Tourism and Sustainable Energy

Today’s session of the Gabfest Club (Window on America center Dnipropetrovsk) started with a surprise visit of our Peace Corp friend Patrick. He greeted all the new comers and told them about his projects in Ukraine.

The official topic of the session was World Tourism Day. World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 is being held under the theme Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development. Official celebrations took place in Maspalomas, Spain on September 27.

This year’s theme aims to highlight tourism’s role in a brighter energy future; a future in which the world’s entire population has access to modern, efficient and affordable energy services.

Tourism today is at the forefront of some of the world’s most ambitious and innovative clean energy solutions:

the aviation industry is implementing cutting-edge technologies to make aircraft lighter than ever before;

commercial flights are beginning to use bio fuels in their fuel mix;

 key card systems and energy saving light bulbs are increasingly being implemented in hotel rooms worldwide;

 tour operators are asking for energy efficiency throughout their supply chains.

We have watched and discussed several videos about hotels using green technologies. The most impressive was a row of videos about the USA hotel chain MARRIOTT and its efforts to run sustainable hotels. The details of eco technologies in all the hotel departments revealed new amazing facts to the club members who do not travel much.

During the second part of the session the club members combined their introductions with the brief stories about their summer travels. The most surprising fact was that the new club member Eugene during his Work & Travel trip to the USA was employed at a Marriott hotel as a pool lifeguard. He shared some of his impressions with the club.

Once again the session attracted so many people that the room could hardly accommodate the audience.

Number of participants – 35 persons.
Have a look at more pictures, please 

Avatar

“Wednesday Movie Club” at Window on America center Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.

The film  Avatar (2009) 162 min. was presented to all who wish to improve their language skills.

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Plot: A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Director: James Cameron

Writer: James Cameron

Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver

Healthy lifestyle – walking

Today’s session of the “GABFEST” was remarkable for the amount of newcomers who arrived to join the club.

The introduction ritual revealed the fact that the majority of the newcomers deal with economics – students or professionals.

The topic for the discussion was: “Healthy lifestyle – walking”. We discussed many aspects of this fitness activity. Several quotes about walking were translated and discussed.

The guest lecturer Igor presented a variety of walking called “Nordic Pole Walking”. We watched a video about the development of this sport in the USA. The lecturer told us important facts about the positive effect of Nordic Pole Walking on the body and its systems, especially cardio-vascular one.

The Ukrainian school of Nordic walking that is based in Dnipropetrovsk. The success stories of the ladies who practice Nordic Walking impressed the audience.

After the lecture a master-class was offered for those who were interested in trying the new equipment. It was very educational and a lot of fun. Both younger and older generations   of the club members tried it and will consider practicing Nordic Pole Walking as part of their healthy lifestyles.

Number of participants –  39 persons.

 Have a look at more pictures, please

Stagecoach

“Wednesday Movie Club” at Window on America center Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.

The film "Stagecoach" (1939) was presented to all who wish to improve their language skills.


«Danger holds the reins as the devil cracks the whip ! Desperate men ! Frontier women ! Rising above their pasts in a West corrupted by violence and gun-fire !»
 
Plot: A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.

Director: John Ford
Writers: Ernest Haycox (original story), Dudley Nichols (screen play)
Stars: John Wayne, Claire Trevor and Andy Devine

Urban Design

Today’s session of the English Speaking Club at Window on America center Dnipropetrovsk was dedicated to the topic URBAN DESIGN.
The WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL title was introduced to the audience. An article about the Worlds Design Capital 2012 – Helsinki (Finland) – was read and translated to understand the concept of the Finnish Urban design.
CNN video about Helsinki’s reconstruction project was demonstrated. The topic was supported by more videos about the events in Helsinki as the World Design capital.
The discussion about the urban design continued on the Ukrainian grounds. We talked about the city Dnipropetrovsk.  Its famous architect Oleksandr Dolnik and his contemporary projects, local design festival and monuments that illustrate Ukrainian urban design.
Prior to the official topic we had in introduction ritual for the newcomers.
Besides, we have summed up the results of the contest for the Best Club’s name and logo. The unanimous voting decided to give the Club the name.
Suggested by our native speaking American friends – Mr. Joseph and Master Jacob – “Gabfest”.  According to thesaurus “gabfest” is a prolonged conversation; talking in a relaxed way about unimportant things.
The session was very educational and all the newcomers enjoyed the atmosphere of the club.
The number of participants – 26.
Have a look at more pictures, please 

 

Some Like It Hot

 “Wednesday Movie Club”

At the Window on America center in Dnipropetrovsk the film Some Like It Hot (1959) was presented to all who wish to improve their language skills.

Kennan Institute Grant Opportunities and Internships, 2012-2013

The Kennan Institute will conduct the following grant competitions for the upcoming program year.

For information on how to apply for a Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowship, please see here.

Kennan Institute Title VIII-Supported Research Scholarships

Kennan Institute Title VIII Research Scholarships lasting three to nine months are available to academic participants in the early stages of their career (before tenure) or scholars whose careers have been interrupted or delayed. Application deadline: December 1, 2012.

Kennan Institute Title VIII-Supported Short-Term Grant

Grants do not exceed one month's duration and are available to scholars whose research in the social sciences or humanities focuses on the former Soviet Union (excluding the Baltic States). Only U.S. citizens are eligible for this quarterly grant competition. Application deadlines are September 1, December 1, March 1, and June 1. Note: Short-Term grants for Russians, Ukrainians and other non-US citizens have been suspended until further notice.

Kennan Institute Summer Research Scholarships

These grants last for two months and are available to U.S. citizens with a M.A. degree or higher, and whose research in the social sciences or humanities focuses on the former Soviet Union (excluding the Baltic States). Application deadline: December 1, 2012.

Fulbright- Kennan Institute Research Scholarships

Fulbright-Kennan Institute Research Scholarships are available to scholars from Russia and Ukraine to conduct research for six months in the fields of the humanities and social sciences. Preference is given to applicants whose research informs discussion of key public policy issues, enhances development of scholarship in the former Soviet Union, and fosters communication between the world of scholarship and the world of public affairs. Deadline for Ukrainian applicants: October 15, 2012.

Galina Starovoitova Fellowship on Human Rights and Conflict Resolution

The Fellowship is a three-month or six-month research grant available to prominent scholars and policy makers from the Russian Federation who have successfully bridged the worlds of ideas and public affairs to advance human rights, the rule of law, conflict resolution, the free press, and civil society. Application deadline: TBA.

Internships with the Kennan Institute

The Kennan Institute offers paid research internships for undergraduate, graduate, and prospective graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Each intern works with a scholar in residence at the Institute over a period of three to nine months. Applicants should have a good command of the Russian language and ability to conduct independent research. This internship offers a flexible schedule of 15 hours per week and a metro subsidy for conducting off-site research.

For more information, application guidelines, and deadlines, please see the Kennan Institute website.