL THING TO DO.
SO, I WANT TO PLANT
THOSE SEEDS IN YOUR HEAD.
WHILE I FIDDLE WITH THIS
MACHINE TO GET A SLIDE
UP -- SO, NEXT SLIDE, OKAY.
A BUSY GRAPH.
DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THIS.
DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE
DETAILS, BUT I WANT TO HAVE THIS
AS BACKGROUND TO MY NEXT POINT.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE
PEOPLE WHO SAY, "YOU KNOW,
I WANT TO WORK IN AMERICA,
AT LEAST FOR A WHILE.
DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT
AFRICA RIGHT NOW.
I WANT TO GET A JOB HERE
IN THE STATES FIRST,
PAY OFF MY STUDENT LOANS,
MAKE MOM AND DAD HAPPY.
THAT I GOT TO DO."
COOL, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT IF YOU'RE THINKING
PRIVATE SECTOR,
IF YOU'RE THINKING BUSINESS --
JUST ON A LARK AS I WAS
PREPARING THIS TALK I THOUGHT,
"WHAT ARE THREE PRIVATE
SECTOR COMPANIES
THAT REPRESENT WELL
THE UNITED STATES?"
I PICKED OUT OF THE BLUE, GM.
I PICKED OUT OF THE BLUE, APPLE.
AND I WAS THINKING A LITTLE
BIT MORE TOWARDS THE MILLENNIAL
FOLKS OR MAYBE YOU'VE MOVED
BEYOND FACEBOOK TO INSTAGRAM
OR WHATEVER, BUT
I PICKED FACEBOOK.
SO, WHAT THESE THREE GRAPHS SHOW
IS SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING.
GM IN 2017 SOLD 10 MILLION CARS.
GUESS HOW MANY WERE
SOLD IN THE US?
THREE. FOUR MILLION
WERE SOLD IN CHINA.
THE REST WERE SOLD
IN OTHER PLACES.
OKAY. APPLE.
APPLE SOLD 220 MILLION
PHONES LAST YEAR.
HOW MANY WERE SOLD IN THE US?
70. FACEBOOK.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE
ACCOUNTS THERE?
LAST TIME I CHECKED,
2.2 BILLION.
HOW MANY ACCOUNTS IN THE US?
ABOUT A TENTH OF THAT.
230 MILLION.
SO, I JUST NAMED THREE COMPANIES
THAT ARE DRIVING
AMERICA'S ECONOMY,
PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES
TO WHICH MAYBE SOME
OF YOU GUYS MIGHT
ASPIRE TO WORK FOR.
MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.
BUT YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE
THAT THOSE COMPANIES
ARE PRIORITIZING AN
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE THAT.
YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE
THAT THEY'RE ONLY THINKING
ABOUT CONUS, THE CONTINENTAL US.
THEY'RE REALLY INTERESTED
IN PEOPLE
WHO ARE THINKING
BEYOND WHAT'S GOING
ON RIGHT NEAR THEIR
INNER-CIRCLE.
ALSO, LET'S TALK ABOUT
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT.
LOOK INSIDE YOUR COMPUTER.
I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND
ANYTHING THAT'S MADE IN AMERICA.
IF YOU WANT TO WORK FOR
MANUFACTURING OR COMPANIES
THAT SELL OVERSEAS,
THAT'RE INVOLVED
IN COMPONENTRY FOR GADGETS.
THOSE COMPANIES WANT PEOPLE
WHO THINK INTERNATIONAL
BECAUSE THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN
COMES FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME
YOU PICKED UP A PHONE
AND DIALED AN 1800 NUMBER AND
YOU GOT A FILIPINA FROM MANILA,
OR SOME NICE GUY FROM BANGALORE
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINE?
LET'S TALK ABOUT OUTSOURCING.
A WHOLE BUNCH OF
COMPANIES DO OUTSOURCING NOW
AND WHEN THEY'RE THINKING
ABOUT HIRING, THEY WANT PEOPLE
WHO HAVE SOME KIND OF
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING
ON OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
LET'S PUT BUSINESS
ASIDE FOR A SECOND.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.
TWO BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING --
WELL, A LOT OF BIG THINGS
ARE HAPPENING BUT TWO THINGS
THAT I WANTED TO MENTION
WAS INTERCONNECTIVITY
AND THE WAY HIGH TECH IS
DRIVING YOUR LIFESTYLE.
YOUR LIFESTYLE IS NOW
BEING DRIVEN THANKS
TO THE BIG COMMERCIAL MACHINE
THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR
REPRESENTS, BY HIGH TECH.
SOME OF THIS IS INVOLVED
IN BIG DATA.
YOU GUYS ARE ENTERING
DATA POINTS
INTO YOUR PHONE EVERY
TIME YOU PUNCH SOMETHING.
PEOPLE ARE TRYING
TO SELL YOU STUFF.
SO, BIG DATA WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT GENOMICS.
NOT ONLY STEM CELLS
BUT GENOME TECHNOLOGY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ROBOTICS.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE
SHAPING, WILL SHAPE EVEN MORE
AT AN ACCELERATING
PACE YOUR LIFE.
SO, YOU GUYS GOT TO
KNOW THAT ROBOTICS,
THE UNITED STATES IS
ACTUALLY NOT AHEAD,
OR AT LEAST SIGNIFICANTLY
AHEAD, ROBOTICS.
LOOK TO JAPAN.
LOOK TO GERMANY.
ROBOTICS IS THE CUTTING EDGE
IS NOT ALWAYS MOST OFTEN NOT
IN THE UNITED STATES.
SAME IS TRUE WITH
GENOMIC TECHNOLOGY.
FOR POLITICAL REASONS, THE
LAST ADMINISTRATION HAD SOME
RELIGIOUS ISSUES AND SO
FUNDING STOPPED FOR THIS
AND PROHIBITION STARTED
FOR THAT.
THE RESEARCH ON STEM CELL
THERAPY WENT TO KOREA,
WENT TO CHINA, WENT TO A
WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER PLACES.
WE'RE NOT ON THE
CUTTING EDGE ANYMORE.
SO, THE POINT I'M TRYING TO
MAKE IS WITH INTERCONNECTIVITY
AND WITH HIGH TECH NOT BEING
CENTERED HERE IN THE GOOD OLD US
OF A, IF YOU WANT IN A JOB
IN THOSE AREAS IT'S
PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA
TO THINK COLLABORATION,
UNDERSTANDING,
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING
ON OUTSIDE OF THESE BORDERS.
THEN YOU MIGHT SAY, "WELL,
I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THAT.
I'M GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL.
I'M GOING TO BIZ
SCHOOL, OR I'M GOING
TO DO SOME HIGH-TECH RESEARCH."
WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO
HIGH TECH RESEARCH, BE PREPARED,
THE PEOPLE WHO SIT NEXT TO YOU
WILL PROBABLY BE FROM SOUTH ASIA
OR EAST ASIA, BECAUSE IN
A LOT OF THE BEST SCHOOLS
OF THE COUNTRY THE MAJORITY
OF THEIR POPULATION AREN'T
FROM HERE, THEY'RE
FROM OVER THERE.
SO, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU
TO UNDERSTAND THAT
BUT EVEN MORE SO, YOU
WANT TO GO TO BIZ SCHOOL?
MOST OF THE BEST BIZ
SCHOOLS ARE NOT LOOKING
FOR GOOD OLD ALL AMERICANS.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR
SUPER WELL-ROUNDED PEOPLE
WHO UNDERSTAND HOW
THE WORLD WORKS,
BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY
THE ECONOMIES ARE GOING.
I MENTIONED A FEW REASONS
WHY EVEN FOR PEOPLE
WHO ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING
IN THE US, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE
THAT KIND OF ELEMENT
IN YOUR HEAD.
ALSO, UNDERSTANDING, I'M
GOING TO GO BACK TO SERVICE,
UNDERSTANDING THE WAY MOST
OF THE WORLD WORKS GIVES YOU
SOME KIND OF PERSPECTIVE,
SOME KIND OF MATURITY, SOME KIND
OF EMPATHY, SOME UNDERSTANDING
ABOUT WHAT GOES ON OUTSIDE
OF THE CONTINENTAL US.
AND GUYS, FOR ANY
JOB, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THAT REALLY IS.
SO, MY POINT IS THAT WHAT ALL
THESE TEACHERS AND THESE LEADERS
OF THIS UNIVERSITY ARE TALKING
ABOUT, GUYS, REALLY BELIEVE IT
BECAUSE I SPENT 20, 30 YEARS
OUT THERE WORKING WITH LEADERS
AND PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES
AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
THEY'VE GOT YOUR BACK.
THEY'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
SO, I WANT TO SPEND A
COUPLE MINUTES HERE,
AND I HOPE IT'S NOT AN ABUSE -
DR. JOSEY ACTUALLY STOLE MY
THUNDER BECAUSE HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT A LOT OF THE
GREAT PROGRAMS YOU HAVE.
BUT I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE
USE OF MY TIME TO TALK
ABOUT SOME OF THEM, JUST
IN CASE YOU'RE NOT AWARE,
YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS.
SORRY I'M PUTTING ON MY GLASSES,
I'M GOING TO DO SOME READING,
I KNOW THAT DOESN'T
SOUND SO INTERESTING.
BUT THIS IS REALLY GREAT STUFF.
OF COURSE, YOU'VE GOT CLASSES.
OF COURSE, YOU'VE
GOT FABULOUS TEACHERS
AND I'VE MET A LOT
OF THEM HERE TONIGHT.
BUT THESE INTERNATIONALLY
ORIENTED PROGRAMS,
I WANT TO GIVE PARTICULARLY
A KUDOS TO THE PRESIDENT
AND THE ASSOCIATE VP FOR
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT,
DR. JOSHIE.
TO TERRANCE GRAHAM,
HE'S RUNNING THE CENTER
FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION.
UNDER HIS BELT THE
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE,
AMERICAN LANGUAGE INSTITUTE,
A TON OF OTHER PROGRAMS
THAT DEAL WITH EXCHANGES.
[INAUDIBLE] ABROAD OFFICE
AND EDUCATION ABROAD I
THINK THIS IS BEING MANAGED
BY SHARON OLSEN.
CSU ACADEMIC YEAR STUDY ABROAD.
CSULV SEMESTER STUDY ABROAD.
SUMMER AND WINTER SESSIONS
SHORT-TERM CSULV FACULTY LED
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
GRADUATE SCHOOL ABROAD.
INTERNSHIPS AND VOLUNTEER
PROGRAMS ABROAD.
TEACH ENGLISH ABROAD.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD.
LINDA OLSEN LEVY, PREEMINENT
SCHOLARS AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
[INAUDIBLE].
THE FULBRIGHTS.
THE GATES.
THE MITCHELL.
THE MARSHALL HUMPHRY.
ON AND ON.
ALL KINDS OF FELLOWSHIPS
WHICH THEY'RE GOING
TO HELP YOU TO ACCESS.
THE GLOBAL STUDIES INSTITUTE
UNDER RICHARD MARCUS.
RICHARD, FABULOUS, GREAT.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT BECAUSE
HE'S KIND OF MY BOSS.
THE INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF THE CURRICULUM.
RESEARCH ON INTERNATIONALIZATION
AT CSULV.
THE GLOBAL FELLOWS PROGRAM.
LECTURES ON GLOBAL ISSUES.
INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS
DEVELOPMENT.
THE STRATEGIC PEACE CORPS
RECRUITER, JESSICA'S FABULOUS.
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE
STUDIES PROJECT.
THE GLOBAL LEARNING INVENTORY.
HE ALSO IS RUNNING THE
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM.
OVER TO TIM [INAUDIBLE]
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
AT THE CSULV ACADEMIC SENATE,
WHO'S GOT THE FACULTY
REPRESENTATION FROM ALL COLLEGES
AND SUB-COMMITTEE FOR WORKING
ON WORLD REGIONS
ETCETERA, ETCETERA.
WE HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE]
CENTER FOR INDIAN STUDIES,
THE [INAUDIBLE] CENTER
FOR ITALIAN STUDIES.
CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES.
CENTER FOR MIDDLE
EASTERN STUDIES.
OFFICE OF MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS.
THERE'S A LOT OF
STUFF UNDER THAT.
THEN YOU HAVE [INAUDIBLE]
MARTINEZ WHO'S RUNNING THE
GRADUATE STUDIES
RESOURCE CENTER.
YOU HAVE BARBARA DALTON,
WHO'S RUNNING THE CALIFORNIA
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROJECT
AND THERE ARE A LOT
OF THINGS UNDER THERE.
YOU HAVE PHI BETA DELTA,
AN HONOR SOCIETY DESIGNED
TO RECOGNIZE SPECIALIZED
ACHIEVEMENTS
OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS.
A LOT OF STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS.
I'LL GIVE A SHOUT OUT
TO A COUPLE OF THEM.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT WAS THE
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES STUDENT
ASSOCIATION WHO PUT
OUT THE SPREAD TODAY.
THANK YOU.
I WANT TO GIVE A
ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
THAT'S SUPER GREAT
STUFF YOU GUYS DID.
WILL YOU PLEASE SAVE ME
ONE OF THOSE SANDWICHES?
THEY LOOK REALLY GREAT.
SO, SOUTH ASIAN STUDENTS
ASSOCIATION,
GULF COAST CONSORTIUM STUDENT.
I'M NOT A REALLY GOOD READER.
THERE'S A LOT OF
STUFF GOING ON HERE.
THERE'S EVEN AN ANTHROPOLOGY
STUDENT ASSOCIATION.
I WANT TO GIVE THE LAST
SHOUT OUT TO MANUEL
AND AARON [INAUDIBLE] WHO I
DID SEE HERE A LITTLE EARLIER.
THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT
CENTER, YOU GUYS ARE FABULOUS,
GOING GLOBAL, HELPING YOU GUYS
GET JOBS OVERSEAS OR EVEN HERE
WITH AN INTERNATIONAL
FLAVOR TO IT.
