IU Bloomington's Hutton Honors College turns 50, launches 'Many Worlds, One Globe' initiative
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- In conjunction with its 50th anniversary, Indiana University’s Hutton Honors College will host “Many Worlds, One Globe,” a multiyear series of lectures, courses, workshops and special events designed to highlight research and creative activities that connect global understanding with individual identity.
The series will culminate with Indiana University’s bicentennial in 2020.
“The 'Many Worlds, One Globe' series is a wonderful example of the power of the arts and humanities and the social sciences to awaken the power of empathic imagination,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel. “That power creates an opening for a truly global academic experience right here in Bloomington. The Hutton Honors College has been a cultural hub on campus for half a century, and we are so excited to see the many ways they enrich our bicentennial celebrations in the coming years.”
Hutton Honors College Dean Andrea Ciccarelli said he hopes the series fosters awareness and respect for scholarship and innovation in the current context of global society. “I want students to come away with an understanding of how globalism can thrive through individual initiatives without also crushing distinct and local identities.
“An institution of higher learning such as IU preserves and fosters vital autonomy for cultural and scientific distinction, intellectual diversity and differences of thought,” he said. “It also promotes an inclusive process of learning and understanding that, ultimately, prepares students for a more harmonious, productive way of respecting one’s own world, while connecting it to its global repercussions.”
The series will launch in April with a public lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, author of the short stories collections “Interpreter of Maladies” and “Unaccustomed Earth," as well as the novels “The Namesake: A Novel” and “The Lowland.” Lahiri is scheduled to speak about her own works at 4 p.m. April 4 at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public.
“Dr. Lahiri’s celebrated accomplishments make her a perfect guest speaker for any university, naturally,” Ciccarelli said. “But in this case, she is an ideal inaugural speaker, as she embodies the essence of a global author.”
Born in London from Bengalese parents, Lahiri was raised in Rhode Island and has lived in New York and Rome. She has chosen English and, more recently, Italian as her creative languages.
“Her books talk about the physical and cultural struggles of being a migrant in another country, and yet, they also stress the ability to belong in a new culture -- all themes we’re discussing during this series,” Ciccarelli said.
Additional “Many Worlds, One Globe” activities leading up to IU’s bicentennial will include an annual campus-wide interdisciplinary workshop on the various interpretations, perceptions and effects of globalism, and how it touches our lives and links them to the lives of those living on different parts of the planet.
The series will offer lectures from IU faculty and outside speakers on topics including the changing role of women in a global society, the conflict between national economies and their global expansions, the dual role of technology as a unifier or a divider, and the impact of the environment on a global society, among many others.
During the next few years, professors from the College of Arts and Sciences, The Media School, the School of Global and International Studies, the Kelley School of Business and other schools will be teaching Hutton Honors courses that will deal with the multifaceted aspects of preserving and promoting individual cultural identities in a global society. The Hutton Honors College will also partner with IU Cinema, the IU Art Museum and the Lilly Library to bring special speakers and visitors to campus.
About Hutton Honors College: The Hutton Honors College at Indiana University Bloomington recruits diverse, talented and highly motivated students whose presence on campus serves to enhance the education of all undergraduates. By offering a range of small, challenging courses along with a variety of extracurricular and service programs, Hutton Honors College strives to ensure an enriched academic and social experience for its students and to create an environment that fosters active, innovative learning. These opportunities, which include a close working relationship with some of IU's top faculty, affirm its commitment to providing its students with both the intimacy of a small college and the breadth of a large, pluralistic and distinguished research institution.
Media Contacts
Andrea Ciccarelli
- Hutton Honors College
- Office 812-855-3550
- aciccare@indiana.edu