April 2, 2008

OWU to Host Ohio Canadian Studies Roundtable

Ohio Wesleyan University will focus on its neighbors to the north this week as the University teams up with Bowling Green State University to host the 16th annual Ohio Canadian Studies Roundtable.

The April 4 event will include a representative from the Consulate General of Canada and draw college students and faculty from Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan. The event is not open to the public.

Patricio Plazolles, program officer for OWU’s Woltemade Center for Economics, Business, and Entrepreneurship, is one of the co-organizers of this year’s event. In addition to arranging the roundtable, he also is helping to facilitate a meeting between the consulate representative and Delaware city officials.

“I am very pleased to help bring these people together,” Plazolles says. “Canada is one of the largest trading partners for Ohio. I hope this introduction leads to positive collaboration in the future.”

According to 2006 data from the Canadian consulate, trade between the United States and Canada supported 7.1 million U.S. jobs that year, including 276,500 Ohio jobs.

As for the roundtable, Plazolles says, it was created by a grassroots group of Canadianists—people who study Canada. One of the main purposes of the annual meeting is to share the latest information about the “Great White North,” including its politics and economy. For students, the meeting helps to ensure that they are prepared for summer Canadian Parliamentary internships.

“Networking also is a cornerstone of the annual meeting,” Plazolles says. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Canadianists to share information and learn from each other.”

The featured speaker at this year’s event will be Marc O’Reilly, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and director of international and multicultural academic programs at Heidelberg College. O’Reilly’s newest book, “Unexceptional: America’s Empire in the Persian Gulf, 1941-2007,” is scheduled to be published later this year.

The event also will feature Christine Drennen, M.A., interim director of Bowling Green’s Canadian Studies Center, and Sean Kay, Ph.D., chair of OWU’s international studies program.

Friday’s roundtable is scheduled to begin with a visit from Delaware Vice Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle, who will read a proclamation declaring the day as “Ohio Canada Trade Day” on behalf of the City of Delaware.

Among those in attendance will be OWU emeritus economics professor Cliff Cook, M.B.A., who began participating in the yearly roundtable in 1993. In 2006, Cook gave the keynote address, which examined multinational trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), from a Canadian perspective.

“It’s a great opportunity for academics to get together on an annual basis,” Cook says. “It allows a cross-fertilization of ideas, where participants can give updates on their research as well as learn what’s currently occurring in Canada.”

– Cole Hatcher