THE STUDENT ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP
AND THE CAREER COUNSELING
AND HELPING YOU MAKE
PRESENTATIONS
AND MARKETING YOUR
STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCES
THROUGH RESUME WRITING,
INTERVIEWING
AND NETWORKING TECHNIQUES.
THERE'S ONE OTHER THING
WHICH WAS NOT ON THE LIST
THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME,
WHICH I ASKED FOR.
I WANT TO SEE, WHAT ARE
THE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
THAT WE HAVE IN THIS UNIVERSITY?
THANK YOU JESSICA FOR COMPILING
THIS ONE THAT WASN'T ON THERE
THAT I THINK DESERVES
HONORABLE MENTION IS, MANUEL,
YOU FOUGHT FOR A PASSPORT
OFFICE AND YOU GOT IT.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT,
FOR SUPPORTING
THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE
MADE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE
TO ACTUALLY GO OVERSEAS,
STUDYING SCHOOL, BETTER TO BE
OUT THERE AND THAT
EVEN TO THAT LEVEL
OF DETAIL I'M SO IMPRESSED.
LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS
THAT THIS IS PEACE CORPS
WEEK IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
DID JESSICA RUN AWAY?
I'VE MET HUNDREDS OF
PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
AND ONE THING THEY
ALL HAVE IN COMMON,
EVERYBODY LOVED WHAT THEY DID.
NOW, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO
LIVE IN A NIPA HUT IN MINDANAO
FOR TWO YEARS AND GET
BITTEN BY MOSQUITOS
OR DRILL POTABLE WATER WELLS
OR DEAL WITH SANITATION MUCK
IN MICRONESIA WHEN YOU COULD
BE WATCHING THE DODGERS,
DOING INSTAGRAM,
EATING IN-N-OUT BURGERS?
INSTEAD OF THAT, YOU GET
DENGUE AND YOU GET MALARIA.
NOW, WHY WOULD PEOPLE
UNANIMOUSLY,
IN MY CASE, SAY, "I LOVED IT.
I'D DO IT AGAIN."
WHY? BECAUSE INTERESTING,
CHALLENGING,
REWARDING, MEANINGFUL.
I REMEMBER THOSE BECAUSE OF AN
ACRONYM, ICRM, REMEMBER THAT.
FOR A MUCH BETTER ANSWER
TO WHY WOULD YOU WANT
TO JOIN THE PEACE CORPS TALK TO
JESSICA BECAUSE SHE'S FABULOUS
AND THIS IS PEACE CORPS WEEK AND
SHE DID MOST OF THE ORGANIZING
FOR THIS EVENING, SO I'M REALLY,
REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT,
SO SERVICE, REMEMBER SERVICE.
WITH THAT, I THINK
I HAVE SOMETHING
LIKE NINE MINUTES LEFT.
I WAS ASKED TO TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF,
WHICH I'M NORMALLY NOT GOOD
AT, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES
OF THIS AUDIENCE,
I THINK I WILL.
EVEN THE PRESIDENT
ASKED ME TO DO THIS
SO I CAN'T SAY NO
TO THE PRESIDENT.
DOES ANYBODY RECOGNIZE
THAT BUILDING?
THAT'S DOWNTOWN LA.
THAT'S LA DEPARTMENT
OF WATER AND POWER.
AFTER I GRADUATED, MY DAD,
MY LOVELY DAD WHO'S
PASSED AWAY SAID, "SON,
YOU GOT SOME COLLEGE
DEBT TO PAY OFF
AND WE'RE AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY
AND YOU GOT TO MAKE US PROUD.
GO OUT THERE AND
MAKE SOME MONEY."
I SAID, "OKAY, DAD."
HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT I
APPLIED TO THE PEACE CORPS
AND WAS NOMINATED AND
WAS GETTING READY.
I WAS GOING TO GIVE HIM A HAPPY
SURPRISE, BUT HE SHUT THAT OFF
AND SO I HAD TO TELL
PEACE CORPS, "NO,
SORRY, I CAN'T DO THAT."
I WENT HERE AND WORKED
FOR THREE YEARS
AND IT WAS A REALLY
COOL PLACE, GREAT JOB.
I'D SAY NOTHING BAD ABOUT DWP,
BUT SOMETHING REALLY STRUCK ME.
I ATTENDED A NUMBER OF FAREWELL
RETIREMENT PARTIES FOR PEOPLE
WHO HAD WORKED FOR 40
YEARS IN THAT BUILDING,
SUPER NICE PEOPLE, SUPER
CONFIDENT PEOPLE, BUT I THOUGHT,
"IS THAT ME 40 YEARS FROM NOW?
NO, NOT POSSIBLE.
I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
THE WORLD IS A LOT
MORE INTERESTING.
I DON'T NEED MONEY,
INSTABILITY THAT BAD."
SO, I MOVED ON.
I WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL.
I GOT A FULBRIGHT GRANT AFTER
FINISHING MY GRADUATE DEGREES.
I WENT TO BOLIVIA AND
I THOUGHT, "OH MY GOD!"
THERE WAS A WAR GOING ON.
THERE WAS, IT'S IN [INAUDIBLE].
THERE WAS A CIVIL WAR GOING ON,
A LITTLE DANGEROUS,
I DIDN'T CARE.
IT WAS SO INTERESTING, SO
BEAUTIFUL, SO FASCINATING
AND I APPLIED MY COLLEGE
DEGREE AND WAS HELPING THEM
WITH THEIR IRRIGATION NETWORK.
YOU CAN SEE ONE OF THE PROJECTS
HERE, SMALL SCALE PROJECT
AND THEY'RE EATING
CHUñO, WHICH IS A POTATO
THAT THEY GROW OUT THERE.
THEY'RE NOT PLAYING MARBLES.
THEN I THOUGHT, "MAN, THIS
IS REALLY INTERESTING CAREER.
I THINK I LIKE THAT."
SO I WENT TO BOLIVIA AND, AGAIN,
APPLIED MY ENGINEERING DEGREE.
YOU SEE, THE D6 IS
IN THE D12 TRACTORS
ON THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE.
THE US GOVERNMENT WAS BUILDING
IRRIGATION NETWORKS AND ROADS
BECAUSE THIS PHENOMENON CALLED
EL NIñO PRODUCED DROUGHTS
IN SOME AREAS AND
FLOODS IN OTHER AREAS.
I DID THAT.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE WOMAN IN
THE BOWLER HATS AND I THOUGHT,
"YOU KNOW I REALLY, REALLY
LOVE THIS KIND OF WORK.
I'M NEVER GOING HOME."
SO, I JOINED USAID AS A
FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER,
WORKED IN GUATEMALA AND I KNOW
DR. [INAUDIBLE] CAN SPEAK A LOT
MORE ABOUT THIS THAN
I CAN, BUT I WORKED
ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN
[INAUDIBLE], THE HIGHLANDS.
ON MY FREE TIME, I WORKED
WITH THE WIDOW'S ASSOCIATION
OF THE IXIL TRIANGLE,
WHICH WAS AN AREA
WHERE ALL THE MEN GOT KILLED
BECAUSE THERE WAS A CIVIL
WAR GOING ON THERE TOO
AND ALL THE MEN WERE
KILLED BY --
WELL, WE'LL LEAVE THAT
FOR ANOTHER DISCUSSION.
SO, A BUNCH OF WIDOWS OUT THERE.
THEY WEAVE REALLY WELL, SO
WE ARE HELPING THEM OUT.
THE BIGGEST PROJECT
THAT I WAS WORKING
ON WAS GETTING US
GOVERNMENT MONEY
TO SUPPORT RESEARCHERS
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAYANS DID
IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE
IN LOWLAND TROPICAL,
SUBTROPICAL FORESTS.
LEARNING THAT LESSON TO HELP
PEOPLE WHO LIVE [INAUDIBLE]
IN THE NORTHERN PART
OF THE COUNTRY,
DO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
IN A TROPICAL SETTING
AND ALSO HELP THE COUNTRY MAKE
MONEY OFF ARCHEOLOGICAL TOURISM,
SOMETHING THAT IS NOW
CALLED LA RUTA MAYA,
SO ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT.
AND THEN I WAS FORCED
SENT, I DIDN'T WANT
TO EVER LEAVE LATIN AMERICA,
BUT PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON SAID,
"OKAY, YOU'RE OUT OF HERE.
YOU'RE GOING TO INDONESIA."
AND MY RESPONSE WAS,
"WHERE IS THAT?"
I SPENT A TOTAL OF
EIGHT YEARS IN TWO TOURS
BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY
LOVED INDONESIA
AND THE ISSUES ARE SO DRAMATIC.
250 MILLION PEOPLE
STILL PRETTY POOR,
LIVING OFF OF NATURAL RESOURCES
THAT ARE BEING TOTALLY WIPED
OUT BY BIG FISHING, ILLEGAL
FISHING, UNSUSTAINABLE FISHING
AND AT THAT TIME, A
DEFORESTATION RATE,
WHICH WAS ABOUT ONE
MILLION HECTARES A YEAR.
ONE MILLION HECTARES A YEAR.
THAT'S HUGE.
THAT WAS A SUPER
COMPELLING THING TO DO.
I LOVED IT SO MUCH.
I WENT BACK THERE AND SPENT
A TOTAL OF EIGHT YEARS.
BUT IN BETWEEN, I WAS SENT
TO WASHINGTON WHERE I WORKED
ON DISASTERS AND CONFLICT.
HERE, A FEW OF THE 230,000
PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES.
THEY'RE IN BODY BAGS,
GOING TO BE PUT HERE.
I WAS BASICALLY FIRST ON
THE GROUND WITH A TEAM
OF 12 US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
TO SPEND A HUGE CHUNK OF MONEY
TO HELP THE PEOPLE
OF NORTHERN ACEH,
WHICH IS IN THE NORTHERN TIP
OF SUMATRA RECOVER FROM THAT.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED
LIKE EVERYWHERE WE WENT.
THIS IS A HELICOPTER
SHOT, ON THE GROUND SHOT.
WORKED WITH US NAVY THAT AN
AIRCRAFT CARRIER POSTED OUTSIDE
OF ACEH.
THEY LET US RIDE IN THEIR
BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS DOING
DROPS OF FOOD.
SUPER FASCINATING, DID THIS
ALL OVER AGAIN IN PAKISTAN.
THOSE ARE US ARMY CHINOOK
HELICOPTERS BRINGING
IN ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
THIS IS IN A KASHMIR AREA
WORKING WITH THE PAKI MILITARY,
FASCINATING, FASCINATING
SERVICE STUFF.
A FEW YEARS LATER, I
WAS SENT TO FUKUSHIMA.
YOU GUYS MAY HAVE HEARD OF THE
NUCLEAR DISASTER, EARTHQUAKE
AND TSUNAMI ALL PACKED IN ONE.
ON THE GROUND, THIS IS
WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE,
GROUND ZERO IN FUKUSHIMA.
I SHOT SO MANY PICTURES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE
ARE THE BEST,
BUT ALOT OF THOSE
KINDS OF THINGS.
THERE IS NO DISASTER
THAT DOESN'T HAVE AN
ELEMENT OF POLITICS TO IT.
I GOT TO MEET SOME
BIG SHOTS WORK.
I'M AN FOB, FRIEND OF BILL.
I THINK HE'S FABULOUS.
HE CAME OUT TO THANK ALL OF
US WHO WORKED ON CONFLICT
AND DISASTER WORK BECAUSE IT'S
NOT EXACTLY THE MOST SAFEST
OF JOBS.
FOR CONFLICT WORK, I WAS SENT
TO CONGO, BURUNDI, LIBERIA,
COLUMBIA, SRI LANKA, BASICALLY
ANYWHERE WHERE THERE WAS A WAR.
I GOT SENT IN PAKISTAN
TALKING WITH THE MULLAHS
AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS
IN THE NORTHWEST PROVINCES,
IN HAITI WORKING WITH
PRETTY VIOLENT GANGS,
GIVING THEM PEACE
FOR WORK ACTIVITIES.
THEY MAKE A GOOD AMOUNT OF
MONEY BY DOING CIVIL WORKS,
CLEANING UP SEWERS,
THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS WAS WORKING WITH THE
REBEL LEADERS AT THAT TIME,
THE COUNTRY OF SOUTH SUDAN.
AT THAT TIME, IT
WASN'T A COUNTRY.
SOUTH SUDAN WAS A RENEGADE
REBEL PROVINCE WORKING WITH THEM
TO TRY TO WORK WITH THE
NORTH TO FIGURE OUT A WAY
THAT WE CAN GIVE BIRTH TO
THE COUNTRY OF SOUTH SUDAN.
BUT THE WORST CONFLICT EVER
IS THE CONFLICT IN THE OFFICE
AND HERE A COUPLE OF MY
STAFFERS GOING POSTAL
AND SHOWING THEIR BOSS WHAT
THEY REALLY THINK ABOUT GAMBLE.
I WANT TO LEAVE THAT INELIGIBLE
SLIDE, BUT JUST TO SHOW YOU
AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING
TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE.
THIS HAS A SUMMARY OF ALL
THE THINGS THAT I IN AN
OUT OF BREATH FASHION
WAS TRYING TO GO
THROUGH ALL THE INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE AT CSULB.
I'M SURE IT'S NOT
PERFECTLY CORRECT.
THANK YOU JESSICA
FOR COMPILING THAT.
IF YOU GUYS HAD THAT
SHEET, MAYBE YOU ALREADY DO,
I THINK IT WOULD
BE REALLY HELPFUL.
I WANT TO TIE IT ALL
UP BY SAYING I TRIED
TO EXPLAIN WHY IT
IS THAT I'M HERE.
I REALLY DO BELIEVE AS THE
LEADERS OF UNIVERSITY DO
THAT AN INTERNATIONAL ELEMENT
TO YOUR EDUCATION
IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING
TO GET GOOD GRADES.
