Committee connects UA with world

At different corners of the University are four retired professors. Though they each have resided in Alabama and have worked for the University for many years, their roots extend to places all over the world.

These four retired professors make up the Emeritus Committee on International Strategic Studies. Their goal is to raise campus awareness on international issues, whether by representing the University in another country or bringing the countries to the University.

The committee has designed and co-sponsored two symposiums and has held on-campus discussions of international issues.

Part of these advancements has meant traveling around the world.

"I've been to 65 countries," said John Bickley, retired insurance professor and emeritus chair of insurance. Bickley, 89, founded and directed the International Insurance Society, Inc. in 1959 and the Insurance Hall of Fame in 1987.

Eric Baklanoff, emeritus research professor of economics, said the committee functions as a catalyst, organizer or sponsor of symposiums, conferences and grant proposals, as well as small discussion sessions.

Baklanoff, 81, began teaching at the University in 1969 and began as the dean for International Programs. Since he has retired, Baklanoff said he enjoys doing more of what he loves at the Capstone.

"I still have my old office," Baklanoff said. "I only teach one course, and I'm only involved in one committee - but they're the ones I like."

Baklanoff will be teaching a few sessions of the course "Mexico: Cordial Partner or Alien Neighbor?" offered through the Latin American studies program in the spring.

One of the founding members of the Emeritus Committee, Edward Moseley, died in March 2005. Since then, Trevor Bain, emeritus economics professor, has taken his place.

Being a member of the committee has allowed Bain, 76, to continue doing something he loves, he said.

"It's a profession where you continue to do what you did before," Bain said. "Teach, research, write papers, you have a relationship with students. In most companies, you retire, you're gone, you're out. But the University is a community, and we can continue to do as much as we want in it."

Baklanoff said the University has shown support of the committee and its purpose on campus.

"[The University] is a community that affirms that retired professors can be a very important resource," he said.

Baklanoff said the first symposium planned by the committee was in 1998 and titled "Competing for Latin American Markets: A Business Perspective on the Spanish-American War Centennial." The symposium brought the Spanish Ambassador Antonio Oyarzábal. Baklanoff said bringing the ambassador here was one of the committee's greatest accomplishments.

Baklanoff and Enrique Ruiz-Fornells, also a member of the committee and emeritus research professor of Spanish, began the Alabama program in Spain, when it first took place at the University of Madrid. It has since then moved to University of Alcala. The committee's second symposium, titled "The Trilateral Relationship: Spain, Latin America and the United States," was held in Alcala.

Their next stop is in Chile. A symposium will be held in Santiago, Chile March 13 to 14. It is entitled, "Converging Development: Exploring Economic and Academic ties between Chile and the USA."

The symposium is sponsored by the Capstone, the Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana del Estado de Chile and the U.S. Embassy in Santiago.

The committee began in 1996, but existed before as a committee under J. Barry Mason, dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration.

Baklanoff said the committee now operates directly under UA President Robert Witt and Associate Provost Judy Bonner. Baklanoff said Witt and Bonner have offered the committee much support.

Bonner said the committee has been beneficial for students.

"The work of these retired faculty contributes greatly to the richness of the University community by emphasizing the importance of international issues to our campus, our state and our nation," Bonner said.

Bickley has resided at the Capstone Village for about a year. Now, he is $13,000 away from raising $2 million for the John and Mary Louise Loftis Bickley Endowed Teaching Chair in Insurance and Financial Services at the University.

Ruiz-Fornells, 81, is a member of the Culture Department of Spanish Government on campus, which has brought more than 100 writers to speak at the University - including Marina Mayoral, who spoke at the Capstone Nov. 12.

He is also an elected correspondent member for the U.S. of the Spanish Royal Academy, which he said is a great honor to him.