Logevall

How and why did the United States embroil itself in a long, bloody and arguably fruitless war in Southeast Asia after France’s defeat in the first Indochina War? Fredrik Logevall, Cornell’s vice provost for international relations, will analyze the choices that led to this era-defining struggle in a weeklong summer seminar, “America’s Vietnam: How Did it Happen?” The program will be offered by Cornell’s Adult University (CAU) July 6 to 12, on campus.

Logevall is the John S. Knight Professor of International Studies and the director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies at Cornell. His book, “Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam,” won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in history and was hailed by critics as “superb,” “penetrating” and “monumental.”

Logevall’s program is one of more than 30 CAU seminars that will be presented at Cornell this summer. CAU also offers summer programs for youths age 3 to 16 and, during the rest of the year, presents educational vacations designed and led by Cornell faculty to destinations around the world.

Former CAU participant and travel expert Arthur Frommer called the programs “exhilarating.” “I’ve been invited to stretch my mind in courses where the level of discourse is infinitely higher than most of us experience in our normal lives,” he said.

To register for Logevall’s seminar on Vietnam or for more information about CAU, visit www.cau.cornell.edu, email cauinfo@cornell.edu, or call 607-255-6260. Registrations will remain open until programs fill.

Katy Heine is a communications and events specialist for the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions.