German Course at the Athenaeum

Traveling to Germany?
Doing business with Germans?
Want to brush up on your college German?

The Indiana German Heritage Society offers a course in basic German in a fun and relaxed atmosphere at the historic Athenaeum building in downtown Indianapolis.

"Beginning German Conversation" will be taught from 6:30-8 p.m. Mondays from 10 September through 29 October in the Max Kade Room of the Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis. Cost is $85 per person or $150 per couple. Instructor is Renee Gregory, an associate faculty member at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

For more information and to register contact Claudia Grossmann, 317:274-3943.

Dow AgroSciences Buys Duo Maize of the Netherlands

Dow AgroSciences, an Indianapolis-based wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, announced today that it will continue to expand its global corn germplasm portfolio and corn business with the acquisition by its affiliate Agrigenetics, Inc. of Duo Maize, a corn germplasm company focused primarily on early maturing germplasm silage applications for northern climates. Duo Maize is based in Rossum, Netherlands.

Cheech Marin To Talk on Chicano Art

The entertainer Cheech Marin also has a serious side. He'll talk about Chicano art during a free presentation at 7:30 p.m. 25 September in the Auer Performance Hall of the John and Ruth Rhinehart Music Center at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. His title is, "An Interpretation of a Culture through Chicano Art".

Best known as one-half of the hilarious counterculture, no-holds-barred duo of "Cheech and Chong," Cheech Marin is a paradox in the world of entertainment. As an actor, director, writer, musician, art collector and humanitarian, he's a man who has enough talent, humor, and intelligence to do just about anything. Marin's youngest fans know him because of his work in children's music and animation.

He is the first of six speakers for the 2007-08 Omnibus Lecture Series at IUPU-Fort Wayne. The new Music Center is located on the north end of campus in the arts plaza next to the Ernest E. Williams Theatre and the Visual Arts Building.

Lee Hamilton to Speak At Marian College

The Honorable Lee Hamilton (right) will give his "Thoughts on American Foreign Policy" as part of the Global Studies Speaker Series at Marian College, 3200 Cold Springs Road, Indianapolis. His presentation, at 7 p.m. 26 September in the Indianapolis Civic Theatre on the Marian campus is open to the public at no charge. However, Advance registration is required.

Lee Hamilton represented Indiana’s 9th congressional district from 1965-1999. He served as chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and he chaired the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and numerous other House committees. In 2006, Hamilton was co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, a forward looking, bi-partisan assessment of the situation in Iraq. He served as vice-chair of the 9/11 Commission and co-chair of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, established to monitor implementation of the Commission’s recommendations.

Hamilton is currently a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council, and he serves on the advisory boards of several government agencies on national security matters. Lee Hamilton is president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and director of The Center on Congress at Indiana University.

Islam in West and South Asia Expert to Speak at Butler

Carl W. Ernst (left), a specialist in Islamic studies, with a focus on West and South Asia, is one of the speakers during the fall series of lectures hosted by the Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series at Butler University. His appearance is co-sponsored by the Change and Tradition Program.

Ernst's presentation is 7:30 p.m. 5 November in the Reilly Room, Atherton Union, Butler. It's free and open to the public. For more information, call 317:940-9861.

His most recent book, Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World, received several international awards. Ernst has been on the faculty in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Department of Religious Studies since 1992.

One Day Isn't Enough!

This year's Slovenefest has two components.

Of course, the big event is the picnic on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, but there's also a Polka Jam, complete with ethnic food. It kicks off at 7 p.m. 31 August at the Slovenian National Home, 2717 West 10th Street, Indianapolis.

The picnic is 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 2 September at the Slovenian National Home's picnic grounds (10th Street at Yates Road in Hendricks County). The picnic menu includes Slovenian sausage (krvave klobase), hamburgers, hot dogs, sauerkraut, potatoes, pasta salad, potica and krofe.

There's information on the SNH website or you can check with Rich Radez, chairman, 317:502-5838, or Maria Canalas, SNH president, 317:837-1931 or 508:524-7330.

Special guest at the picnic is Dr. Zvone Zigon, Consul General of Slovenia in Cleveland, Ohio.

Nominations Sought for Annual Diversity Award

Mayor Bart Peterson is seeking nominations for the seventh annual "Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity Awards". The awards were created in 2001 to honor businesses and organizations that have excellent records in workforce diversity; opportunities for diversity education and communication within the organization; activities that encourage diversity in the community, and leadership in developing supportive diversity strategies throughout the organization.

A nomination form is available online. Nominations must be submitted online or mailed (date stamped or postmarked by 5 p.m. 3 October).

The award winners will be honored at the Celebration of Diversity Awards Luncheon on 30 January 2008.

NOTE: The Nationalities Council of Indiana won its Celebration of Diversity Award in 2003!

Another Immigrant Who's Benefitted Indiana

One of America's leading landscape architects emigrated from Germany to Indiana. George Kessler, who was born in Frankenhausen, Germany, is responsible for designing the original boulevard and park systems in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Terre Haute.