I KNOW YOU GOT JOBS.
I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO
MAKE MOM AND DAD HAPPY,
HOLD ON TO YOUR BOYFRIEND
AND GIRLFRIEND.
YOU'RE BUSY PEOPLE, I KNOW
THAT, BUT GUYS, PLEASE,
LEAVE SOME ROOM FOR
INTERNATIONAL ELEMENTS
TO YOUR EDUCATION AT
THIS IMPORTANT TIME
IN THE FORMATION OF YOUR CAREER.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE
SUPER BIG HIGHLIGHT
OF ALL THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE
AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I STAND ON THE SHOULDERS
OF GIANTS,
SOME OF WHOM YOU'VE JUST MET.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO BE
HELPFUL AND ADD TO THAT
SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN GET
THE BENEFIT OF ALL THIS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE
WARM WELCOME THIS EVENING,
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SOME OF YOU.
DURING MY TENURE, I
REALLY HOPED TO BE USEFUL
TO THE STUDENT BODY
AND THE UNIVERSITY.
AGAIN, I'M HUMBLED AND THANKFUL
FOR THE PRESENCE
OF THE PRESIDENT.
GUYS, TO ADD ON TO THIS,
WE'RE GOING TO SEGUE NOW
INTO A PANEL DISCUSSION WHERE
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME
OF YOUR LEADERS AND STARS AND
SUPER KNOWLEDGEABLE FOLKS TALK
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
GUYS, WE'RE GOING
TO BE MOVING STUFF.
PLEASE GET READY AS I GIVE MY
FINAL THANK YOU OF HUMILITY
AND APPRECIATION TO EVERYBODY.
ALL YOU GUYS IN THE
STUDENT ASSOCIATION,
WHICH PUT OUT THE GREAT
FOOD, DID ALL THOSE FLYERS.
JESSICA, I KNOW YOU'RE
LEADING THE CONSPIRACY
TO DO THESE GREAT THINGS.
WHAT A WARM, WARM WELCOME.
WHAT A HUGE TURN OUT ON A COLD
NIGHT, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT,
LOOKING FORWARD TO
MEETING ALL YOU GUYS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
WONDERFUL.
I WAS ACTUALLY GOING
TO INTRODUCE THE PANEL,
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF NOT ONLY
GETTING ALL THE DETAILS RIGHT,
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE PANEL
TELLING YOU THEMSELVES WHAT THEY
DO, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY
A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVE
THAT THEY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS
JUST EXPLAIN THE FORMAT HERE
AND ASK YOU GUYS TO GET READY
BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GO
THROUGH FIVE TO SIX MINUTES.
EACH PANELIST IS GOING TO GET
A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE
OF THINGS THAT I
WILL PUT BEFORE THEM.
BUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER
THAT, WE'RE GOING TO SEGUE
TO THESE TWO MICS AND WHAT
I'D REALLY LIKE TO DO IS
TO GET YOU GUYS TO THINK
OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT
TO ASK THESE SUPER
KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE,
THE TOUGHER THE QUESTION
THE BETTER.
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO
GET BACK AT YOUR TEACHER
AND ASK THEM A REAL
TOUGH QUESTION.
I JUST FIRST LIKE TO SAY
THAT I LOOKED AT THE BIOS
OF THESE PEOPLE AND WOW.
WE'RE REALLY, REALLY
LUCKY TO HAVE
SUCH INCREDIBLE SCHOLARS HERE.
SO, AS I'VE SAID, I'M GOING
TO ASK THEM WITHIN FIVE
OR SIX MINUTES TO DO
A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, INTRODUCE
YOURSELVES,
TELL US ABOUT YOUR
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
AND WHAT YOU'RE WORKING
ON NOW AND I WANT
TO WORK IN ONE MORE THING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE
FOR THE STUDENTS
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL WORK
OR INTERNATIONAL CAREER,
GO AHEAD AND GO THAT.
I KNOW THAT'S A LOT TO ASK IN
FIVE TO SIX MINUTES SO I'M GOING
TO SHUT UP AND TURN THE
MIC OVER TO YOU GUYS,
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
GUYS, AS SOON AS WE'RE
DONE, WE'RE GOING TO GO
TO YOU GUYS FOR QUESTIONS.
ARE WE GOOD?
ALL RIGHT.
JUST TO SHAKE THINGS UP,
REMEMBER, THIS IS THE TIME
TO TRIP UP YOUR TEACHERS
A LITTLE BIT.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO IN ORDER.
I'M GOING TO DO A LITTLE BIT
OF A SURPRISE THING
AND ASK DR. LARIS.
DR. LARIS, YOU HAVE AN
AMAZING SET OF EXPERIENCES
IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO AND MALI.
I'M BLOWN AWAY BY
WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
DOCTOR, YOU'RE UP FIRST.
THANK YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT.
AM I ON HERE.
COULD YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES.
>> I HAVE SOME [INAUDIBLE],
BUT I'M GOING
TO JUST TUSSLE THE TIME
AND TALK ABOUT MY MOM
BECAUSE MY MOM WOULD BE GIVING
ME A REALLY HARD TIME RIGHT NOW.
WHENEVER I BRING A FRIEND HOME,
SHE WILL ALWAYS REMIND THEM
THAT WHEN I WAS ABOUT YOUR AGE,
I WAS AN ENGINEERING STUDENT
AT UCLA AND WHENEVER THE TALK
OF TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY
OR LEARNING ANOTHER LANGUAGE
CAME UP, SHE WOULD ALWAYS SAY,
"PAUL, YOU NEVER WANTED TO
DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS."
I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY
TO THIS DAY THERE'S PLENTY
OF PLACES TO TRAVEL IN THE US.
WHY WOULD I EVER WANT
TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE?
IF I DON'T WANT TO
GO ANYWHERE ELSE,
THEN WHY WOULD I EVER LEARN
ANOTHER LANGUAGE ANYWAY?
WELL, I WAS AN ENGINEERING
STUDENT AT THE TIME.
HOW MANY ENGINEERS WE GOT HERE?
YES, THAT'S MY POINT.
AS ENGINEERS DON'T TAKE GE,
AND IT'S ONLY GETTING WORSE,
BUT I'LL GET OFF THAT
HORSE FOR A MOMENT.
I ENDED UP GOING TO GRADUATE
SCHOOL AND HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE
AND I HAD A GOOD FRIEND OF
MINE WHO WAS IN THE PEACE CORPS
IN WEST AFRICA WRITING ME A
LETTER ABOUT SOME AMAZING,
WILD CRAZY PARTY
THAT WAS HAPPENING
IN HIS LITTLE VILLAGE
IN SIERRA LEONE.
AND I ALL OF A SUDDEN
WAS IN A QUANDARY.
SHOULD I FINISH MY DEGREE AS
AN ENGINEER OR SHOULD I GO ON
AND TRAVEL AND JOIN
THE PEACE CORPS?
I WANT TO DO SOMETHING
WITH ENGINEERING OTHER
THAN DESIGN TURBO CHARGER PARTS,
WHICH IS WHAT I WAS
DOING THAT SUMMER.
SO I HAD THIS QUANDARY AND
I WAS WALKING AROUND WITH,
I'LL GIVE HER CREDIT,
A GIRLFRIEND
OF MINE NAMED VALERIE.
SHE WAS FROM FRANCE AND WE WERE
IN THE STREET CORNER AND I WAS
SO LOST IN MY HEAD
AND IN MY THOUGHTS.
"SHOULD I GO TO THE PEACE CORPS
OR SHOULD I GET MY
ENGINEERING DEGREE?
SHOULD I GO TO THE PEACE CORPS
OR SHOULD I GET MY
ENGINEERING DEGREE?"
SHE SAID, "FINE.
JUST STOP."
SHE LOOKS AT ME AND SHE
GOES, "I DON'T KNOW.
SHOULD I CROSS THE
STREET THIS WAY
OR SHOULD I CROSS
THE STREET THAT WAY?
WHAT SHOULD I DO?"
SHE JUST LOOKED AT
ME LIKE, "COME ON.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND."
THAT WAS WHAT I NEEDED.
I QUIT GRAD SCHOOL AND
JOINED THE PEACE CORPS
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW I WAS
IN A LITTLE VILLAGE
IN WEST AFRICA.
I WAS WAY OVER PREPARED OR
OVER EDUCATED FOR THE TASK,
WHICH WAS HELPING WOMAN DESIGN
THESE LITTLE STOVES OUT OF CLAY
AND MUD TO MAKE THEIR COOKING
A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT
SO THEY USED LESS WOOD.
AS AN ENGINEER, I WAS
WORRIED ABOUT CLEARANCES
AND MICROMETERS AND, IN THE
PEACE CORPS, THE IDEA WAS,
"WELL, IF YOU COULD FIT
YOUR FINGER BETWEEN THE POT
AND THE CLAY, YOU'VE GOT
THE CLEARANCE JUST RIGHT."
ENGINEERING GAVE ME A GREAT
BACKGROUND TOO TO GO DO
THAT SORT OF WORK, BUT I WAS
WAY UNDERPREPARED IN TERMS
OF CULTURE RULE,
KNOWLEDGE AND EXCHANGE.
I DID THE SORT OF
THE PEACE CORPS THING
AND I BROUGHT MY
BICYCLE WITH ME.
I WENT OUT AND DID WHATEVER
THE PEOPLE WERE DOING.
I HARVESTED MILLET.
I HARVESTED COTTON.
I HARVESTED PEANUTS FOR
THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
I STRUGGLED TO LEARN
THE LANGUAGE
BECAUSE OF COURSE I HADN'T ANY
EXPERIENCE LEARNING LANGUAGE
BEFORE THAT.
FINALLY, I LEARN ENOUGH OF THE
LANGUAGE A FRIEND OF MINE MY AGE
THAT I STILL KNOW WELL.
HE TURNED TO ME AND SAID, "PAUL,
YOU DIDN'T REALLY COME
ALL THE WAY TO MALI JUST
TO FARM PEANUTS, DID YOU?"
AND I REALIZED HEY I ACHIEVED MY
FIRST STEP WHICH IS TO INTEGRATE
AND LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE THERE.
I SPENT THREE YEARS
THERE AND I DID A NUMBER
OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN
ADDITION TO THOSE STOVES.
YEARS LATER IN GRADUATE SCHOOL
AFTER GETTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE DEGREE AND I WAS
IN A GEOGRAPHY PROGRAM LOOKING
FOR THE TOPIC OF RESEARCH,
I THOUGHT BACK, MY HEAD WENT
BACK TO MALI AND HOW PEOPLE SET
SO MANY FIRES THERE AND HOW
THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY WAS
JUST NOT HAPPY WITH THEM FOR
SETTING FIRES AND I THOUGHT,
"YOU KNOW THAT'S A
REALLY INTERESTING TOPIC."
I WONDER WHY PEOPLE
SET ALL THESE FIRES
AND HOW THEY DO IT
SO ON AND SO FORTH.
WELL, BASICALLY, HERE I AM,
ABOUT HALF A MILLION
DOLLAR'S WORTH OF GRANTS
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW
MANY PAPERS LATER.
IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL CAREER
GOING BACK AND FORTH TO MALI
TO STUDY THE ENVIRONMENT.
I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF A YEAR
AGO IN MY SAME LITTLE VILLAGE
WHERE I SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER.
I HAD THREE FORMER
STUDENTS FROM HERE WITH ME.
TWO OF THEM HAD BEEN
IN THE PEACE CORPS.
I HAD TWO GRADUATE STUDENTS
WITH ME WHO ARE DOING RESEARCH
AND ALL OF US WERE IN THIS
LITTLE VILLAGE FOR NEW YEARS.
IT WAS MY 30TH ANNIVERSARY
OF BEING HERE
SO THAT WAS A REALLY
WONDERFUL TIME.
I THINK IN CLOSING, ONE
OF THE THINGS THEY ASK,
"WHAT'S A MAJOR BARRIER
TO GETTING INVOLVED
WITH INTERNATIONAL WORK?"
WELL, A CLOSED MIND.
YOU GUYS ARE ALL
HERE SO GOOD FOR YOU.
GO TELL A FRIEND OF YOURS.
IT WAS A FRIEND THAT TOLD
ME TO GO TO PEACE CORPS
AND IT CHANGED MY
LIFE TO TRAVEL.
AND AS FAR AS CAREERS,
FORGET ABOUT IT, JUST GO.
JUST GET OUT THERE
AND GO DO SOMETHING.
I HAD NO CLUE WHAT
I WAS GOING TO DO.
GET A FIRST EXPERIENCE,
SO JUST GO DO IT.
THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU, DR. LARIS.
I'D LIKE TO ASK TERRENCE GRAHAM,
PLEASE ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES.
>> CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME?
>> YES.
>> ALL RIGHT, GREAT.
I THINK SIMILAR TO DR.
LARIS, WHEN I LOOK BACK
AT WHERE I'VE COME FROM,
IT KIND OF ALL MAKES SENSE.
BUT BACK AT THAT POINT
WHEN I STARTED OFF
IN INTERNATIONAL
CAREER, IT LOOKS FOREIGN.
I HAD NO CLUE WHAT I WAS DOING.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY CAREER PATH.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT
I WANTED TO DO.
THAT WAS OKAY AND IT'S
NOT A SCARY PLACE TO BE.
I'M NOT THAT WORRIED.
I WAS INTERESTED IN
APPLYING FOR PEACE CORPS
AS A SENIOR IN UNIVERSITY.
I DIDN'T WAIT TO
GO ON PEACE CORPS.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO
GO WITH THE FACULTY MEMBER
OF MY RUSSIAN HISTORY PROFESSOR.
MICHAEL SMITH IS OUR
PROFESSOR AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY.
HE HAD A GROUP OF FOUR
STUDENTS TOGETHER AND TOOK US
TO A PLACE [INAUDIBLE]
IN THE SUMMER OF 1993.
