Concordia University, St. Paul Hosts Fourth International Hmong Conference March 30-31

ST. PAUL, MN (03/02/2012)(readMedia)-- Concordia University, St. Paul's Center for Hmong Studies will be hosting the Fourth Biennial International Conference on Hmong Studies, March 30-31, 2012. The conference will attract emerging and established scholars who will present their research on Hmong related topics in an effort to encourage students to engage in scholarly research. It will also offer the opportunity to share and receive recognition for their work in the field of Hmong studies.

Hmong scholars from China, Thailand, Canada and the United States will be presenting at the conference. The ideas and studies presented at the conference will explore current conditions and future challenges that Hmong people face. Presentation topics include Hmong culture, history, leadership, politics, business, language, religious beliefs and more.

A distinguished panel of individuals who played instrumental roles in resettling Hmong refugees during the late 1970's will reflect on their experiences at a banquet following the conference at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel.

Concordia hosted more than 500 attendees at the Third Biennial International Conference on Hmong Studies in 2010 and 30 scholarly papers were presented. This year 25 papers were accepted for presentation out of 60 submissions.

The Fourth International Conference is open to the public. Tickets for the conference and banquet can be purchased online at www.csp.edu/hmongcenter.

There are an estimated 10 million Hmong worldwide. Most of them reside in China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Burma with an estimated 350,000 in the United States. St. Paul, Minn. has the largest urbanized Hmong population in the United States.

Concordia is home to the Center for Hmong Studies, the Hmong Archives and the Hmong American Institute for Learning, which publishes the literary journal "Paj Ntaub Voice." There are more than 100,000 books, videos and artifacts relating to the Hmong people at the Center. The Center offers a Hmong Studies minor and frequently collaborates with scholars, universities, students and Hmong worldwide.

Concordia University, St. Paul is a comprehensive, private university operated under the auspices of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and one of 10 schools that comprise the Concordia University System. Established in 1893, Concordia offers more than 40 liberal arts majors, including business, education, science, fine arts and church professions. Concordia is a regional leader in adult education, offering more than 30 accelerated undergraduate and graduate programs in business, health sciences, education, criminal justice, communication and Christian outreach. Concordia is the only private university in Minnesota to offer NCAA Division II athletics for men and women. On the web: www.csp.edu.

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