News from Gustavus Adolphus College

Gustavus Adolphus College Nobel Conference:
Globalization 2000; Public Invited

ST. PETER, Minn. (Aug. 15, 2000) – The momentous changes in world economic order that have occurred or are in the process of occurring will be the focus of the 36th annual Nobel Conference® Oct. 3-4, 2000 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn.

The two-day conference, which is open to the public, will bring 7 leading world economists together to discuss “Globalization 2000: Economic Prospects & Challenges.”  The speakers are:

• Jagdish Bhagwati, professor of economics and professor of political science at Columbia University. He will discuss “Globalization and Appropriate Governance.”
• John Cobb, professor emeritus of theology at Claremont School of Theology, professor emeritus of religion at Claremont Graduate University, and co-director of the Center for Process Studies. He will discuss “The Stake of Christian Theology in Economic Globalization.”
• Amitai Etzioni, professor at George Washington University and a former senior adviser to the White House. He will discuss “The Future of the Global Community.”
• Robert Mundell, 1999 Nobel laureate in economic sciences and professor of economics at Columbia University. He will discuss “Does a Global Economy Need a Global Currency?”
• Jeffrey Sachs, professor of international trade at Harvard University and director of the Harvard Center for International Development. He will discuss “New Approaches to Helping the Poorest of the Poor in the Global Economy.”
• Michael Sohlman, executive director of The Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden, former Swedish government official, and member of the worldwide International Crisis Group. He will discuss “Globalization – Some Reflections of a Practitioner.”
• Joseph Stiglitz, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former chief economist at the World Bank.

 

Each speaker will present a one-hour address, followed by a brief question-and-answer panel session. The conference will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday with lectures also that day at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.  Wednesday’s lectures will be at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 8 p.m.  Lecture tickets, which are good for all 7 lectures, are $25 per person or $75 per high school or college delegation. In addition to the lectures, conference events include an instrumental concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Christ Chapel, two simultaneous panel discussions featuring the conference speakers, called “Firing Lines,” at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday (in locations to be announced), and the Nobel Conference Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Evelyn Young Dining Room.  The concert and firing lines are free, while tickets for the dinner are $20 per person and advance registration is required, as seating is limited.

Every year the conference attracts about 6,000 people to the campus. Individuals who are unable to attend the conference may be able to access it via the Internet. Gustavus plans to again (for the second year) Webcast the conference in cooperation with Apple.

To register or for more information about the Nobel Conference, call the Gustavus Office of Public Affairs at (507) 933-7520 or visit the online site.

“Gustavus Adolphus College has been privileged to host the annual Nobel Conferences," said Gustavus President Axel Steuer.  "These educational conferences, established as a living memorial to Alfred Nobel, have brought to the college scores of Nobel laureates, hundreds of other prominent scholars, and thousands of lay participants from around the world to explore the leading scientific and philosophical issues of our age.”

The Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College is the first formal lecture program in the world (outside of Sweden and Norway, where Nobel prizes are awarded) to have the official authorization of The Nobel Foundation. Founded by Swedish immigrants in 1862 and named for Swedish King Gustav II Adolf, the college has celebrated its cultural heritage throughout its history.

Gustavus Adolphus College is a residential, liberal arts college that grants undergraduate (bachelor of arts) degrees in 65 majors. The college, overlooking St. Peter and the Minnesota River Valley, is the oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota. Fully accredited and well known for its strong writing, science, music, athletic, and service-learning programs, Gustavus hosts a local chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and is internationally recognized for its annual Nobel Conference.

Note to Editors: For more information or to register to attend as a member of the press, please contact Gustavus Adolphus College News Director Stacia Senne at (507) 933-7510 or via e-mail at ssenne@gustavus.edu. Complimentary lecture tickets, along with informational packets, will be available to preregistered media representatives at the conference registration table.