AND PEACE CORPS SAID, "WELL,
WHEN YOU COME BACK FROM RUSSIA,
WE CAN RENEW YOUR
APPLICATION AND ANYTHING."
BUT I DIDN'T REALLY EVER
COME BACK FROM RUSSIA.
I CREATED MY OWN
VERSION OF PEACE CORPS.
I GUESS THE GOALS OR THE
THINGS THAT ATTRACTED ME
TO PEACE CORPS KIND OF KEPT
ME MOVING FORWARD AND FOCUSED
ON THE THINGS THAT
I FOUND INTERESTING
AND VALUABLE, SO I KEPT GOING.
SO THAT LITTLE TWO
MONTHS [INAUDIBLE]STUDY
ABROAD OPPORTUNITY.
I'D BEEN AN ENGLISH MAJOR
SINCE 1993 IN RUSSIA.
I WAS THERE.
I COULD SPEAK ENGLISH.
I GOT A JOB AT TWO
UNIVERSITIES TEACHING ENGLISH.
I'M SURPRISED IN
HOW EASY IT WAS.
I WENT TO AN OFFICE WHERE
SOMEHOW THEY FIXED MY VISA
AND DID EVERYTHING OKAY
AND DIDN'T ASK QUESTIONS.
SO I STUCK AROUND FOR
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF,
WENT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
THEN [INAUDIBLE] BROUGHT ME
TO MOSCOW, 50 STUDENTS AND TOOK
THE STUDENTS BACK IN COLUMBUS,
OHIO [INAUDIBLE] WENT TO MOSCOW.
I DIDN'T HAVE A JOB.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT
I WAS GOING TO DO.
I KNEW PEOPLE THERE.
I HAD AN APARTMENT SETUP
AND THAT WAS ALL I NEEDED.
IT JUST TOOK A LITTLE BIT
OF TIME TO GET SETTLED
AND FIND DECENT ENOUGH WORK.
THAT WAS WHERE I WANTED TO BE.
IT WAS A FASCINATING TIME,
A FASCINATING PLACE TO BE.
ONCE I GOT PULLED INTO
THAT INTERNATIONAL WORK
AND FOR ME RUSSIA WAS KIND
OF THE [INAUDIBLE],
FASCINATING PLACE.
IF YOU STUDY THE
HISTORY [INAUDIBLE].
THAT'S FASCINATING TO ME.
IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
TO BE THERE.
PART OF IT I THINK
BACK TO THOSE MOMENTS
IN TIME TAKING THAT
LEAP OF FAITH.
I DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN.
IF YOU WAIT FOR THE
CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE PERFECT,
THEN YOU'RE NEVER
GOING TO ABROAD
BECAUSE THEY'LL NEVER
BE PERFECT.
YOU COULD THINK OF A
MILLION REASONS NOT
TO PURSUE INTERNATIONAL
CAREER BECAUSE IT'S EASIER
TO STAY HERE, LESS RESISTANCE.
YOUR PARENTS ARE
TELLING YOU TO STAY.
YOUR FRIENDS ARE
TELLING YOU TO STAY,
BUT TAKING THAT LEAP OF FAITH.
FOR ME, IT WAS THAT SECOND
TRIP WHEN I WENT TO --
I TOOK A LEAVE OF ABSENCE
FROM MY PHD PROGRAM AND WENT
TO MOSCOW WITHOUT A JOB,
JUST HAVE TO TALK TO MYSELF
THAT I'D FIGURED
THIS OUT AND COUPLE
OF PEOPLE THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK.
PEOPLE LEND A HAND
IF YOU ASK FOR HELP.
THAT SET ME ON MY WAY
AND THAT CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE INTERNATIONAL WORK
AND I MENTIONED THIS,
STAYING ABROAD.
FOR ME, THAT WAS THE
OPPORTUNITY THAT OPENED
UP MY EYES TO THE WORLD.
IT WAS THE START OF
A GREAT ADVENTURE
AND THAT ADVENTURE
JUST KEEPS GOING ON.
THAT'S WHAT WORK IN
INTERNATIONAL IS.
IT'S AN ADVENTURE.
THE MAIN THING IS TO JUST
SET OFF ON THAT ADVENTURE.
HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF
THAT YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW WHAT
THE END OF THE ADVENTURE IS.
YOU JUST NEED TO START.
I'VE STUCK WITH EDUCATION,
BELIEVING IN EDUCATION,
WORKING IN EDUCATION
AND ITS CONNECTION
WITH BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER,
BUT ALSO ADDRESSING THE ISSUES
OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
BRINGING STUDENTS INTO TOUCH
WITH OTHERS AND OPENING
THEIR EYES TO THE WORLD.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT
I BELIEVE AND I WANTED TO DO.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT
ABOUT JOINING PEACE
CORPS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I ENDED UP DOING THOSE WITH MY
OWN WINDING PATH AND I ENDED
UP BEING HERE IN THE
LOBBY A FEW YEARS AGO.
MY FOCUS HERE IS ON CONNECTING
YOU, STUDENTS LIKE YOU
WITH THOSE OPPORTUNITIES
THAT YOU CAN SET OFF
ON YOUR ADVENTURE AND EXPERIENCE
IN YOUR OWN UNIQUE WAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. GRIM.
I'M HEARING SOME
RESONATING THEMES
FROM THE FIRST TWO FIGURES.
I'D LIKE TO TURN THE MIC
OVER TO DR. NORMA CHINCHILLA.
>> SO THERE ARE THREE GIRLS IN
MY FAMILY AND, AT THIS POINT
IN MY LIFE, PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS
ASK, "HOW COME YOU WERE THE ONE
THAT ALWAYS WANTED TO
GO ABROAD, ALWAYS WANTED
TO LEAVE THE UNITED STATES,
ALWAYS WERE TAKING RISK
AND GOING THROUGH THIS DAY?"
I HAVE NO ANSWER TO THAT
EXCEPT I DO REMEMBER AS EARLY
AS THE AGE OF SIX
THAT I ALWAYS WANTED
TO GO WHENEVER MISSIONARIES
FROM AFRICA CAME TO MY CHURCH.
I WASN'T SO INTERESTED IN
SAVING FOLK, BUT I LIKE THE PART
ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] AND
VACCINATING PEOPLE,
AND MAKING PEOPLE HEALTHY AND
HAVING GIRLS GO TO SCHOOL.
THAT WAS LIKE SIX YEARS OLD,
I REMEMBER THAT VERY CLEARLY
AND I NAMED MY DOLL AFTER ONE
OF THE MISSIONARIES
THAT I READ ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS VERY EARLY, BUT ANYWAY
WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL,
MY FRIEND AND I TALKED OUR
PARENTS INTO LETTING US GO
TO JALAPA, VERACRUZ,
TO THE UNIVERSITY
OF VERACRUZ SUMMER SESSION.
NOW, I DON'T THINK IT WAS MEANT
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT ALL.
BUT SOMEHOW WE TALKED
TO OUR PARENTS INTO IT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW.
THEY DIDN'T REALLY KNOW.
WE WENT TO VERACRUZ.
WE WENT TO JALAPA AND HAD
THE TIME OF OUR LIVES.
I LEARNED HOW TO DANCE.
MY FAMILY DOESN'T DANCE.
I LEARNED HOW TO
DRINK A LITTLE BIT.
[INAUDIBLE] AND I LEARNED
HOW TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT,
WHICH MY FAMILY NEVER
LIVES IN THE MOMENT.
WE'RE ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT THE
FUTURE AND I THOUGHT, "MAN,
THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING
IN MY LIFE SO I'M GOING
TO GET HERE SOMEHOW
OR ANOTHER AGAIN."
SO, WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE,
AS I WAS GRADUATING,
I HEARD ABOUT THIS
FULBRIGHT FELLOWSHIP
THAT WAS FOR COLLEGE GRADUATE.
IT WASN'T FOR SERIOUS
RESEARCHERS,
BUT SOMEHOW SENATOR FULBRIGHT
HAD GOTTEN THE CONGRESS TO AGREE
TO HAVE LIKE 10 FELLOWSHIPS
FOR DIFFERENT LATIN AMERICAN
COUNTRIES WHERE YOU COULD GO
AND JUST BE A STUDENT
AT THE UNIVERSITY
AND WIN LATIN AMERICAN
COLLEGE STUDENTS
OVER TO THE AMERICAN
WAY OF LIFE BASICALLY.
I MEAN, WE WERE SUPPOSED
TO TRY TO WIN THEM AWAY
THROUGH CONTINENTS AND THE
OTHER EVIL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
OF COURSE, IT WAS A MUTUAL
WINNING AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
SOME OF US CAME BACK A
LITTLE CRITICAL OF US POLICY,
BUT THAT AGAIN, IT [INAUDIBLE].
ANYWAY, I THOUGHT IT WAS
GOING TO BE LIKE MEXICO
WHERE EVERYTHING WAS CHEERY
AND WONDERFUL AND HAPPY.
I'M NOT SORRY EVER THAT HE WENT.
IT CHANGED MY ENTIRE LIFE.
IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST
AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
IT'S AS IF YOU WERE
TALKING ABOUT, "IF YOU WANT
TO LIVE AN EXCITING
FULFILLING LIFE,
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO
BE YOUR PAID WORK.
IT CAN BE WITH YOUR SERVICE.
IT CAN BE WITH THE PEOPLE
YOU KNOW OR THE CAUSES
THAT YOU GET INVOLVED IN.
THIS IS THE WAY YOU DO IT."
GUATEMALA CHANGED MY LIFE,
BUT IT WAS A TOUGH YEAR.
THERE WAS A MILITARY DICTATOR.
THEY WERE KILLING OFF
THE FIRST RULING GROUP
AND THEY WOULD KILL PEOPLE
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN.
THEY WERE THREATENING COUPS.
ALL KINDS OF THINGS
HAPPENED THAT YEAR
AND I WAS LITTLE NAïVE.
I THOUGHT I WAS SAVVY.
YOU KNOW I WAS AN AMERICAN
COLLEGE STUDENT FROM THE 1960S,
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING.
I WOULD GO AROUND ASKING
PEOPLE WHAT THEY THOUGHT
OF THE GOVERNMENT.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT
TOOK ME A WHILE TO REALIZE
THAT NOBODY WAS GOING TO ANSWER
THAT QUESTION, BUT I LEARNED
SO MANY THINGS AND I
MADE WONDERFUL FRIENDS.
THEN, OF COURSE, I FEEL IN LOVE
WITH GUATEMALA AND GUATEMALANS,
AND THE VILLAGES THAT I SPENT
TIME IN AND JUST EVERYTHING.
I ENDED UP ALSO MARRYING INTO
A GUATEMALAN FAMILY EVENTUALLY,
SO I WAS TIED TO GUATEMALA.
SO, THEN I WENT TO
GRADUATE SCHOOL
AND I COULD HAVE NEVER
SURVIVED IN MY PHD PROGRAM,
WHICH WAS REALLY NOT A
PLEASANT EXPERIENCE AT ALL,
BUT I COULD HAVE NEVER
SURVIVED IT BY HAVING HAD
THAT PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THE
ISSUES I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND
FROM BEING IN GUATEMALA
AND BEING EXPOSED
TO LATIN AMERICAN SOCIOLOGIST
WHO HAD A DIFFERENT VIEW
OF SOCIOLOGY THAN WE
DID HERE IN THE STATES.
I WAS REALLY LUCKY BECAUSE
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN,
THERE WERE STUDENTS FROM
AFRICA, FROM LATIN AMERICA
AND FROM EASTERN EUROPE
AND MANY OF THOSE WENT BACK
TO BEING IMPORTANT
PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENTS.
WE ALL BANDED TOGETHER
AND KIND OF KEPT PEOPLE --
KEPT EACH OTHER ALIVE
IN GRADUATE SCHOOL.
SO, I BECAME A PROFESSOR.
I WAS FIRST AT THE
[INAUDIBLE] COLLEGES AND THEN
AT THE UC IRVINE AND
NOW HERE AT CAL STATE,
LONG BEACH WHERE I'VE ACTUALLY
BEEN THE HAPPIEST OF ANY.
I'VE GONE TO TEACH ABOUT LATIN
AMERICA INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
AND ABOUT OTHER THINGS.
BUT IN THE 1980S,
THE GUATEMALANS [INAUDIBLE]
STARTED COMING TO LOS ANGELES
AS YOU MAY KNOW AND THEY BEGAN
POURING IN BECAUSE OF THE WARS
AND BECAUSE OF THE REPRESSION.
OUR GOVERNMENT AT THAT
TIME DEFINED THEM JUST
AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS, BUT
MANY OF US WHO WERE --
UNDERSTOOD THE CONDITIONS
THEY WERE COMING FROM FELT
THAT THEY WERE REFUGEES.
SO, WE HAVE ALL OF THESE
STUDENT CAMPAIGNS TO TRY
TO PROTECT THE REFUGEES
FROM BEING DEPORTED.
MANY OF THE INTERFACE
GROUPS WERE PART
OF THE SANCTUARY MOVEMENT
WHERE WE HAD PEOPLE
IN CHURCHES WE PROTECTED.
SO, IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS,
I GOT INVOLVED AND ONE
OF THE WAYS WAS [INAUDIBLE] IN
GUATEMALANS CAME TO THOSE OF US
IN LOS ANGELES WHO THEY COULD
IDENTIFY WHO SPOKE SPANISH
AND HAD SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE
CONDITIONS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
SO, THOSE WERE LIKE EX-PEACE
CORPS VOLUNTEERS, MISSIONARIES,
PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO
HAD A FELLOWSHIP,
AND ANTHROPOLOGIST
AND SAID, "LOOK.
YOU HAVE TO HELP US.
YOU HAVE TO BECOME AN
ACTIVIST ON OUR BEHALF."
AND THEY WOULD ASK FOR THINGS
THAT I DIDN'T HAVE
A CLUE HOW TO DO.