Kurt Culbertson, author of Landscape of the American Renaissance: The Life and Work of George Edward Kessler, will discuss "The Genius of George Kessler" during a presentation at 6 p.m. Wednesday (29 August) in the Colfax Auditorium of the St. Joe Public Library in downtown South Bend.

The free presentation is sponsored by the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County, Indiana. For information, see the flyer or call 219:235-9798.

IU Prof Writes about Wal-Mart's Success in Mexico

Wal-Mart's first international venture was in Mexico in 1991, and in economic terms it has been an outstanding success. The company is now Mexico's most important retailer and largest private employer, with almost 150,000 workers.

However, Wal-Mart's success has transformed Mexican business practices, consumption patterns and supply chains, according to Indiana University Professor James Biles (left), a specialist in economic geography.

Biles is a guest editor and contributor for a special iissue of the Journal of Latin American Geography (vol. 6, no. 2) subtitled "Globalization, Linking Scales of Analysis."

The articles demonstrate the varied nature of globalization and its political, economic and cultural consequences, according to a report from the I.U. News Bureau.

International Festival Headline Entertainment

The Duquesne University Tamburitzans will dance at this year's International Festival.

The 2007 festival will be 15-18 November in the West Pavilion of the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

Shanghai University Delegation Visits Purdue

A delegation from one of China's top 10 universities will meet with Purdue University officials and tour campus facilities during a Thursday (23 August) visit, according to the Purdue news bureau.

Twenty representatives from Shanghai Jiao Tong University will spend the day learning about the educational philosophy, practices and experiences at Purdue, as well as hearing presentations from the College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, School of Management and College of Education.

Of the 4,824 international students enrolled at Purdue in the 2006-07 school year, there were 767 students from China, second only to India with 1,085. That year, 222 Purdue students were studying abroad in Asia, up from 79 students there in 2005-06.

Clinton's Little Italy Festival is Labor Day Weekend

The "Little Italy Festival." in downtown Clinton has filled Labor Day Weekend since 1966. Hours on Friday (31 August) are 5-11 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday (1-2 September) 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and on Monday (3 September), 11 a.m.-9 p.m. If you'd like more information, contact Nancy Dal Sasso, 765:832-7254.

Highlights: parade, on-stage entertainment, carnival rides and games, spaghetti-eating contest; tours of 1904 C&EI passenger depot (houses both a railway museum and one of the few coal museums in the nation, with its full-scale mine walk-through and vintage film of mule-powered mining); open-air shuttle to picturesque Ninth Street 'Little Italy' to visit a 1924 Italian home, learn old-days' winemaking, and purchase unique goods at the Italian store.

Gilchrist & Soames Recalls Toothpaste

Gilchrist & Soames, an Indianapolis-based provider of toiletry products for the hotel industry, has initiated a worldwide voluntary recall of its Gilchrist & Soames 0.65oz/18ml toothpaste manufactured in China for the company by Ming Fai Enterprises International Co., LTD, after independent tests showed some samples of the toothpaste contained diethylene glycol, or DEG.

Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Workforce

The Indiana Business Diversity Council is partnering with Baker & Daniels to present a legal series. First up (10 a.m. - noon on 18 September) is a session on "Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Workforce". The session will be held in Suite 2700 at 300 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis. Registration is $99.

The IBDC is a free standing minority supplier development council. It is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and one of thirty-nine regional councils operating in the United States. The IBDC was created by the Indianapolis business community in the mid '70s to address and support minority business development.

Institute for Study Abroad Saga Continues

The Indianapolis Star has picked up the story about the questionable practices at Butler University's Institute for Study Abroad.

"An institute that provides study abroad for Butler University students was one of five such programs to be sent a subpoena this week by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office," notes The Star today.

Check it out here, at least until the link expires.

UPDATE (25 August 2007):
The Indianapolis Business Journal has more on the IFSA.

"IFSA may be obscure, but its revenue of $48.9 million puts it in the ranks of the city's larger and better-known not-forprofits.

"It took in more than the $37 million United Way of Central Indiana generated last year. It also surpassed such wellknown institutions as Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, at $40.5 million, and the $38 million in revenue reported by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

"Though it's a not-for-profit, IFSA operates very much like a for-profit business as it doesn't rely on charitable contributions for its income. According to its IRS Form 990 for the year ended May 31, 2006, IFSA generated all but $510,907 of its revenue from program service revenue and application fees; the remainder was interest income.

"IFSA is large even by for-profit standards. If it were a public company, IFSA would rank among the 25 largest in the Indianapolis area in terms of revenue. It had 54 employees as of mid-2006, records show."

Questions About Butler's Institute for Study Abroad

"Amy Bartnick-Blume, a vice president of the nonprofit Institute for Study Abroad, which is affiliated with Butler University in Indiana, said the institute gave colleges with which it has 'exclusive agreements' up to $500 per student for restricting them to the institute’s programs in a given region. The practice in effect shuts out the competition. Ms. Bartnick-Blume said that the colleges decide whether to pass the savings on to students and that the institute had no way of knowing how many do."

Read the rest of the story in "In Study Abroad, Gifts and Money for Universities" in tomorrow's New York Times.

