A Message from the Director

Welcome! I’m Prof. Kenneth Marcus, Associate Professor of History at the University of La Verne and director of the International Studies Institute. The purpose of the Institute is to engage students, faculty and staff with international and local issues that affect all of us. It has a particular focus on the issues of peace, hunger and diplomacy. The Institute began in 1979, founded by Prof. John Jiang and the late Prof. Herb Hogan in the Department of History and Political Science at the University of La Verne. Originally called the Institute for International and Intercultural Study, it took its current name in 1982. Building on Prof. Jiang’s impressive achievements, I became director in 2002. Through seminars and conferences, the hosting of prominent speakers of local, national, and international renown, and other programs and events, I have sought to broaden the Institute’s mission while making it as inclusive as possible for faculty, students, and staff from the entire University community to participate. Its committee includes faculty from all four colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Law), and its monthly speaker series, Hot Spots, remains the only regular forum on campus for students, faculty and staff to learn about and debate contemporary international and domestic issues. The Model United Nations program enables students to attend the annual Model United Nations meeting in New York City as well as other internationally-related conferences around the country, thereby gaining “hands-on” experience with international themes and topics. Through such programs, the Institute seeks to find solutions to problems that continue to confront our world. We very much hope you can take part in our programs and events.