THEY'D SAY, "I WANT AN
INTERVIEW WITH THE ARCHBISHOP."
WELL, FIRST OF ALL
I'M NOT CATHOLIC.
SECOND OF ALL I DON'T KNOW
HIS PHONE NUMBER OR ANYBODY
WHO HAS HIS PHONE NUMBER.
SO ALL THESE THINGS
WE WANTED INTERVIEWS
WITH THE LA TIMES
EDITORIAL BOARD.
THE THINGS YOU LEARN TO DO AS
A RESULT OF JUST BEING ACTIVIST
OR DOING SERVICE,
HOW DO YOU WANT
TO CLASSIFY IT, IT'S
JUST AMAZING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO
TAKE A GRADUATE COURSE
AT THE UNIVERSITY.
AS A RESULT OF THESE TIES WITH
THESE FOLKS IN THIS NEW CITY,
A WHOLE NEW WORLD OPENED UP
TO ME AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL
IN MANY WAYS OVER TIME, AND
THEN I ENDED UP WRITING A BOOK
WITH NORA HAMILTON, WHO ALSO
WAS AN ACTIVIST AT THAT TIME,
AN ACADEMIC AND AN ACTIVIST.
WE WROTE THE BOOK ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCE OF THE GUATEMALANS
AND SALVADORANS COMING
IN TO LOS ANGELES.
I DIDN'T THINK ANYBODY
WOULD READ THE BOOK.
I REMEMBER THE PUBLISHER
IS SAYING,
"HOW MANY COPIES DO YOU
THINK THIS WOULD SELL?"
I THOUGHT, "WELL,
MAYBE 400, 500.
I DON'T KNOW."
OF COURSE, HISTORY HAS A WAY OF
TAKING CARE OF THINGS FOR YOU
AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH OUR
REFUGEE SPEAKERS THAT NONE
OF THIS COULD HAVE
BEEN PLANNED OUT.
I JUST TOOK THE FIRST STEP.
I APPLIED FOR A FULBRIGHT
FELLOWSHIP IN GUATEMALA
AND GOT IT AND BEYOND
THAT EVERYTHING ELSE
TOOK IT SO IMPORTANT.
SO WE ENDED UP BEING
A FOUNDATIONAL TEXT
IN US CENTRAL AMERICAN
STUDIES TODAY.
I ENDED UP GETTING REWARDS
AND THINGS IN RECENT YEARS,
BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THAT
I WOULD END UP WHERE I AM.
WHAT IS MY ADVICE?
IT'S KIND OF THE SAME.
IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE TO JUST
TAKE A COUPLE OF RISKS
AND TAKE A COUPLE STEPS AND
OTHER THINGS WILL OPEN UP.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN
POSSIBLY PLAN OUT YOUR LIFE
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S OUT
THERE OR HOW ARE YOU GOING
TO REACT TO WHAT'S OUT THERE.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT I'VE HAD THE
MOST WONDERFUL LIFE BASED ALONG
THE HARDSHIPS WITH PEOPLE,
PEOPLE I'VE KNOWN, KILLED,
TORTURED, IMPRISONED,
ALL KINDS OF THINGS
BUT I CONSIDER IT A BLESSING
IN A WONDERFUL WAY
TO HAVE A CAREER.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> FASCINATING, DEEP, PROFOUND.
I'M GOING TO TURN TO
DR. RICHARD MARCUS.
FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND IF YOU
HAVE ANY KIND OF THOUGHTS
TO BUNDLE, TO TIE
THIS UP, RICHARD,
THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
>> WELL, I'LL START BY
KEEPING ON THE THEME.
I WAS THE UNUSUAL ONE AND
STILL HAD IN MY FAMILY.
I DECIDED AT NINE YEARS OLD
THAT I WANTED TO BE A PROFESSOR.
MY PARENTS DIDN'T GO TO COLLEGE.
IT WAS A VERY STRANGE THING.
THEY DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND
WHY I WOULD WANT THAT
AND IT WAS VERY SHORT OF
GEOGRAPHICALLY INTO OUR FAMILY
WITH NO INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE.
SO WHEN I STARTED PUTTING
UP MAPS ALL AROUND MY ROOM
OF THE WORLD, THEY
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
WHEN I STARTED LEARNING
FRENCH, THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND,
BUT THEY WENT WITH IT.
THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE.
I SAID I WANT TO GO UP FOR
COLLEGE AND I WANT TO GO TO NYU
AND THEY SAID, "WE SUPPORT
YOU ENTIRELY, EMOTIONALLY."
SO I HAD TO GET A SCHOLARSHIP
AND I HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
I GOT A SCHOLARSHIP OFF OF NYU.
I THOUGHT I WANTED
TO DO ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM
MAKING AT THAT TIME.
I WORKED MY WAY THROUGH NYU.
FINALLY, I GOT TO GO
ABROAD A LITTLE BIT.
I TOOK A YEAR OFF WHERE I GOT
A FANTASTIC JOB SERVING SUSHI
IN MALIBU TO THE STARS
WHERE I COULD MAKE A LOT
OF MONEY WHILE LIVING A LOT
OF GUYS TO A ROOM KIND OF.
I SAVED AS MUCH MONEY AS I CAN
SO THAT I COULD GO ON AND TRAVEL
AND THEN I ALSO USED THAT MONEY
TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS
AND WORK ON MY FRENCH.
I CAME BACK, WENT TO UCLA WHERE
ON THE SECOND PART OF MY TIME
IN UCLA I WAS ABLE TO THEN
GO TO KENYA FOR A WHILE,
STUDIED IN THE UNIVERSITY,
BECAME A RESEARCHER IN KENYA.
I LOVED KENYA.
ALSO, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT
TIME IN KENYA, HIGH CONFLICT.
ULTIMATELY, THE UNIVERSITY
WAS SHUT
DOWN FOR MONTHS BECAUSE
OF CONFLICT.
THERE'S A LOT OF BEATING UP OF
STUDENTS, THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
I HAD A GREAT TIME.
I ACTUALLY MET MY
WIFE DURING THAT TIME
AND THEN I GOT THIS IMAGE.
I'VE MET THIS GUY FROM
MADAGASCAR WHO WAS A SCHOLAR
IN MADAGASCAR AND HE SAID, "HEY,
WHY DO YOU COME VISIT WHENEVER?"
SO, I DID.
I CAME OVER TO MADAGASCAR,
HOPPED ACROSS THE
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL.
I'VE SPENT ABOUT A
MONTH THERE AND AS MUCH
AS I LOVE NAIROBI,
I SAID, "OH MY GOD.
I'M WORKING IN THE WRONG PLACE."
SO I WENT BACK, I
FINISHED MY MASTER'S DEGREE
AND THEN STRAIGHT TO MY
DOCTORATE TO WORK IN MADAGASCAR.
OFF I WENT TO MADAGASCAR.
I CONTINUED ON MY STUDIES, WENT
OFF TO MADAGASCAR FOR 15 MONTHS
OR SO TO DO MY FIELD WORK.
I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME ALL
THE WAY WORKING ON LANGUAGE,
WORKING ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT.
MY FAMILY WAS ALL VERY
CONFUSED ABOUT THIS.
THE DAY SHE DIED, MY
GRANDMOTHER KEPT SAYING,
"SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
YOU'RE BECOMING A DOCTOR?"
IT IS MY HOPE [INAUDIBLE].
THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
TO THIS DAY, MY FAMILY
[INAUDIBLE] UNDERSTANDING.
ALL THE NODS FROM
MY FATHER STILL,
THAT'S GREAT, VERY PROUD OF ME.
IT DOESN'T FOLLOW, RIGHT?
THAT'S OKAY.
I BUILT MY CAREER
DIFFERENTLY THAN A LOT
OF THE SCHOLARS I THINK THAT
DOESN'T GET A LITTLE ANTSY.
I STILL LOVE BEING A PROFESSOR.
I LOVE BEING IN THE CLASSROOM
AND I LOVE MY RESEARCH
AND PUBLISHING.
I JOKE AROUND BUT IT'S TRUE.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT FARMERS
IN SOUTHERN MADAGASCAR THINK
OF THEIR WATER POLICY,
I'M YOUR GUY.
WE ALL GOT KIND OF
[INAUDIBLE] IN OUR FIELDS,
BUT SO I LIKE TO BREAK
OUT OF THAT SO I THINK
ON THESE DIFFERENT HATS.
I DO A FAIR AMOUNT OF
CONSULTING WITH LARGE AGENCIES,
WITH THE WORLD BANK [INAUDIBLE].
I'VE DONE SOME ADVISING ON
CONFLICT RESOLUTION TEAMS
OF THE UN OR THE LIKE.
OBVIOUSLY, ALL OF US ON
THIS PANEL PLAYED DIFFERENT
ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES
AT THE UNIVERSITY
AND INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION [INAUDIBLE]
AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
AND I REALLY ENJOY THAT,
WHICH IS WHY I HAVE TWO
HATS RELATED TO THAT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING IN
PARTICULAR HERE AND WORK FOR ALL
OF YOU BECAUSE [INAUDIBLE]
EARLIER
ABOUT THAT YOU COULD HAVE AN
INTERNATIONAL CAREER IN GHANA
OR IN ECUADOR BUT YOU COULD
ALSO HAVE INTERNATIONAL CAREER
IN LOS ANGELES.
IF YOU FOLLOW THE A.T. KEARNEY
INDEX FOR GLOBAL CITIES,
LOS ANGELES IS THE SIXTH MOST
GLOBAL CITY IN THE WORLD.
THERE ARE SO MANY
GETTING SCIENTIST
TO NOW [INAUDIBLE]
WHEREVER YOU'RE AT.
IT IS EXTREMELY GLOBAL CITY AND
IT IS VERY HARD TO EVEN FUNCTION
IN A JOB IF YOU DON'T
HAVE THAT GLOBAL EXPOSURE,
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT.
SO WORKING INTERNATIONALLY ALSO
CAN MEAN WORKING IN LOS ANGELES
BECAUSE WE ARE A GLOBAL CITY.
[INAUDIBLE] YOU ARE
ASKED ABOUT ANY ADVICE.
THE FIRST IS THAT YOUR
CAREER WILL TAKE A LOT
OF DIFFERENT TURNS AND
THAT'S A GOOD THING.
AS YOU TAKE YOUR FIRST
STEP IN YOUR FIRST JOB,
THAT IS NOT YOUR LAST
JOB AND THAT IS OKAY.
YOU GO WITH YOUR
DIFFERENT INTEREST
AS YOU DEVELOP YOUR
JOB, BUT THAT ONLY WORKS
IF YOU DEVELOP YOUR
SKILL SETS FIRST.
THE THREE C'S, THE FOUR R'S.
GLOBAL COMPETENCES AND
BUILDING A GLOBAL COMPETENCIES,
LANGUAGE CAPABILITIES.
YOU NEED THOSE STARTING POINTS
AND THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY
REQUISITE.
WITH THAT, YOU'VE
GOT TO GET IT RIGHT.
I'M NOT BEING GLIB HERE.
PROFESSIONALISM IS IMPORTANT
IN EVERY FIELD NO MATTER WHAT.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMETHING,
THAT'S GENERALLY OKAY
BUT YOU NEED TO SAY, "I
DON'T KNOW THIS" OR "I NEED
TO GO LEARN IT" OR "I NEED TO
ENGAGE SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP ME
WITH THIS," BUT YOU
HAVE TO OWN UP TO THAT.
ADMIT YOUR INGNORANCE AND
THEN DON'T MISS A DEADLINE.
DON'T SUBMIT A BAD REPORT.
DON'T SUBMIT A BADLY
WRITTEN REPORT.
DON'T GUESS AND DON'T GET IT
WRONG BECAUSE YOU'LL BE FIRED.
IT WOULD BE VERY HARD
TO GET ANOTHER JOB.
JUST GETTING IT RIGHT IS
ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT.
LEARNING DIPLOMATIC.
AS GREAT AS ALFRED IS
AT BEING DIPLOMATIC.
I'M NOT, BUT DON'T
FOLLOW MY LEAD ON THAT.
NO ONE WANTS YOU TO WALK INTO A
MEETING AND GO, "YOU GUYS SUCK."
I TRY NOT TO BUT I'M
ALWAYS THE PROFESSOR
WHEN I'M DOING THESE
OTHER THINGS OUTSIDE
OF THE UNIVERSITY.
I'M THE PROFESSOR IN A
GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS.
I KNOW ALL OF YOU HAVE
DONE THIS TOO, RIGHT?
SO PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU LIKE
THEY SEE BACK THE WEIRDNESS
OF THE BEING A PROFESSOR,
BUT WE LIVE UP TO IT.
TRY NOT TO TAKE TOO
MUCH ADVANTAGE IN THAT.
THINKING ABOUT YOUR CAREER
AND YOUR LIFE PRIORITIES.
I'VE [INAUDIBLE] MY CAREER
AND [INAUDIBLE] CAREER.
ONE OF THE WARNINGS HE GAVE ME
WAS HE TRAVELED INTERNATIONALLY
PROBABLY TWICE A MONTH, AND HE
WAS VERY ENGAGED IN THAT WAY
AND IT WAS A VERY
EXCITING CAREER.
HE STILL HAS AN EXCITING
CAREER AND HE'S 80ISH.
AND STILL HAS AN
EXCITING CAREER.
BUT HE WARNED ME.
HE SAID, "I GREW UP
NOT KNOWING MY KIDS."
AND I DIDN'T WANT THAT
SO I MADE OTHER DECISIONS
IN HOW I GO ABOUT MY CAREER.
SOME FORMS OF INTERNATIONAL
CAREERS YOU ARE TRAVELING ALL
THE TIME.
YOU MIGHT BE BASED
IN LOS ANGELES
BUT YOU'RE TRAVELING
TWICE A MONTH.
THAT HAS VERY IMPORTANT
RAMIFICATIONS ON YOUR HOME LIFE.
