DePaul University’s School of Public Service (SPS) and Heartland International will launch a monthly foreign affairs lecture series on Nov. 1 with Khalil Marrar, assistant professor of political science at DePaul, who will reflect on changes in the Islamic world in the 10 years since the United States invaded Afghanistan.

 The lecture will kick off the “First Tuesday” series of talks focusing on a wide range of international issues and featuring authors, scholars, diplomats and others involved in global affairs.  Each hour-long program will begin at noon on the First Tuesday of each month at DePaul’s School of Public Service, 14 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1600, Chicago.  All programs are free and open to the public and participants are welcomed to bring lunches.

Marrar researches and teaches political science, history, international studies and religion. Specializing in Muslim expatriates migrating to and residing in the United States and the European Union, he is an expert on Central and South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Marrar has served in editorial positions at Arab Studies Quarterly and the Association of Arab-American University Graduates.  He is a member of the Round Table Group and the board of the Journal of Islamic Law and Culture. Born in Kuwait, Marrar has authored numerous scholarly works, including the book “The Arab Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy: The Two-State Solution” (New York and London: Routledge, 2010).

The speaker for the Dec. 6 program will be Eduardo Arnal, consul general for Mexico in Chicago. Arnal has previously served in a number of governmental positions including consul general of Mexico in Denver, city manager of the city of Atizapán de Zaragoza, in Mexico and as a federal congressman in the Chamber of Deputies, Mexico’s House of Representatives.  He holds a degree in law from the Universidad del Pedregal in Mexico City.

“The School of Public Service is delighted to be co-sponsoring this series of monthly lectures with Heartland International,” said the Rev. J. Patrick Murphy, C.M., director of SPS. “Helping to better understand the needs of nations around the world is core to our mission.”

Said Julie Stagliano, president of Heartland International, “We hope to draw audiences from both the academic community and the general public for a wide array of topics on the rapidly evolving world in which we live.”

About DePaul

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, non-profit university in the Midwest. The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on three Chicago and three suburban campuses. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds. For further information about DePaul and its programs, visit www.depaul.edu.

About DePaul’s School of Public Service

DePaul’s School of Public Service educates men and women to be effective public service leaders in the global community guided by the values of St. Vincent de Paul. Serving professionals in service to nonprofits and government agencies since 1970, SPS now encompasses 14 full-time and 25 part-time faculty with more than 700 students from around the U.S. and a dozen other countries.

About Heartland International

Heartland International is a Chicago-based, non-profit organization established in 1989 to design and implement educational programs for international professionals that promote the development of civil society around the world.  More information can be found at www.heartlandinternational.org.