Michigan State University and the state of Michigan could benefit from recent efforts between the United States and the United Nations to improve their relationship, according to a U.N. official who will visit campus to discuss the changing relationship.

William Davis, director of the U.N. Information Office in Washington, D.C., serves as the U.N. secretary generals Washington representative and liaison with the presidential administration and Congress.

He will join John Hudzik, vice president of global engagement for MSU, and local business owner Chris Holman for a three-part presentation at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Kellogg Conference Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Hudzik and Holman will focus on how MSU and the greater Lansing business community are preparing to take advantage of the U.S.-U.N. re-engagement.

Cosponsored by MSU and the United Nations AssociationUSA Greater Lansing Chapter, Davis visit will include meetings with community members and business owners, as well as MSU staff, faculty and students who are working to address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The eight goals were approved in 2000 as courses of action for improving quality of life around the world.

Key faculty, staff and students working toward the goals include:

Terrie Taylor, professor of internal medicine, has researched childhood cerebral malaria for years, contributing to the goal of combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Also working toward the health goal, Courtney Hurtt, a comparative cultures and politics junior, leads an MRULE student project supporting a community center in South Africa. Gretchen Sanford, assistant director of the Global Institute for Higher Education, has worked on the U.S.-funded effort to improve education in Pakistan, which works toward the goal of achieving universal primary education. David Skole, professor of forestry, has led efforts to develop techniques in measuring and managing carbon around the world, working toward the goal of ensuring environmental sustainability. This project gained recognition as part of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize-winning U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Also supporting environment goals, Jack Liu, University Distinguished Professor of fisheries and wildlife, has been conducting Giant Panda research in China, looking at how to preserve habitat.

As a land-grant university, Michigan State, has a long and distinguished history of involvement in international development, with thousand of faculty having participated in projects around the world," said Jeffrey Riedinger, dean of International Studies and Programs.

"At MSU we are determined to discover the best ideas and apply them to answer the world's most pressing problems, which is consistent with the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals. ( (/../news/))

For more information on how MSU is working toward the Millennium Development Goals, read the latest edition of MSU International ( ( (/../news/)))