Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
Issue link: http://dysoncollege.uberflip.com/i/242044
SEEING THE WORLD: STUDENTS AND FACULTY SET OUT TO LEARN ABOUT CHINA'S ECONOMY AND CULTURE Imagine the impact of hearing first-hand, the story of a man who survived the Cultural Revolution as you share dumplings with him in his Shanghai apartment. "This is a really great example of how travel makes the difference in learning," says Dyson Professor of Economics Joseph Morreale. He, department Chair Anne Bynoe, and Assistant Professor Anna Shostya shared that experience with 19 Pace students on an economics travel course to the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST). The travel course is part of a new China track for economics majors. The group spent the first half of their trip visiting Shanghai, Beijing, and Suzhou and immersing themselves in China's 5,000 year history, including walking the Great Wall. The second half of their trip entailed Chinese language and culture classes at USST. "The travel course and the China track are certainly topics that I bring up during interviews for internships because they demonstrate my understanding of international events," says Business Economics major Gerta Gjonaj '14. THE POLITICS OF KILLER ROBOTS Today, there is vigorous debate among scholars, activists, soldiers, and journalists about how to govern the use of robotic weapons systems like aerial drones, in order to limit civilian casualties and avoid undermining global regulations on the use of violence. On June 5, scholars from Pace University and beyond joined this debate with a Robotic Weapons Control Symposium at Pace's New York City Campus, organized by Dyson's Political Science Department and funded by a $7,500 Thinkfinity Grant from Verizon Foundation, in partnership with Pace University's Center for Teaching Learning and Technology. The conference brought together nearly 20 thinkers from a variety of disciplines, including robotics, computer science, political science, philosophy, physics, and the law. Presenters included a mix of Pace University professors and students from various schools and departments, as well as participants from The New School, NYU, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, University of Denver, Sheffield University in the UK, and Humboldt University in Germany. • 9 • Year in Review 2012–2013