FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2003

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE PANEL TO DISCUSS 'DOING BUSINESS ACROSS CULTURES'

A group of business, community and academic leaders will participate in a panel discussion on "Doing Business Across Cultures" at Drake University on Wednesday, April 9. The panel discussion, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Parents Hall South in Olmsted Center, 29th Street and University Avenue.

Panelists will explore the challenges that face business firms as they deal with cultural differences when trading and investing abroad. The discussion also will examine the impact that American firms have on other cultures when they do business internationally. "The panelists bring a wealth of experience in international business and intercultural relations to these questions," said David Skidmore, director of Drake's Center for Global Citizenship, which is sponsoring the event.

The panelists will be Chris Nelson, president, Kemin Industries; Rich Cusac, chairman and CEO, Impact Investors Inc.; William Niebur, vice president for product development, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc.; Michelle Soria, president, Iowa Council for International Understanding; Eric Shimp, director, International Strategic Business Practice, Hunton and Williams; Birgit Wassmuth, professor of journalism at Drake; and Rex Welling, visiting assistant professor of management at Drake.

The panel discussion will follow a Dedication Dinner to celebrate the establishment of Drake's new Center for Global Citizenship. During the dinner, Drake President David Maxwell will present a Global Citizenship Award to Rolland W. Nelson, founder and chairman of Kemin Industries, and his wife, Mary, Kemin's worldwide vice president of administration. The Nelsons played a key role in the establishment of the Center for Global Citizenship through their gift of $225,000 in support of the center's operations.

The Center for Global Citizenship began operations last fall with a mission to educate students to function effectively in different cultural contexts. The center also works to ensure that global perspectives and issues are an integral part of the intellectual and cultural experience of all members of the Drake community. Recent events sponsored by the center include a speech by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug and the visit of six Tibetan Buddhist monks. The center also played host to the 2003 Iowa finals of the National Geographic Bee.

For more information about the panel discussion, call (515) 271-3843.