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Symposium looks at China's global place

| February 16, 2009 1:00 AM

The Daily Inter Lake

Flathead Valley Community College opens its 17th annual Honors Symposium Feb. 26 with lectures addressing the theme "China's Place in the World."

Free to the public, all lectures take place at 7 p.m. in the Arts and Technology Building's large community meeting room on the Kalispell campus.

Participants should arrive early to find a seat due to the popularity of previous symposiums.

Scott Wheeler, retired professor of European history and U.S. military history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, kicks off the series with "Historical Roots of Chinese Worldview" on Feb. 26.

Wheeler has published numerous articles and book chapters and recently completed his fourth book on military history. A former senior military analyst to the U.S. Army commanding general in Europe, Wheeler now serves as a battle-site analysis facilitator and historian.

Wheeler holds a bachelor's degree from The University of Montana, master's degrees from the College of Naval Warfare and University of California-Berkeley, and a doctorate from the University of California-Berkeley.

Steven Levine follows on March 5 with the lecture on "Chinese Foreign Policy - China Shakes the World."

The associate director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at The University of Montana, Levine writes on Chinese politics, international relations and strategic situation.

He earned his doctorate in Chinese politics from Harvard University and brings extensive experience living, working and traveling in China to his presentation.

The remaining lectures of the series include:

March 12 - "China's Strategic Relations - Short Arms/Slow Legs' presented by Brig. Gen. Russ Howard, retired, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, The University of Montana.

March 19 - "China's Economy - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" presented by Dr. Terry Weidner, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, The University of Montana.

March 26 - "Communist China - The Cultural Revolution" presented by Maj. Kwok Chiu, U.S. Military Academy.

April 2 - "China Today" presented by Eric Pei, Fulbright scholar-in-residence at Flathead Valley Community College and visiting professor from Liaoning University, Shenyang, China.

The American Association of University Women and the Theodore Chase Endowment Fund help the college support these lectures.

For more information, visit the Kalispell campus to pick up a brochure, call 406-756-3822 or visit www.fvcc.edu.