(PRWEB) March 07, 2014
John Cabot University is a frequent host of leading influential scholars from around the world, engaging students and faculty in discussions related to important global issues. Recent guests have included visiting Harvard professor Dr. Theda Skocpol and privacy icon Simon Davies. The Department of Political Science and International Affairs has already begun its season of Spring 2014 Events, featuring public lectures from numerous notable international intellectuals at its campus in Rome, Italy.
This season's series kicked off on February 20th with a lecture by Dr. Skocpol, an expert on U.S. social policy and civic engagement, on the subject, "Obama, the Tea Party and the Future of American Politics." Dr. Skocpol's books and articles have been widely cited in political science literature and have won several prestigious awards, including the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science in 2007 for her "visionary analysis of the significance of the state." Her current projects study the transformations of U.S. federal policies and changing attitudes among the American population during the Obama era.
The event was presented by The Guarini Institute for Public Affairs, an important organization at the American liberal arts university in Rome, offering an annual series of lectures concerning global politics and human rights challenges facing the world today. Federigo Argentieri, the Director of the institute who has published many journals and articles on Eastern European politics, shared his insights on the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine on February 26th at the university's recurring "Pizza and Politics" lunchtime series. Topics for the series are suggested by students.
On February 25th and 27th, the university hosted Simon Davies, founder of Privacy International and often described as the world's most frequently quoted privacy advocate. During his two lectures, he captivated the audience with anecdotes about his successful campaigns against national identity cards in Australia and Great Britain and standing up to media superpowers like Google and Facebook.
Other events this season include lectures from some of the university's own highly respected professors. On March 4th, Professor Pejman Abdolmohammadi delivered a lecture entitled, "Is Iran a Hybrid Regime? Structure and Dynamics of the Islamic Republic." As an Iranian-Italian Scholar, Dr. Abdolmohammadi regularly contributes his expert analysis of Middle Eastern politics on RAI, the Italian national television and on BBC PERSIAN, as well as in newspapers and various journals. On April 8th, Professors Tom Bailey and Michael Driessen will discuss "Rethinking Political Catholicism: Empirical and Normative Perspectives," ahead of a conference on the subject taking place in May.
Many students pursuing a degree in international affairs choose to study abroad in Italy for the opportunity to become global citizens at John Cabot University's international campus in the heart of Rome. The independent, four-year liberal arts university was founded in 1972, offering undergraduate degrees and study abroad programs to English-speaking students from all over the world.