Page 4 - 1JeanAnnNewsletter Fall 2012.pub

In the Spring of 2012, while teaching at Skidmore, I received an inquiry from the School of Political Science and International Rela-tion of the National University of Rosario (UNR), Argentina. Would I be interested in teaching a graduate seminar on globalization and democ-racy during the summer? This request was made taking into account that I was listed as a Fulbright scholar in the Fulbright Specialist Program as interested in traveling abroad to teach short-term seminars and courses on democracy, globalization, and international relations. I was very interested in this possibility and after a few weeks of discussing the con-ditions and timing, I was awarded a Fulbright specialist grant to teach a seminar on globalization, democracy and economic policy and partici-pate in other academic activities at the UNR during the month of Au-gust.

I spent June and July preparing the syllabus and selecting the bibliography for the seminar (that was going to be taught in Spanish) and exchanging information with the host university and the staff of the Fulbright Commission. By the end of July, I departed for Argentina and, after spending a few days in the capital city, Buenos Aires, finally arrived in Rosario. Rosario is the third largest city in Argentina (around 1.3 million people) and is located on the western shore of the Paraná River (the second largest river in South America; in Tupi language Paraná means “as big as the sea”), 170 miles North of Buenos Aires.

Since the 19 th century, the city has been one of the main ports of export of Argentine grains and beef (once it was known as the “Argentine Chicago”) and since the mid- 20 th century has been also an industrial center. Today, after a period of decline after the crisis of the early 2000s, it has experienced an economic and cultural renaissance fueled by the recovery of the Argentine economy and, particularly, by the boom in soybean production, prices and exports in the last few years. The National University of Rosario is one of the largest in Argen-tina with around 73,000 students, 6,000 of which are registered in the undergraduate and graduate programs of the school of political science and international relations.

At my arrival in Rosario, I was warmly greeted by my hosts and, by August 4, I began to teach my seminar on democracy and glob-alization to a group of graduate students in the school of political sci-ence and international relations. This was a wonderful experience as the students were extremely interested in the topic and active participants in the class sessions that were taught twice a week for four hours (with a short intermission). I was never able to lecture for more than a few minutes before the students intervened with incisive questions and thoughtful comments that revealed their interest and careful reading of the materials assigned for each class. Concerning the readings, it is im-portant to mention the effort that they made considering that although the class discussions were conducted in Spanish, most of the materials (except when translations were available) were in English.

Besides the bi-weekly classes, I also was asked to deliver some talks to graduate and undergraduate students concerning topics such as the impact of globalization on Latin America, U.S. relations with Latin America, and the current political situation and presidential campaign in the United States. At other times, as undergraduate classes started (when I arrived, the winter break was still underway) I was invited to participate in some of the classes on international politics and relations

taught by my colleagues. In all cases, it was really impressive not only the academic interest of the students but also the high level of political involvement that they exhibited.

In fact, as the undergraduate students returned, political groups were present everywhere delivering their literature, engaging in discussions and organizing discussion meetings. All this activity cul-minated in the first week in September with the organization by stu-dents and faculty of the 10 th congress on democracy with the participa-tion of national and international guests. I was glad to be invited to deliver a paper on the U.S. approach to democracy in Latin America that was followed by a lively discussion with students and faculty. I must add that during this time, I was also able to enjoy my stay in the city many different ways. Culturally, Rosario has a vibrant life, including theater plays, musical events, museum exhibits and excellent bookstores. It is also a fantastic city to walk around, admiring its neoclassical architecture and monuments or strolling the parks along the river and enjoying the views.

Moreover, although it is a large city, it has a provincial qual-ity that is reflected in the friendliness of its people. Thus, when I left in early September I was very happy of having taken this opportunity: it had exceeded my expectations and I was coming back to Skidmore with a very positive experience that could be shared with my students and colleagues.