British ambassador kicks off lecture series

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal">Sir Nigel Sheinwald, British ambassador to the United States, kicked off the ASU Global Distinguished International Lecture Series Sept. 29 in front of a packed auditorium at the Biodesign Institute on the Tempe campus.</p><separator></separator><p>Sheinwald, who joined the diplomatic service in 1976 and has served in Brussels, Washington and Moscow, talked about the special relationship between the United States and United Kingdom, current events including the ongoing global financial crisis, then took questions from the audience.</p><separator></separator><p>&quot;We were pleased to have a full house for the first of our 2008-09 lectures,&quot; says Dawn Kallestad, director of the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement, which sponsors the series. &quot;Sir Nigel's talk and interaction with the audience underscore the interest in global engagement at ASU, as well as the growing importance of ASU as a venue for international perspectives.&quot;The lecture series, in its second year, is organized by Kallestad and designed to promote global awareness and offer local opportunities for students and other members of the greater ASU community to engage with internationally known speakers on world issues.</p><separator></separator><p>&quot;This is an excellent series,&quot; says Anthony &quot;Bud&quot; Rock, ASU vice president for global engagement. Recalling a talk during last year’s series by Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky that focused on the environment and human trafficking and Sir Nigel's timely presentation, Rock says, &quot;This series both brings the world to ASU and focuses on some of the most pressing global challenges, giving our community access to the people who are out there actively addressing those challenges. In a very real way, these are the individuals who are helping shape our collective future and the world in which all of us will live.&quot;</p><separator></separator><p>Planning for future events is underway. The lectures are open to the public and receive additional support from the Honors College.</p><separator></separator><p>To view a video of Sir Nigel Sheinwald's presentation, go to: <a href="/sheinwald" target="_blank">http://asunews.asu.edu/sheinwald</a></p&gt;