FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2002

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE PROFESSOR TO DISCUSS FUTURE OF OUR WORLD

David Skidmore, professor of politics and international relations at Drake University, will give a lecture on how grassroots globalism, a new force in world politics, and the growth of transnational networks in civil society promise hope for our world's future. The event will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main, 25th Street and University Avenue.

The Stalnaker Lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled "Global Visions: Fukuyama's Dream, Huntington's Nightmare and a Grassroots Reverie."

Skidmore will address Francis Fukuyama's argument – that the end of the Cold War has ushered a golden age of international peace and prosperity built upon economic globalization, liberal democracy and multilateral diplomacy – and Samuel Huntington's prediction – that the coming decades will be characterized by a clash of civilizations over fundamental cultural differences.

Skidmore, who earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University, has authored, co-authored, edited or co-edited four books on international politics and has published numerous journal articles and book chapters. His research and teaching interests include American foreign policy, international political economy, international relations theory and Latin American politics. He serves as director of the Drake Curriculum, coordinator of the First-Year Seminar Program and director of the Drake International Relations Program and Elsworth Woods Fund.

The lecture will be the 17th of the series at Drake honoring the memory of Luther W. Stalnaker, dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1940 to 1954. This series is a joint undertaking of the College of Arts and Sciences and its emeriti faculty. For more information, call 271-3843.