Day: April 28, 2009

Commencement and Inauguration Plans Announced

Dear Members of the MIIS Community:

We are now just three weeks from one of the most exciting times of the year – commencement.  This event represents the culmination of years of work and study for hundreds of our students, and is a chance for family members and guests to celebrate with us this momentous time in our students’ lives.

This year’s spring commencement will include all of the customary celebrations – the garden party reception on Friday, May 15, the commencement ceremony itself on Saturday, May 16, and the commencement reception afterwards.  In addition, the commencement ceremony will include my formal inauguration as president of the Institute.

The decision to join the two events offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase the amazing work our students and faculty are doing both locally and around the globe for a wide audience encompassing the campus community, our Board of Trustees, and our friends and supporters.  The day before commencement, on May 15 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, we will convene an inaugural symposium titled “Being The Solution: Building Leadership From Monterey To Mumbai,” which will feature sessions and stations spotlighting a variety of student and faculty projects, accomplishments, and disciplines.  In that way, the symposium will provide rich context for family members and guests in particular to understand the scope and significance of our graduating students’ achievements.  All MIIS community members – students, family members and guests, alumni, faculty and staff — are invited to attend the symposium.

The schedule of events for May 15-16 is as follows:

Friday, May 15

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm   Inauguration Symposium – Irvine Auditorium
(Agenda attached)

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm   Graduation Garden Party –  Holland Center Courtyard

Saturday, May 16

1:00 pm – 3:30 pm   Commencement and Inauguration  – Colton Hall Lawn

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm   Commencement Reception – Samson Student Center

I look forward to sharing with you two days of celebration of the Institute, our important mission, and the students who are our reason for being here.

Best regards,
Sunder

Critical Issues Forum (CIF) Spring Student Conference

— U.S., Russian High School Students Present Research On Nuclear Disarmament

More than 70 students and teachers from 10 U.S. high schools and 10
schools in Russia’s closed nuclear cities gathered to present their
research on “Nuclear Disarmament: Challenges, Opportunities, and Next
Steps” at the spring 2009 Critical Issues Forum (CIF) conference April
23-24 in Monterey.

The conference is the culmination of a semester-long program designed to increase
students’ awareness of nonproliferation and disarmament issues and enhance
critical thinking skills.

All the students’ presentations were very creative, enjoyable, and
well-researched.  Presentations included student-produced movies, NPT
Review Conference simulation, skits revolving around nuclear weapons
history, current events in nuclear development, and interactive activities.

With the still-lingering excitement of President Obama’s historic speech
on April 5th in Prague calling for a world without nuclear weapons, many
of students’ presentations at the conference featured recent developments
in nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation issues.

Dr. Patricia Lewis, Deputy Director and Scientist-in-Residence at the CNS,
and former director of the UNIDIR, gave a keynote presentation with a
title of “Passing the Nuclear Baton: Nuclear Disarmament and the Next
Generation.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of CNS.  Over the past two decades,
CNS has dedicated itself to training the next generation of
nonproliferation specialists and raising global public awareness. The CIF
is one of the flagship educational outreach programs the Center has
established to accomplish its mission.

In addition to high school student presentations, MIIS students
specializing in nonproliferation, and junior CNS staff members who also
study nonproliferation, shared their experiences on how they ended up
studying nonproliferation issues, and inspired the CIF high school
students to pursue their dreams.

The April 24th Monterey County Herald carried a long story of the CIF
conference with three large photos.

The Russian students and American students also took advantage of
opportunities for cultural exchange, building friendships.