Feb 23 2009
"Asia and the Environment," a two-day interdisciplinary conference will bring experts in the environmental challenges facing Asia's rising powers – India and China – to Philadelphia, March 20-21, 2009.
Sponsored by Saint Joseph’s University’s Bernadette B. and James J. Nealis III ’69 Program in Asian Studies, the conference is free and open to the public.
The Honorable Kathleen A. McGinty ’85, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and current Secretary of SJU’s Board of Trustees will deliver the keynote address on Friday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. McGinty’s address, “Asia, the Environment and Us,” will outline why the West has a vital stake in the success of India and China’s environments – and their economies.
“Kathleen McGinty is uniquely qualified to speak on this topic,” says James J. Nealis ’69, a retired executive with extensive business experience in Asia, who is also the benefactor of the Asian studies program at Saint Joseph’s. “Her leadership roles at the Pennsylvania DEP, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and in Washington, D.C., established her as a strong advocate for the environment with a keen understanding of the need – and market potential – for renewable energy development.”
Conference organizer David Carpenter, Ph.D., director of the Asian studies program and associate professor of the history of religions at Saint Joseph’s, says that the success or failure of attempts to deal with global environmental problems may well be decided in Asia, where unprecedented economic growth has in turn been matched by unprecedented environmental devastation. “This conference brings together experts on India and China to discuss some of the most pressing environmental issues, with a particular focus on water, that impact the future of Asia and the world,” adds Carpenter.
All conference activities will be held at the University’s Haub Executive Center, 5th floor McShain Hall. For more information, access www.sju.edu/academics/cas/asianstudies/