Next fall, the University of Kentucky is set to become one of the select few programs in the world approved by China's Ministry of Education to host a Confucius Institute   Fewer than 300 institutions worldwide have been approved to host the Chinese government program. There are only 50 universities in the US that have established the partnership and UK will be the first in the southeast. The objective of the partnership is to increase visibility of Chinese culture and resources for Chinese language-learning in the community. Lexington will benefit greatly from the Confucius Institute and I look forward to whatever role I can play in this partnership to share Chinese culture with all of our community!

On another celebratory note, today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day! This year's theme is "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All." Commemorated by the United Nations, this day is designated as a national holiday in many countries around the world, including China, Russia, and Vietnam.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:8marta.jpg

The 1932 Soviet poster dedicated to the 8th of March holiday. The red text reads: 8th of March is the day of the rebellion of the working women against the kitchen slavery". The grey text in lower right reads: Say NO to the oppression and Babbittry of the household work!"

 Check out a few more recommendations below:

  A CD of songs from female artists all over Africa.

The Road to Equality: American Women Since 1962 (The Young Oxford History of Women in the United States Series, Vol 10)

Author: William H. Chafe

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (1994)

Binding: Paperback, 144 pages