Utah Valley Student Clubs Host Dr. Roger Kangas, Expert on Afghanistan and Central Asia

From February 25th-28^th Utah Valley University students will continue its established tradition of hosting respected dignitaries. The guest of honor will be Dr. Roger Kangas, one of the leading U.S. experts on Afghanistan and Central Asia. His visit is made possible through the efforts of students. The students themselves took care of all of the aspects related to Dr. Kangas’s visit: protocol, logistics, funds, etc

Dr. Kangas is currently the Academic Dean and a Professor of Central Asian Studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at National Defense University. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Previously Dr. Kangas served as a Professor of Central Asian Studies at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; Deputy Director of the Central Asian Institute at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC; Central Asian Course Coordinator at the Foreign Service Institute for the U.S. Department of State; and as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Mississippi. Outside of Academia Dr. Kangas has been an advisor to the Combatant Commands, NATO/ISAF, the US Air Force Special Operations School, National Democratic Institute, USAID, and other US government agencies.   Dr. Kangas holds a B.S.F.S. in Comparative Politics from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University.

On February 27^th, 2014 at 10:00am Dr. Kangas will address a general audience at UVU in the Student Center room 213b. His remarks will be focused on Afghanistan Post-2014. At 6:30 in the evening on the 27^th Dr. Kangas will also speak to faculty and students of the Center for Constitutional Studies at UVU. His time at UVU also includes meetings with faculty and students with the aim of developing mutually beneficial cooperation in research and establishing exchanges between UVU, National Defense University, and interested partners in Central Asia. Dr. Kangas will meet ROTC and Utah National Guard representatives paying particular attention those who served tours to Afghanistan.

Dr. Kangas’ visit to UVU is a part of an initiative at the University to establish and strengthen ties between Utah, UVU, and Central Asia. This ongoing partnership has included a large number of exchange visits between UVU faculty and students, legislative groups from Utah and Central Asian nations, and experts in the field of Central Asian studies. Recently UVU hosted a number of groups from Central Asia which included a delegation from Kyrgyzstan. This spring a legislative group from Utah is planning to pay a visit to both Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.

This is a great opportunity to hear from one of the preeminent sources on Central Asian Studies. Dr. Kangas brings years of pragmatic experience in the field as well as a solid academic base and will be sharing some of his experiences with the students at UVU. The event will be highly interesting and educational. Dr. Kangas will be able to share his expert opinion and analysis in regards to the role of the United States in an increasingly tenuous situation in Afghanistan and what the future holds for the Afghan people.

Dr. Roger Kangas, an Academic Dean and a professor at the U.S. National Defense University’s Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, September 03, 2010

At the same time, this visit will allow members of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at UVU to build close relationships with a great scholar and expert, to improve their professional skills in handling protocol, logistics and other important parts of diplomacy.

Financial support for the visit of Dr. Roger Kangas was provided by the Office of International Affairs and Diplomacy, Department of History and Political Science and the Center for Constitutional Studies at UVU.

           Andrew Allen, member of UIMF 

ITINERARY

Agenda and Organizing Committee 

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http://blogs.uvu.edu/newsroom/2014/02/26/uimf-hosts-dignitary-from-the-national-defense-university/