Southwestern president to discuss trip to Asia

Southwestern Oregon Community College President Dr. Judith Hansen will be speaking on globalization in the 21st Century in a public program scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Myrtlewood Room of the Coos Bay Public Library.

Hansen will present highlights of her trip to Southwestern’s sister colleges in Asia in November, placing them in the context of the recent bestseller, The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman. The talk will include pictures from her trip, which included stops at Hyejeon College, Hongseong and Seoul in South Korea, as well as Changzhou Institute of Technology and Shanghai in China. Hansen will provide personal insights and stories about her trip, which was set up as an opportunity to build and evaluate relationships with Southwestern’s sister colleges – Hyejeon College and Changzhou Institute of Technology – in Asia.

Hansen has served as Southwestern president since July 1, 2005, following eight years as president of Independence Community College in Kansas. She currently serves as vice president for the National Campus Compact for Service Learning and National Community College Student Advisory Council, Oregon Campus Compact. She also serves on the South Coast Economic Development Council and the Oregon Regional Economic Development Board. Hansen earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Iowa State University.

The free public presentation is sponsored by the Coos Bay Public Library Foundation. For more information, those interested can call the library at 269-1101.

Press Release Date: January 8, 2007