OTHER KINDS OF PROFESSIONS,
CAREER USA PROFESSIONS
FOR INSTANCE, YOU MIGHT SPEND
THREE YEARS IN ANY GIVEN PLACE
AND THEN YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT
PLACE WHICH CAN BE VERY EXCITING
FOR A FAMILY BUT ALSO BRINGS
ABOUT ITS OWN CHALLENGES.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO MAKE
SURE TO SAY IS LEARNING HOW
TO LEAVE IT AT THE OFFICE.
WE WORK ACROSS TIME ZONES WHEN
WE'RE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
SO MY FIRST MEETING THIS
MORNING WAS A 7 A.M.
WITH A TELECONFERENCE TO DONNA.
THAT'S NORMAL.
WE WORK ACROSS.
I WAS IN MADAGASCAR A FEW WEEKS
AGO AND IT'S A TERRIBLE HABIT
BECAUSE I WORK ALL DAY IN
MADAGASCAR AND THEN FINALLY 7,
8:00 AT NIGHT IT'S SLOWING
DOWN WHICH MEANS IT'S 9
A.M. HERE JUST IN TIME
TO START WORKING BACK
HOME BY INTERNET.
YOU START TO LOSE TRACK.
YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO
LEAVE IT AT THE OFFICE.
I DO THIS VERY BADLY.
I'M A VERY BAD ROLE MODEL.
MY WIFE WOULD SAY THAT
I ENTER INTO AN ARGUMENT
ABOUT LOADING THE DISHWASHER
WITH AN OUTLINE IN MIND,
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE, AND THREE
REFERENCES BEFORE I ENTER
THE ARGUMENT.
AND THAT IS NOT A WAY TO WIN
A FAMILY ARGUMENT, RIGHT?
MY KIDS WILL PROBABLY
[INAUDIBLE] THIS ISN'T THE
DINNER TABLE, SO I WILL
TURN TO MY SON AND SAY,
"SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF
SOMALI LANDS NEW ENGAGEMENT
WITH SOMALIA GIVEN ITS REGIME,"
YOU KNOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY GREW UP WITH THIS SO
MY 10-YEAR-OLD STILL LOOKS
AT ME GLASSY EYED SOMETIMES,
BUT SHE CAN [INAUDIBLE].
[INAUDIBLE] THE REST OF MY LIFE.
SO I DON'T LEAVE IT
AT THE OFFICE WELL.
MY [INAUDIBLE] BETTER THAN I DO.
LEARNING HOW TO CREATE
THAT SEPARATION FOR FAMILY
AND THE REST OF OTHER
ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE.
OKAY. I SUBMITTED
THESE PIECES TOGETHER.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS IS
THAT WE ALL HAVE THESE DIFFERENT
ROUTES TO WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN,
BUT THEY'VE BEEN
EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ROUTES.
THAT IS, WE REALLY, EARLY ON
SOMEWHERE IN OUR EDUCATION,
WE WERE BITTEN BY SOMETHING,
GRABBED BY SOMETHING
AND ARE INCREDIBLY
PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR CAREERS
AND HAVE BEEN FROM THE GET-GO.
WE'RE NOT WORKING FOR WATER
AND POWER OR SOMETHING
WHERE WE DREAD GOING INTO
THE OFFICE EVERY DAY.
WE REALLY ARE PASSIONATE
AND ENJOY WHAT WE DO EVEN
IN THE THICK OF PAINFUL
GENERAL EDUCATION DISCUSSIONS.
WE REGULARLY REMEMBER
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
WHICH IS VERY EXCITING I THINK.
THE OTHER THING IS I
THINK WE ALL FOCUS HARD
ON THOSE SKILLSETS FOR OURSELVES
AS WELL AS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
CONSTANTLY REFINING
THEM, CONSTANTLY WORKING
ON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT,
CONSTANTLY WORKING
ON INTERACTIONS.
HOW DO WE DRAW OUR OWN SKILLS?
BY BEING LIFELONG LEARNERS.
I THINK THAT CAME OUT
OF EVERYTHING THAT ALL
OF US HAVE SAID AS
WELL, AND THAT GOES
TO THAT PASSION AS WELL.
AND THEN THE FINAL THING THAT
I THINK IS THAT ALL OF US
ON THIS PANEL HAD DIFFERENT
ASPECTS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE
AT A UNIVERSITY SETTING.
WHATEVER THE OFFICE IS OF IVORY
TOWERISM, I THINK WE ALL WORKED
TO TRY TO BRING THAT
MOLD ONTO LOOK
AT HOW WE ENGAGED THE
WORLD IN OTHER WAYS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> I'D JUST LIKE TO
SAY THAT I FOUND EACH
OF THOSE FIVE MINUTE
PRESENTATIONS TO CONTAIN
SO MANY JEWELS OF WISDOM, AND
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY CANDID
AND EVEN PERSONAL
PERSPECTIVES ON THIS.
WHAT A TREASURE FOR THE STUDENTS
TO HEAR YOUR PROFESSORS
TALK IN THIS LIGHT.
SO I WOULD - I KNOW YOU GUYS
HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF QUESTIONS.
PLEASE FILE UP TO
THE MICROPHONES
AND ANY QUESTION,
ANYTHING IS FINE.
WE'RE GOING TO NOT HAVE RULES
ON THIS WITHIN REASON OF COURSE.
AND PLEASE, WHEN
YOU HAVE A QUESTION,
DIRECT IT TO THE
PERSON OR PERSONS
WHO YOU'D LIKE TO ANSWER.
AND IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE GO
AHEAD AND STAND BEHIND THE MIC
SO WE COULD JUST GO
ONE TO THE OTHER.
SO WHOEVER'S GOT ANOTHER
QUESTION, PLEASE LINE UP ON
THAT MICROPHONE OR RIGHT BEHIND
THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE.
SO COULD WE HAVE YOUR
NAME AND YOUR CLASS
AND THEN YOUR QUESTION
AND THEN WHO'D YOU
LIKE TO DIRECT IT TO PLEASE?
>> SUPER RICH QUESTION.
I THINK THAT'S A NICE BIG
SLOW SOFTBALL FOR A FEW
OF OUR PANELISTS
TO TAKE A SWING AT.
COULD I ASK DR. [INAUDIBLE]
TO START WITH THAT?
>> THAT'S KIND OF
TOUGH BECAUSE A LOT
OF THE THINGS I DO NEVER HAD
TO DO WITH WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
AND SO, I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE
CERTAIN BASIC INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS THAT SHOULD APPLY
EVERYWHERE BUT MAYBE APPLY
IN DIFFERENT WAYS [INAUDIBLE].
BUT IN TERMS OF RIGHTS WE THINK
OF AS [INAUDIBLE] THAT ARE
UNDER THE RUBRIC OF FEMINISM,
IN MY CASE I TRY TO WAIT
UNTIL PEOPLE ARE
READY THEMSELVES.
SO IN GUATEMALA AFTER THE WAR,
AFTER THE [INAUDIBLE] SOMEONE
HAD CONTACTED ME AND SAID,
"WE WANT TO START A FEMINIST
ORGANIZATION IN GUATEMALA.
WE WANT TO ARGUE FOR
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND WE WANT
TO ARGUE FOR WOMEN'S
CONTROL OVER THEIR BODIES
AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
LEGISLATION AND SO FORTH."
SO I MEAN THEY WERE
REALLY PUTTING THEMSELVES
ON THE FRONTLINE AND IN A
VERY COURAGEOUS POSITION.
I SAID, "WHATEVER YOU WANT.
I WILL SUPPORT YOU.
I WILL SHARE WHAT I KNOW FROM
HERE," BEING IN WOMEN'S STUDIES
AND BEING AN ACTIVE FEMINIST.
BUT BASICALLY YOU TELL
ME WHAT YOUR PRIORITY IS
AND THEN I'LL SHARE WHAT I KNOW.
SO THAT'S THE WAY
THAT I FACED IT.
I HAVEN'T WORKED IN THE
MIDDLE EAST OR OTHER PLACES
WHERE THERE MIGHT BE REALLY
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
BUT I KNOW THAT IN THE
INDIAN VILLAGES IN GUATEMALA
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE
WAS A WHOLE CAMPAIGN
TO EDUCATE AROUND HUMAN RIGHTS.
AND IN THE WORKSHOPS I GO TO IN
THE VILLAGES, THE WOMEN WHO COME
AND WE WOULD READ, THEY
WOULD READ AND TRANSLATE
IN OTHER LANGUAGES THE
DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
SO THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS
IN THE UNIVERSAL
DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
THEY MIGHT INTERPRET
IN THEIR OWN WAY
BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY
CHALLENGE THAT IDEA
THAT THERE WAS UNIVERSAL
HUMAN RIGHTS.
AND THEN THEY WOULD USE THAT TO
CONFRONT THE GOVERNMENT AND SAY,
"WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT
TO," WHATEVER CAUSE BECAUSE IT'S
IN THE UNIVERSAL
DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
I THINK HOMOSEXUALITY
WAS THE BIG PROBLEM.
WAS THE BIG CONFLICT YOU KNOW
THERE WHETHER YOU WERE GOING
TO TALK OPENLY ABOUT IT.
BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, [INAUDIBLE]
PEOPLE INSIDE WANT TO TAKE IT UP
AND THEN YOU HAVE
A CHOICE, RIGHT?
YOU COULD EITHER SUPPORT
THEM OR STAY OUT OF IT.
ONE THING THAT I DID NOTICE IS
THAT WOMEN WANTED TO TALK TO ME
ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY
DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS
TO WITH BIRTH CONTROL.
SO MAYBE BECAUSE I WAS AN
AMERICAN WHETHER I WAS A
FEMINIST OR NOT.
IT WAS OKAY TO TALK TO ME ABOUT
IT BUT IT WASN'T OKAY TO TALK
TO THEIR COMRADES OR
THEIR FELLOW PEOPLE
IN THE ORGANIZATION [INAUDIBLE].
>> I'LL JUST REINFORCE A COUPLE
OF THE POINTS [INAUDIBLE].
FIRST IS I AGREE ENTIRELY
THAT THERE'S SOME PARTS
THAT THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN
RIGHTS [INAUDIBLE].
AND DEFINITIONALLY I THINK
IT OFTEN BECOMES A PROBLEM.
SO I'LL GIVE THE EXAMPLE OF
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN MADAGASCAR.
THAT THERE IS WHAT I WOULD
DEFINE AS A REAL PROBLEM
TO CONFRONT A HUMAN RIGHTS
RELATED HUMAN TRAFFICKING,
BUT IT'S ONE OF THREE DIFFERENT
THINGS GOING ON THAT WE
AS THE US GOVERNMENT
DEFINE TOGETHER.
AND BY LUMPING THEM TOGETHER,
I THINK WE ACTUALLY
EXACERBATE OUR PROBLEM.
THAT IS I THINK WE MAKE A
PROBLEM THAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM
OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
AND [INAUDIBLE] WE SORT
OF MINIMIZE IT BY LUMPING
IT TOGETHER WITH THINGS
THAT ARE CULTURALLY [INAUDIBLE]
OR DEFINED DIFFERENTLY.
SO IF YOU ARE EFFECTIVELY
IN INDENTURED SERVITUDE
IN A MINING SECTOR, THAT IS NOT
THE SAME THING REQUIRING SOME
RESPONSES AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
ESPECIALLY TRANS-BOUNDARY
TRAFFICKING.
DIFFERENT AGAIN, IN VERY POOR
FAMILIES THERE'S A [INAUDIBLE]
CENTURIES ESTABLISHED PROCESS
WITH A WHOLE LANGUAGE AROUND IT,
BUILT AROUND [INAUDIBLE] ABOUT -
YOU BASICALLY GIVE YOUR CHILDREN
TO A WEALTHY FAMILY TO BE
SERVANTS IN THE FAMILY,
BUT THERE'S ALL THESE
NORMS AROUND IT.
THEY HAVE TO BE GIVEN
AN EDUCATION.
THEY HAVE TO BE GIVEN A
CERTAIN QUALITY OF LIFE.
THEY CAN'T BE BEATEN.
THERE'S ALL THESE RULES ABOUT
IT AND THEN WHEN THEY TURN 18,
AFTER THEY'VE GOTTEN
THEIR EDUCATION
THROUGH THE SECONDARY
SCHOOL, THEN THEY'RE DONE.
AND SO, FROM THAT VERY,
VERY IMPOVERISHED FAMILY'S
STANDPOINT THEY FEEL
LIKE THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING
FOR THEIR CHILDREN AS OPPOSED
TO DOING SOMETHING
TO THEIR CHILDREN.
SO WE CAN DEBATE WHETHER
THAT'S OKAY OR NOT
BUT NOT DEFINING THINGS
DIFFERENTLY I THINK SOMETIMES
MAKES THEIR [INAUDIBLE] TO DO.
ONE OTHER EXAMPLE
THAT I SPENT SOME TIME
AT [INAUDIBLE] UNIVERSITY
IN [INAUDIBLE] AND WORKED
WITH [INAUDIBLE]
COMMUNITIES FOR A WHILE.
AND WORKING WITH [INAUDIBLE].
FIRST OF ALL [INAUDIBLE].
THAT'S A VERY BIG THING.
AND I DEFINITELY DON'T
SPEAK [INAUDIBLE].
AND WORST, I DO SPEAK HEBREW.
ACTUALLY IT'S BETTER
TO SPEAK ENGLISH
IN [INAUDIBLE] COMMUNITIES
FOR POLITICAL REASONS.
BUT WORKING IN SUCH COMMUNITIES
ON A DAILY BASIS
THERE WERE ISSUES
THAT I FOUND VERY IMPORTANT
AND IN PARTICULAR
THE ROLES OF WOMEN.
BUT I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS MY
PLACE TO ROCK THAT AT ALL.
I WAS WORKING ON WATER ISSUES.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WATER ISSUES.
