The USF Globalization Research Center will present a Globalization and Security Symposium today from noon to 6 p.m. in the TECO Room in the College of Education.

Globalization is the worldwide increase of awareness how the flow of goods, services, ideas and information impacts the world.

Last year, Congress established the USF Globalization Research Center, which works in conjunction with George Washington University, the University of Hawaii and the University of California, Los Angeles.

The symposium will give the public an opportunity to discuss the events of Sept. 11 in a global context.

Topics such as the political roles of religion, the rise and fall of the Taliban, international environmental security, health and global security, biochemical-threat-detection systems and cyberattacks will be presented.

Darrell Fasching, professor of religious studies, will contrast Osama bin Laden and Gandhi and their political roles in religion in an emerging global civilization. Fasching said the world could learn some lessons from the past behavior of both men.

“While bin Laden is currently being identified as a key figure in terrorism, he was really seen a whole generation earlier as Gandhi who globalized religion and politics in a different way,” Fasching said. Both bin Laden and Gandhi brought together religions and cultures and used similar tactics in their plans, he said.

“We’re going to have to get used to the idea of the role that religion is playing in the public world and it’s here to stay,” Fasching said.

In addition to Fasching, speakers will include USF faculty members Renu Khator, Mohsen Milani, Mary Matthews, Andrew Price-Smith, Donald Berndt, Alan Hevner, James Studnicki and Stephanie Bryant.

Michael Amen, director for USF’s Center for Globalization, organized the event. Speakers for the symposium were chosen based on their background on the topic.

“I was looking for faculty’s research that is representative of the diversity of that issue,” Amen said.

He said he wanted to present speakers with a wide range of aspects so people could come to a better understanding of global security.

Amen has positive expectation for the symposium.

“I hope that people in the community will have an increased appreciation for research faculty,” Amen said. “I hope they gain a great appreciation of how complex the issues of security are today.”

For those unable to attend the symposium, it will be broadcast on the Internet at and placed in the USF web site archives for future reference. For more information, call the USF Globalization Research Center at (813) 974-4411.