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Center for the Study of Canada at SUNY Plattsburgh to Host International Conference March 31 - April 2


PLATTSBURGH, NY __ The Center for the Study of Canada at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh, in association with the Consulate General of Canada (Buffalo) and the Consulate General of the United States (Montreal), is hosting its annual Crossing Borders 2005 Conference Thursday, March 31 through Saturday, April 2.

"Crossing Borders 2005" is a multi-disciplinary student conference on the United States, Canada and border issues. Students from a variety of institutions in both the United States and Canada including McGill University, Universite Laval, Brock University, Glendon College, York University, Edinboro University, St. John Fisher College, State University of West Georgia, University of Maine, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Niagara University and SUNY Plattsburgh will gather for the three-day conference in Plattsburgh.

"This is the only conference in the world exclusively dedicated to undergraduate and graduate students, from across the United States and Canada, that focuses on the Canada-U.S. relationship," said Dr. Christopher Kirkey, director of the Center for the Study of Canada at SUNY Plattsburgh and the conference's organizer. "It provides a unique opportunity for students to present their research findings in a non-pressurized, supportive and intimate conference setting.  Students  -- as participants and audience members -- are exposed to contemporary scholarship on timely and significant issues that affect both countries."

The conference opens with an evening reception on Thursday, March 31 at the Center for the Study of Canada. The reception provides an opportunity for conference participants to informally meet each other.

On Friday, April 1, the conference goes into full swing with several panel discussions planned throughout the day in the Angell College Center on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus.

The day begins at 8 a.m. with welcoming remarks by Dr. Robert Golden, provost and vice president of academic affairs at SUNY Plattsburgh, and Dr. Prem Gandhi, academic coordinator of the Canadian Studies Program and SUNY distinguished professor emeritus.

The panel sessions scheduled throughout the morning and afternoon will include such topics as Canada-U.S. Relations; contemporary security considerations; public policy issues; Canadian monetary, economic and industrial policies; and Canadian popular culture and mass media.

A luncheon for conference participants and invited guests will be held in the Plattsburgh Room, Angell College Center. The keynote address will be given by the Honourable Roger Marsham, consul general of the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo, N.Y.

The conference on Friday will wrap up with concluding remarks by Kirkey at 5:45 p.m. in the Cardinal Room, Angell College Center. From there, conference participants will rendezvous at the center and depart for a reception in Montreal at the official residence of the U.S. Consul General. The group will stay overnight in Montreal and participate in a walking tour of Old Montreal, which will conclude the conference on Saturday, April 2.

"The Center for the Study of Canada, based on the outstanding success of the 2004 Crossing Borders conference that SUNY Plattsburgh hosted, was approached by the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo to once again host the event this year," said Kirkey. "The Center is dedicated to providing first-class national program initiatives on Canadian studies for all audiences - K-12, college and university, the business community, government officials and the general public. Crossing Borders 2005 emphasizes the ongoing commitment of the center and SUNY Plattsburgh to the enrichment of the academic, social and cultural life of Plattsburgh, the North Country and New York State."

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