I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT
POLICY ON WATER ISSUES.
I FELT LIKE I HAD TO - I HAD TO
BE THE ONE CULTURALLY ADAPTING.
NOT TRYING TO CREATE
SOME NORMATIVE CHANGE
IN THE COMMUNITY IN
WHICH I WAS WORKING.
>> FROM A DIFFERENT CONTEXT AND
A DIFFERENT POINT I'LL MAKE.
SO EARLY 2000S, 2002, 2006,
I LANDED WHAT WAS THE LARGEST US
ENGINEERING [INAUDIBLE] RUSSIA
AT THE TIME.
RUSSIA HAD A YOUNG AND NEW
PRESIDENT WHO TOOK OFFICE
IN 2000 AND HE'S STILL THERE.
AND THROUGH MY TIME
THERE, WE COULD FEEL KIND
OF INCREASINGLY THE
POLITICAL [INAUDIBLE] TAKING
IN DIFFERENT WAYS,
SAINT PETERSBURG.
BUT IN MY ROLE AS THE DIRECTOR
OF [INAUDIBLE] 15 ENGINEERS
AT THE TIME, MOST OF
THE PROGRAMS WE DID
FOR THE US GOVERNMENT
WAS SPONSORED.
STATE DEPARTMENT AND USMD
EDUCATIONALLY RELATED
[INAUDIBLE], THAT SORT OF THING.
AND WE LIVED OUR LIFE
THE WAY WE LIKED.
A LOT OF TIMES WE WERE
ACTIVE IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY
IN SAINT PETERSBURG WHICH WAS
EXPERIENCING INCREASING LEVELS
OF [INAUDIBLE].
BUT IN MY ROLE, AND THIS IS
AND I'M SURE ALFRED COULD SPEAK
TO THIS TOO, THAT I WAS
PERCEIVED AS ESSENTIALLY WORKING
FOR THE US GOVERNMENT ALTHOUGH
IN MY MIND I WAS
INDEPENDENT [INAUDIBLE],
BUT THAT DIDN'T MATTER.
AND SO FOR ME TO PUBLICLY TAKE
A STAND AGAINST CERTAIN ISSUES,
THE THINGS THAT I SAW HAPPENING
AROUND ME, [INAUDIBLE] THE WORK
THAT I BELIEVED IN WAS
SORT OF AN EDUCATIONAL WORK
THAT WAS [INAUDIBLE] LONG TERM.
SO WHEN YOU'RE IN THESE ROLES
OVERSEAS ESPECIALLY IF IT'S
IN A GOVERNMENT ROLE, THAT
YOU HAVE TO BE DIPLOMATIC
AND YOU HAVE TO BE
TACTICAL ABOUT CHOOSING
WHEN TO SAY WHAT
YOU REALLY THINK.
AND OFTEN THAT COULD BE
A DIFFICULT THING TO DO.
WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN THINGS
PASSIONATELY YOU HAVE
TO MAKE CHOICES ABOUT IS
SOMETHING POSITIVE GOING TO COME
OF THIS OR IS THIS SOMETHING
THAT COULD ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE].
AND THAT'S ADVICE THAT I GIVE TO
[INAUDIBLE] STUDENTS WOULD COME
TO RUSSIA AT THE TIME AND THERE
WOULD BE PROTESTS [INAUDIBLE].
BUT THE WORST THING
THAT THEY COULD DO
IF THEY BELIEVED THE
PEOPLE WHO WERE PROTESTING
AGAINST THE REGIME, THE WORST
THING THEY COULD DO WAS SHOW
UP THERE BECAUSE
THEY WOULD BE USED.
THEY WOULD BE PICKED OUT OF
THAT CROWD AND USED AS EVIDENCE
THAT IT WAS THE AMERICANS
WHO [INAUDIBLE].
SO YOU CAN BECOME AN UNWITTING
TOOL THAT ACTUALLY WORKS
AGAINST WHAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE
ABOUT IF YOU'RE NOT SAVVY
ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO
BE PERCEIVED [INAUDIBLE].
>> ANY FURTHER COMMENTS?
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
IT WAS A BIG QUESTION.
YOU GOT THREE SUPER
INTERESTING ANGLES,
PERSPECTIVES TO ANSWER IT.
BEFORE WE GO [INAUDIBLE],
IF THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND
SITTING UP NEAR THERE.
WE'RE GOING OVER HERE FIRST BUT
I JUST WANTED TO GO RAPID FIRE.
MA'AM, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP.
YOUR NAME AND YOUR
QUESTION PLEASE?
>> I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY.
I MEAN, I'M SURE WE'VE ALL HAD
THE EXPERIENCE OF COMING BACK
AND FINDING IT DIFFICULT
TO REINTEGRATE
INTO THE CULTURE, RIGHT?
THE POLITICS AND WHATEVER ELSE.
SOMETIMES YOU GO THROUGH A
LOT OF DEPRESSION FRANKLY
AND NOBODY UNDERSTANDS YOU.
[INAUDIBLE].
WELL YOU'RE CHANGED.
YOU'RE NOT THE PERSON
YOU ONCE WAS.
YOU'RE A DIFFERENT PERSON.
>> YOU'LL FIND OTHER PEOPLE
WHO HAVE HAD DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCES [INAUDIBLE].
I KNOW ONE THING I
LEARNED WHEN I CAME BACK,
THE CHOICE THAT WE HAD IN
THE US WAS OVERWHELMING.
IF YOU WALK DOWN THE CEREAL
AISLE, [INAUDIBLE] CAN'T PICK.
SO TO THIS DAY WHEN I GO OUT
TO DINNER THE FIRST THING
ON THE MENU THAT LOOKS GOOD, I
STOP RIGHT THERE AND ORDER IT.
SIMPLIFY.
>> EVERYBODY'S [INAUDIBLE].
>> I THINK ONE OF
THE HARDEST THINGS IS
THAT PEOPLE ARE INDIVIDUALIZED
AND IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
THEY'RE [INAUDIBLE]; AND SO,
THERE'S A LONELINESS REALLY.
YOU THINK YOU HAVE FRIENDS
BUT THEY'RE [INAUDIBLE].
OR MAYBE THEY'RE HERE BUT
THEY'RE JUST SO BUSY WHEREAS
WHEN I GO ABROAD, WHEN I GO TO
GUATEMALA PEOPLE WORK VERY HARD
BUT THEY ALWAYS HAVE TIME
FOR LEISURE, FOR SOCIALIZING.
THEY ALWAYS HAVE
TIME NO MATTER WHAT.
[INAUDIBLE].
AND YOU COME BACK AND IT'S LIKE,
"CAN I GET TOGETHER WITH YOU?"
YES, THEY'VE PICKED
UP THEIR AGENDA.
THEY HAVE AN HOUR
A MONTH FROM NOW.
[INAUDIBLE].
IT'S HUMAN ACTIVITY I
NEED AND I'VE HAD IT,
AND NOW I DON'T HAVE IT AND
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET IT.
BUT YOU WORK ON IT, RIGHT?
YOU TRY TO NAME IT
AND YOU TRY TO -
AT LEAST WE HAVE
COFFEE SHOPS NOW.
YOU CAN HANG OUT
WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
>> YES. THE STUDY
ABROAD PROGRAM WE CALL
THAT A REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT - YOU
NEVER STOP EXPERIENCING IT.
SO I'VE BEEN [INAUDIBLE]
I'M MARRIED TO A RUSSIAN.
WE GO BACK AND FORTH ALL THE
TIME BUT EVERY TIME I GO BACK
AND FORTH AND I COME BACK
TO THE STATES FROM RUSSIA,
THERE'S ALWAYS THAT
TRANSITION PERIOD.
AND YOU LEARN TO
RECOGNIZE THAT IN YOURSELVES
IN THAT YOU'RE ADAPTING
AND THERE'S THE LEVEL
OF DISCOMFORT THAT YOU FEEL.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NOT
CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AS DEEPLY
AS YOU MIGHT BECAUSE
THEY'RE COMING AT IT
WITH A DIFFERENT SET OF
ASSUMPTIONS [INAUDIBLE].
BUT THEN YOU RECOGNIZE
THAT'S NORMAL
AND YOU FIND WAYS
TO RELATE TO PEOPLE.
[INAUDIBLE].
ONE THING I - IN INTERNATIONAL
CAREERS, YOU'RE GOING
TO MAKE A LOT OF FRIENDS ALL
OVER THE WORLD AS YOU GO OFF
ON THAT ADVENTURE BUT
YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING
TO LOSE SOME FRIENDS TOO;
AND SO, YOU HAVE TO BE READY.
>> [INAUDIBLE].
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT
GETS EASIER, CORRECT?
THAT IS, IT'S KIND OF
LIKE WITH LANGUAGE.
AS YOU'RE MORE AND MORE
BILINGUAL, YOU CAN MOVE BACK
AND FORTH BETWEEN
THE LANGUAGE BETTER.
IT'S TRUE INTERCULTURALLY
AS WELL, RIGHT?
SO THAT YOU COULD - WHEN
I'M GOING BACK AND FORTH
TO MADAGASCAR FOR 25
YEARS, IT'S A LONG TIME,
AND I FEEL LIKE THE
REGISTRY OF MY VOICE CHANGES.
THAT MY MANNERS HAVE CHANGED.
LIKE [INAUDIBLE] VERY QUICKLY
AND YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT
BECAUSE IT'S PART
OF WHO YOU ARE.
I THINK ABOUT IT SOMETIMES
AND UNTIL RECENTLY,
I HAVE THE EQUIVALENT
OF [INAUDIBLE].
SO I HAVE THE SAME
APARTMENT, SAME PHONE NUMBER,
GROUP OF FRIENDS, I'M THERE
TWICE A YEAR, I DROP IN AND OUT.
NONE OF MY FAMILY
KNOWS THAT [INAUDIBLE].
BUT [INAUDIBLE].
THEY WOULD NEVER RECOGNIZE
ME IN THAT SETTING.
BUT IT JUST COMES NATURAL
JUST LIKE IT WOULD BE
BETWEEN LANGUAGES
[INAUDIBLE] MUCH MORE EASILY.
SO [INAUDIBLE] AS I BEEN
THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS
TO GUATEMALA AND THEY'RE TRYING
TO LEARN A LITTLE
BIT OF [INAUDIBLE].
YOU KNOW I ACTUALLY HAVE
THAT MUCH PAIN IN COMING BACK
BECAUSE I MOVE AROUND
A LOT, I GET VERY USED
TO INTERCULTURAL [INAUDIBLE].
THAT WAS NOT TRUE 10 YEARS AGO.
AND 10 YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY I'LL
GO WITH WHAT PAUL WAS SAYING
THAT THE SINGLE BIGGEST
THING I USED
TO ALWAYS HAVE A HARD
TIME WITH WAS COSTCO.
COMING BACK TO COSTCO I
COULD NOT DEAL WITH THAT.
BIG DEALS ON CHEESE
OR SOMETHING, RIGHT?
BUT NOW I FEEL
LIKE I [INAUDIBLE] MUCH
MORE QUICKLY I GUESS
SO I DO THINK IT GETS
EASIER AND EASIER.
I'LL JUST SAY ONE LAST
THING TOO AND IT SOUNDS
LIKE YOU'RE REALLY
STRUGGLING BUT DON'T FORGET,
SOME OF THOSE QUALITIES OF
LIFE OR SOME OF THOSE THINGS
THAT YOU EXPERIENCE
ARE [INAUDIBLE].
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE
DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME HERE,
SO ON AND SO FORTH.
IF YOU GO AND HAVE TEA WITH
FRIENDS IN MALI, IT'S A TWO
AND A HALF HOUR [INAUDIBLE].
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME
TEA, HAVE FUN, RELAX AND TALK
AND SLEEP A LITTLE BIT,
AND YOU TALK SOME MORE.
BUT WHEN I DO THAT FOR
FRIENDS HERE, WHEN I SAY, "HEY,
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TEA.
IT'S MALI TEA AND YOU GOT TO
SIT AROUND FOR THREE ROUNDS
AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK
FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS,"
THEY ACTUALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO BRING SOME OF
THOSE THINGS BACK
AND INTRODUCE THEM
TO SOME FRIENDS.
YOU'D BE SURPRISED.
PEOPLE MIGHT ACTUALLY
[INAUDIBLE].
>> THANK YOU.
GREAT QUESTION AND SUPER
INTERESTING ANSWERS AS WELL,
AND THE LAST QUESTION.
THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU.
>> YES. PRIMARILY
WHAT I ENCOUNTERED
IN RUSSIA WAS ANTI-AMERICANISM
[INAUDIBLE].
[INAUDIBLE] VIOLENCE.
AND I GUESS I DEVELOPED
[INAUDIBLE].
SO THERE WAS ONE TIME I CAME
BACK FROM WORKING IN MOSCOW.
MY APARTMENT AND I WAS FOLLOWED
FROM THE METRO TO MY APARTMENT.
IT HAPPENED TO BE
PAYDAY AND THIS WAS 1997.
RUSSIAN PAYDAY MEANT YOU HAD
A BIG WAD OF CASH [INAUDIBLE].
I WAS ACCOMPANIED FROM THE
METRO BY A COUPLE OF VERY YOUNG,
BARELY 18 POLICE OFFICERS.
IN RUSSIA YOU PROBABLY -
IF YOU SEE POLICE OFFICERS,
YOU WANT TO RUN THE OTHER WAY
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT
A GOOD [INAUDIBLE].
AND THEY CLEARLY WERE LOOKING
FOR A TARGET TO START A BRIBE.
I WAS ABLE [INAUDIBLE] AND
I FELT THIS IS NOT GOOD.
[INAUDIBLE].
IT WAS INTERESTING
THAT THEY LATCHED
ONTO THAT I WAS AN AMERICAN,
BUT BECAUSE I WAS ABLE
TO SPEAK FLUENT RUSSIAN,
I COULD ACTUALLY JOKE
WITH THEM ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS.