Indiana State Takes Teachers to China

To build a foundation of understanding about the Chinese culture and education system, and create interest in teaching Mandarin in schools, Indiana State University led a delegation of 17 educators to China from 24 June through 2 July, according to the ISU news bureau.

The educational trip was sponsored by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (also known as Hanban), a non-profit organization affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China.

The idea of a trip to China for Indiana educators grew out of the relationship between ISU and Hanban. An official proposal to establish a Chinese language and culture center at Indiana State has been submitted to Hanban, which provides funding and assistance to establish such centers throughout the world.

To assist ISU in its efforts to provide resources on Chinese language and culture to Indiana’s school teachers, the Chicago Consulate of the People’s Republic of China invited ISU to bring a delegation of educators to China as part of the Hanban’s Chinese Bridge for American and Korean Schools program.

Rebecca Libler (associate dean of ISU’s College of Education) and Feng-Qi Lai (assistant professor in the curriculum, instruction and media technology department and a native of China) put together the Indiana delegation, which joined 500 other educators from across the United States, and 200 from South Korea, who were selected to visit China’s K-12 public schools, meet the country’s educational leaders in the government, and tour areas of cultural significance.

IU Hornist Rejoins Canadian Brass Quintet

Internationally acclaimed hornist and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music faculty member Jeff Nelsen is rejoining the Canadian Brass, according to the I.U. News Bureau.

Nelsen, who was a member of the world famous group from 2000 to 2004, will continue to teach at IU full-time while touring with the brass quintet.

His re-appointment to the Canadian Brass continues a long tradition in the Jacobs School in which faculty maintain a significant link to the world of international performance.

Cummins Begins Production in China Venture

Production on a new heavy-duty engine by Columbus-based Cummins Inc. has officially begun in China, reports Inside INdiana Business

The Cummins ISM 11-liter heavy-duty engine will be made through Xi’an Cummins Engine Company Limited (XCEC), a joint venture between Cummins and China's Shaanxi Automobile Group Company Limited (Shaanqi Group). The new engine will be made to pass EPA 2007 and Euro IV emission standards and be able to power trucks, long-distance coaches and double-decker buses.

Swiss Wine Festival in Vevay

From area wines, twirling batons to culinary delights sizzling on grills, the Swiss Wine Festival each year celebrates, as well as salutes, the cultural heritage of Switzerland County, Indiana.

Now in its 36th year, the four-day event, held on Vevay's riverfront, uniquely blends tradition and fun. From opening day on Thursday (23 August) to closing time Sunday evening (26 August), the Swiss Wine Festival caters to all ages and interests.

Japanese Vet Students Visit Purdue

Seven veterinary students from Japan and their faculty mentor are visiting Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine through Saturday (11 August), according to the Purdue News Bureau.

The visit is part of a cooperative arrangement between the school and Kitasato University in Towada, Japan. The exchange, which began in 1995, is organized by the school's International Programs in Veterinary Medicine.

An Oktoberfest Preview!

See Indianapolis-Cologne Sister City website.

Japanese Business Web Site for Anderson

Japanese investment is the focus of Anderson's business development website.

Anderson Mayor Kevin S. Smith unveiled a web site late last month that's entirely in Japanese for the purpose of attracting global business to the city.

The web site includes a letter of welcome from Mayor Smith, information about the city, potential commercial business locations, economic incentives and other reasons for investing in Anderson. Ayako Yamamoto Girt, a Japanese member of the city's Economic Development team, worked closely with the city's webmaster, Andrew Greene, to make this happen. She also plays a role in the city’s growing dialogue with Japanese companies and decision-makers.

Multi-Language Website

The east central Indiana economic development organization Energize-ECI, Inc. is launching a new website it says will show the world that the region is serious about welcoming businesses to the area, according to Inside INdiana Business.

The site can be translated into six languages with the click of a mouse. It will be used as a global marketing tool to enhance economic development and job creation opportunities.

Look for tiny national flags at the top right-hand corner of the site to access automatic translations into French, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, German and Spanish.

Indy's DowAgra Sciences Buys Brazil's Agromen Tecnologia

Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, announced today that it will substantially expand its Brazilian corn seeds business with the acquisition of Agromen Tecnologia Ltda.

The agreement includes all commercial, production, and research and development assets of the corn seeds business of Agromen, a Brazilian company with 35 years of operations. Brazil is the third largest corn-planting nation in the world.

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, provides crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seed, and agricultural biotechnology solutions to agriculture.

Brightpoint Buys Dangaard Telecom

Brightpoint Inc. has completed the purchase of the largest wireless phone distributor in Europe, according to The Indianapolis Business Journal.

The purchase for $385 million in stock is a deal that balloons the Plainfield company's annual revenue from $2.5 billion to $4.6 billion.

The deal for privately held Dangaard Telecom of Padbord, Denmark, creates the world's largest distributor and provider of logistics services to the wireless phone industry.

The merged company has 3,700 employees and 25,000 customers in 25 countries.

August Ethnic Hoosier is Online

The August issue of The Ethnic Hoosier, newsletter of the Nationalities Council of Indiana, is online here.