The first event of the Fall 2024 International Seminar Series will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, from noon–1 p.m. in the Old Main Room of the Bone Student Center or via zoom. This event is free and open to the public with advance registration.

Series overview: Politics are personal and local, but they are also inherently global. This semester’s series seeks to explore the intersections of U.S. and global politics. Speakers and panelists will examine the complexities of governance, electoral and political systems, information sharing, voting, and democracy in a rapidly globalizing world. Together, we will gain a deeper understanding of how political dynamics shape and are shaped by international interactions.  

This event in the series is titled “U.S. Foreign Policy in Context.” The discussion will focus on how understanding the intricacies and interconnectedness of foreign affairs is crucial to being an active participant in global democracy. This session will look “behind the scenes” of global politics, exploring what it means to be involved in international organizations like the United Nations, and how these dynamics influence political candidates’ platforms and strategies. Attendees will gain insights into the operations of foreign relations and their impact on domestic politics. 

Featured Panelists: 

Dr. Ali Riaz, Distinguished Professor, Department of Politics and Government: Dr. Ali Riaz joined Illinois State University in 2002. Prior to joining Illinois State, he has taught at Claflin University in South Carolina, and the University of Lincoln in England. He was an assistant professor at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh between 1993 and 1995, and a lecturer between 1984 and 1987. His research and teaching interests include Political Islam, South Asian politics, Bangladeshi politics, Violent Extremism, state-society relationship, community development, and political economy of media. 

Dr. Lane Crothers, Professor, Department of Politics and Government: Dr. Lane Crothers is a professor of politics and government at Illinois State University, where he has worked since 1994. His research focuses on the ways the values, ideals and social practices of American political culture shape the ways Americans interact both with their own political system, and with political systems around the world. He has authored or coauthored more than 20 journal articles and 10 books, including Globalization and American Popular Culture, now in its fifth edition, and Rage on the Right: The American Militia Movement from Ruby Ridge to the Trump Presidency, recently published in its second edition. He is currently the managing editor of the international journal, Populism, 2018-present, and served as the Thomas E. Eimermann Chair in Political Science at Illinois State University (2020-22), the Fulbright Bicentennial Chair in American Studies in the Department of World Cultures at the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland (2015-16), and the Eccles Centre Visiting Professor in North American Studies at the British Library in London (2007-08).

Dr. Yusuf Sarfati, Associate Professor and Director of the Middle Eastern and South Asian Minor Program: Dr. Yusuf Sarfati earned his B.A. in political science from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Türkiye, his M.A. in political science from Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in political science/comparative politics from Ohio State University. He is currently an associate professor of comparative politics with a regional focus on the Middle East at Illinois State. His interests are social movements, democratization, religion, and politics. He directs the Middle East and South Asian Studies minor. His teaching interests involve comparative politics, politics of the Middle East, religion and politics, and democratization. His research interests involve comparative democratization, social movements, politics of identity, politics and religion, and state-society interactions.

Dr. Michael (Mike) Hendricks, Assistant Professor, Department of Politics and Government: Dr. Mike Hendricks earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in political science from the University of Missouri. He received his B.A. in international relations from the University of Delaware. His teaching interests involve Latin American politics, politics of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, community development, drug trafficking and international security, conflict management and peacekeeping, comparative politics, and international relations. His research interests involve resource extractive communities, peacekeeping effectiveness, scholarship of teaching and learning, and inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.

Lunch will be provided before the event at 11:45 a.m. RSVP is required for in-person attendance. If you cannot attend in-person and still want to join, please use this Zoom link. Advance registration is not necessary for online attendance.  

Anyone with questions, concerns, or regarding any accommodation to participate fully, please contact Emmy Buonomo at ecbuono@IllinoisState.edu or call the Office of International Engagement. Kindly allow time for the accommodation. 

In partnership with ISU Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality and the Office of Sustainability, our goal is to make this a zero-waste series.