Louisiana Tech will play host to multiple events for the Shaping the 21^st Century: Focus on the Middle East series during the first week of May. International Day, a musical performance, distinguished speaker and roundtable discussion are all slated to take place May 3-4. International Day, an opportunity for area residents to sample delicacies from as many as 35 different countries, will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 3 in the Student Center, Main Floor. This is an annual event, and more than 1,000 people usually attend the event to sample various worldwide cuisines. Organized by the International Student Association, the event itself is free, but tickets to buy various foods are 50 cents each. On Wednesday, May 4,  Dr. Juan R. Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History and director of South Asian Studies from the University of Michigan, will present “Democracy and Dictatorship in the Arab World,” at 10 a.m. in Howard Auditorium. Cole has sought to put the relationship of the West and the Muslim world in a historical context. He holds a social, historical and cultural expertise in the Modern Middle East and Muslim South Asia. He also is a regular guest on PBS’s “Lehrer News Hour,” and has also appeared on ABC’s “Nightly News,”” Nightline,” the “Today Show,” “Charlie Rose,” “Anderson Cooper 360” and many others. His blog “Informed Comment: Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion,” is widely followed by fellow scholars. A roundtable discussion on “Technological change and social unrest in the Middle East” will feature Cole, Dr. A. Nazir Atassi, an assistant professor of history; and Dr. Jeremy Mhire, an assistant professor of political science. The discussion, which will be moderated by Dr. Stephen Webre, history department head, will begin at 4 p.m. May 4 in Wyly Tower Auditorium. Also May 4 will be the Wine & Alchemy musical concert and dance show. Wine & Alchemy blends traditional and new world music together and includes Celtic, Renaissance, French, Greek,  Armenian, “Gypsy,” Flamenco, Sephardic and Middle Eastern influences. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Tolliver Hall. All events are free and open to the public.