Speaker: The Honorable David I. AdelmanAmbassador Adelman and his colleagues will be addressing the state of Michigan about the benefits of strengthening our economic relationship with southeast Asia and the National Export Initiative (NEI)The Global Business Club of Mid-Michigan focuses on global issues of interest to the mid-Michigan business community. The monthly GB Club luncheons provide outstanding speakers and relaxed networking opportunities. With extensive international experience, the speakers wrap personal insights around a practical and up-to-the-minute approach to conducting international trade.

Bjorn Stigson is President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. He serves on the boards of or on committees advising the Chinese government, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Clinton Global Initiative and the Global Reporting Initiative. He is a graduate of the Gothenburg School of Business Administration, the Swedish Management Institute and Harvard Business School.

At this 22nd annual festival, MSU international student organizations and area nationality groups will share their cultures with exhibits, performances of ethnic dances and music; fashion shows; and demonstrations of native games and crafts. The World Gift shop offers a variety of international art works, jewelry, glassware, clothing, stamps, and a multitude of gift items (proceeds support scholarship fund for spouses of international students to attend MSU classes). The Global Cafe serves ethnic cuisine.

This conference examines the poetry & philosophy of Rumi, the 13th-century Muslim poet, philosopher, & mystic, & its relevance to contemporary understandings of Islamic culture. It also deals with renewed interests in Rumi's writings in recent years throughout the Middle East, Europe, & the United States. The starting point of the conference is Rumi's well-known verse "come, come again, whoever you are, come!" Rumi's eloquent & humanistic poetry, written sometimes with a sense of humor, creates a window on Islamic beliefs, values, & wisdom that is far removed from images of violence & terrorism. Bringing well-known scholars of Islamic mysticism, Rumi, & the Middle East together, we explore Rumi's writings, their place in Islamic literature & society, & their resurgence as bestsellers in the West. The universality of Rumi's poetry fosters an understanding of the human experience that transcends the boundaries of nations, religions, & languages.

The role of economic and political institutions in economic development is a subject of great interest today, as many countries struggle with the transition from socialism to capitalism, and developing countries in Asia and elsewhere have experienced financial crises.