I WAS KIND OF ABLE TO
DEFUSE THE SITUATION.
SO LINGUISTICALLY THAT
ABILITY AND THE ABILITY TO KIND
OF HAVE A SENSE OF
HUMOR ABOUT YOURSELF,
I COULD [INAUDIBLE]
SELF-DEPRECATING THINGS
AND JOKING [INAUDIBLE].
THAT KIND OF [INAUDIBLE]
AND KIND
OF HUMANIZED ME AGAINST
AMERICANS.
SO IT WASN'T JUST THIS
AMERICAN TARGET [INAUDIBLE].
SO THAT'S A STRATEGY.
IT WORKED [INAUDIBLE].
>> YES. I THINK SOME OF
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IF YOU CAN
BEHAVE CULTURALLY
AS EXPECTED IN OTHER AREAS,
THEN THE AREA IN WHICH YOU
CAN'T CHANGE, RACE, GENDER,
SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR
OTHER, AT LEAST HAS A CHANCE
OF GETTING ACCEPTED
BECAUSE IT'S NOT TIED
UP WITH ALL THESE OTHER THINGS
LIKE BEING CULTURALLY
INAPPROPRIATE.
BUT IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE
AT DIFFERENT MOMENTS,
ATTITUDES CHANGE OVER TIME,
AND THEN WHEN I FIRST WENT
TO GUATEMALA, I MEAN
EVEN BEING A WOMAN
AT THE UNIVERSITY I ASKED
TO GO TO THE LAW SCHOOL
WHEN ALL THE OTHER
FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS WENT
TO THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES.
AND OF COURSE I WAS
OBLIVIOUS TO [INAUDIBLE],
BUT IT WAS THE CLOSEST THING.
THERE WAS NO SOCIOLOGY
OR POLITICAL SCIENCE.
SO I WENT INTO THE LAW SCHOOL
BUT THE CULTURE [INAUDIBLE]
YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.
YOU'RE [INAUDIBLE].
THERE'S COMMUNISTS THERE.
THERE'S EVERYTHING.
I WAS LIKE, "NO, NO, NO."
BUT YOU KNOW, IT WAS
A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.
THEY DIDN'T WANT ME NOT
BECAUSE I WAS AN AMERICAN.
BECAUSE THE COUP
HAD HAPPENED IN '54
AND THE CIA [INAUDIBLE]
WERE INVOLVED IN RETROSPECT
IN DIFFERENT UNDERGROUND
MOVEMENTS
AND PEOPLE DIDN'T
LIKE [INAUDIBLE].
BUT LATER ON I THINK
THE ISSUES OF GENDER
AND OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION
HAVE BEEN MOST CHALLENGING.
SO YEAR-ROUND MALE EPIDEMICS
IN GUATEMALA OR [INAUDIBLE]
AND IT'S PRETTY AWFUL SOMETIMES.
BECAUSE AS AN OUTSIDER YOU
CAN'T REALLY TAKE ALL OF IT.
BUT WHAT I TRIED
TO DO AND IT SEEMS
TO BE THE ONLY THING
I [INAUDIBLE] IS JUST
TO MAKE REALLY GOOD FRIENDSHIPS.
AND WHEN YOU GET A GROUP OF
FRIENDS, THEY WILL PROTECT -
THEY WILL BE PART
OF YOUR PROTECTION.
AND IF YOU'RE ACCEPTED BY
THAT GROUP, THEN IT'S EASIER
TO GET ACCEPTED BY OTHER PEOPLE.
SOMETIMES [INAUDIBLE].
NOW IN GUATEMALA THERE ARE
GAY AND LESBIAN GROUPS.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE GROUP
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACCEPTING
BUT THERE ARE OTHERS MORE.
SO YOU JUST HAVE TO
BE KIND OF CAREFUL.
>> ONE MORE THING IS
WHENEVER YOU'RE ABROAD,
YOU ENTER INTO A PARTICULAR
[INAUDIBLE] AND YOU BRING
WITH YOU WHATEVER
THOSE ASPECTS ARE.
SO IN PART, SOMETIMES, IT
MIGHT BE THAT YOU'RE AMERICAN.
OTHER TIMES IT MIGHT BE THAT
YOU'RE WHITE OR HISPANIC
OR WHATEVER YOU ARE
IN TERMS OF RACE.
IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE
OF YOUR GENDER
OR YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
BUT EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE
COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE,
OFTEN THAT INTERPLAYS SORRY TO
BE [INAUDIBLE] OF THE COUNTRY
IN WHICH YOU ARE
EMBEDDING YOURSELF.
SO [INAUDIBLE] BUT YOU ARE.
AND SO, HOW DO YOU PLAY OUT THAT
ROLE CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING.
SO IN MY CASE, USUALLY
NOT ALWAYS PERCEIVED
AS WHITE ACTUALLY
BUT MOST PLACES.
AND WHITE MALE AMERICAN
[INAUDIBLE], BIG GUY,
IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC
KIND OF THING.
SO THE [INAUDIBLE] ROLE COMES
UP OFTEN, AND I HATE THAT ROLE.
I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE
WITH THAT ROLE.
AND SO, I TRY TO CHANGE MY ROLE.
IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
SO I'M LOVED AND ADORED
BY THE VERY PEOPLE
THAT DR. [INAUDIBLE] WAS JUST
SAYING I'M A VERY DIFFICULT
[INAUDIBLE] TO DEAL WITH.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE IN
THAT ROLE SO HOW DO I CHANGE
THAT NATURE OF THAT
RELATIONSHIP?
I'VE BEEN IN SOME VERY
COMPLEX SITUATIONS [INAUDIBLE].
SO FOR INSTANCE, IN
UGANDA I RAN INTO A PROBLEM
BECAUSE THE MILITARY RAN
ME DOWN WITH THEIR TRUCK.
AND THEY WERE CONCERNED BECAUSE
I'M OF A CERTAIN STATURE AS FAR
AS THEY'RE CONCERNED AND
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY
CAN GET IN A LOT OF TROUBLE
FOR RUNNING ME DOWN AND
NOT SOMEONE ELSE DOWN.
SO THEIR DETERMINATION OF
THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE IT,
IT WAS LITERALLY A DARK AND
STORMY NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF MARCH, AND THEIR WAY OF
DEALING WITH IT WAS THEY DECIDED
TO CUT ME INTO SMALL PIECES AND
SHRED ME THE BARS [INAUDIBLE]
AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS
THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE IT.
AND REALLY, IF I DIDN'T
SPEAK SWAHILI AND I WAS ABLE
TO NEGOTIATE THE OUTCOME.
IT WAS A SECOND LANGUAGE
FOR BOTH OF US.
IN UGANDA IT'S NOT A
SWAHILI SPEAKING COUNTRY
BUT IT'S THE REGION
WHERE [INAUDIBLE]
AND WE CAN NEGOTIATE THE OUTCOME
AND ULTIMATELY WE NEGOTIATED
OUT THAT THEY WOULD TAKE MY
MOTORCYCLE AND MY GLASSES
AND TAKE OFF AND LEAVE ME
IN THE FOREST IN THE RAIN.
BUT OTHERWISE, THEY
WOULD NOT LEAVE ME
IN PIECES IN THE FOREST.
BUT THE PROBLEM CAME UP.
IF I WAS NOT SOME WHITE AMERICAN
DUDE THEN THEY WOULD NOT BE
WORRIED ABOUT HOW THEIR
BOSS WOULD PERCEIVE
THAT THEY RAN ME DOWN,
SO I HAD TO NEGOTIATE
THAT OUTCOME USING [INAUDIBLE],
AND IT'S VERY CHALLENGING.
SO HOW DO YOU EVEN WHEN YOU'RE
IN THE ADVANTAGE POSITION
WHICH I NORMALLY AM, HOW DO
YOU NEGOTIATE OUT THAT POSITION
WHEN YOU DON'T WANT THAT ROLE?
YOU WANT TO BE IN A DIFFERENT
ROLE OR THAT ROLE GETS YOU
INTO SOME KIND OF TROUBLE.
[INAUDIBLE].
IN MALI [INAUDIBLE], AND THAT'S
FIRST AND FOREMOST [INAUDIBLE].
>> THANK YOU FOR
THAT GREAT QUESTION.
I'M GOING TO ASK -
JESSICA'S HERE AND MANUEL.
WE GOT YOU GUYS FOR
ONLY 10 MORE MINUTES.
PLEASE HOLD ON FOR
10 MORE MINUTES.
AND BEFORE I SEND THE
MICROPHONE OVER TO JESSICA,
HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR GREAT
QUESTIONS AND SUPER ANSWERS.
THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> JESSICA, OVER TO YOU.
>> HOW ARE YOU GUYS?
I JUST WANTED TO THANK OUR
KEYNOTE SPEAKER ALFRED AND ALL
OF OUR PANELISTS FOR
HELPING ORGANIZE THIS EVENT,
PARTAKE IN THIS EVENT,
SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES.
THESE ARE INCREDIBLE RESOURCES
AS ALFRED SAID YOU HAVE
ON CAMPUS HERE EVERY DAY,
AND DON'T JUST GO TO CLASS
AND GO HOME AND THINK
ABOUT THIS LATER.
GO ABOVE THEM, SEND THEM EMAILS.
SAY MEET WITH ME AND DEVISE
A PLAN BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE
FOR YOU AND THEY WANT TO
HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE UP TO
AND THEY WANT TO HELP YOU
ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS TOO.
SO WITH THAT BEING
SAID, I JUST WANTED
TO SHARE THIS EVENT
IS THE FIRST EVENT
BECAUSE THIS IS PEACE CORP WEEK.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU - IS LAUREN
STILL HERE OR DID SHE GO HOME?
THERE SHE IS.
SO LAUREN HAS BEEN ACCEPTED
TO PEACE CORPS SO SHE -
[ APPLAUSE ]
AND SHE'S GOING TO
BE GOING TO SENEGAL.
SO YES, IF YOU WANT
TO PICK HER BRAIN
ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO
SHARE HER ACHIEVEMENT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO
TALK A LITTLE BIT -
I WANTED TO SHARE A QUOTE.
SO TO A CROWD OF STUDENTS AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ON OCTOBER 19TH, 1960,
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
JOHN F. KENNEDY ASKED A LARGE
CROWD OF STUDENTS.
THIS IS WHEN HE WAS GOING
AGAINST NIXON AND HE SAID,
"HOW MANY OF YOU WHO ARE GOING
TO BE DOCTORS ARE WILLING
TO SPEND YOUR DAYS
IN [INAUDIBLE]?
TECHNICIANS OR ENGINEERS, HOW
MANY OF YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK
IN A FOREIGN SERVICE AND
SPEND YOUR LIVES TRAVELING
AROUND THE WORLD?
ON YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO
THAT, NOT MERELY TO SERVE ONE
OR TWO YEARS IN THE SERVICE
BUT ON YOUR WILLINGNESS
TO CONTRIBUTE PART OF YOUR LIFE
TO THIS COUNTRY I THINK
WILL DEPEND THE ANSWER
ON WHETHER A FREE
SOCIETY CAN COMPETE.
I THINK IT CAN AND I THINK
AMERICANS ARE WILLING
TO CONTRIBUTE BUT THE
EFFORT MUST BE FAR GREATER
THAN WE'VE EVER MADE
IN THE PAST.
UNLESS YOU COMPREHEND THE NATURE
OF WHAT IS BEING ASKED OF YOU,
THIS COUNTRY CAN'T POSSIBLY
MOVE THROUGH THE NEXT 10 YEARS
IN A PERIOD OF RELATIVE
STRENGTH."
SO GIVEN THE 1960S WAS
A DIFFERENT PERIOD,
I THINK WE ARE NOW IN A
DIFFERENT PERIOD AS WELL
AND WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THE
BALL IN OUR LEADERS COURT.
WE HAVE TO TAKE PEACE AND
DEVELOPMENT AND THE ACTION
OF OUR WHOLE WORLD INTO
OUR OWN HANDS, RIGHT?
SO YES, I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE
THAT WAS KIND OF THE FOUNDING
OF THE PEACE CORP
ABOUT 57 YEARS AGO.
AND I'M HERE TO PROMOTE
PEACE CORPS BUT I'M ALSO HERE
TO PROMOTE YOU GUY'S
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES
AS WELL AND I JUST WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY
FROM PEACE CORPS,
FROM THE CENTER
OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION,
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES PROGRAM,
FROM THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT
CENTER, FROM USA.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TONIGHT, AND IF YOU HAPPEN
TO HAVE SOME MORE
FREE TIME TOMORROW,
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BUNCH
OF [INAUDIBLE] PEACE CORPS
VOLUNTEERS FROM BURKINA FASO,
FROM CHAD, FROM GUINEA,
[INAUDIBLE] MALI.
I SERVED IN CHINA.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING SOME
FOOD FROM OUR HOST COUNTRIES,
AND WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU
ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE
FOR TWO YEARS WITH LITTLE
RESOURCES AND [INAUDIBLE].
THAT'S TOMORROW
IN THE [INAUDIBLE]
CENTER FROM 5:30 TO 7:30.
SO BRING YOUR FRIENDS
OR JUST HAVE SOME FOOD.
IT'S GOING TO BE A FUN TIME.
ON THURSDAY, WE'RE GOING
TO HAVE AN INFO SESSION.
SO IF YOU WANT TO PICK LAUREN'S
BRAIN AND HEAR HOW SHE GOT IN
OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO ASK ME
SOME OF THE DETAILS THAT'S GOING
TO BE IN THE CAREER
DEVELOPMENT CENTER
FROM 1:30 TO 3:30 ON THURSDAY.
SO WE'RE HERE.
WE'RE CELEBRATING
PEACE CORP WEEK
BUT WE'RE HERE FOR YOU GUYS.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN SO
MUCH FOR BEING HERE
AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
[ APPLAUSE ]
