Muhammad Yunus to Speak at NAFSA Conference in Los Angeles in May

WASHINGTON, January 21, 2009 - Grameen Bank founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus will be the opening plenary speaker at NAFSA's 61st Annual Conference and Expo, 'Fostering Global Engagement Through International Education,' taking place May 26 - 29 in Los Angeles. Each year NAFSA's conference is the premier international meeting place for international educators, drawing 8,000 participants from more than 100 countries. Professor Yunus will address the conference audience at 4:15 PM on Tuesday, May 26.

The NAFSA conference is anchored by daily plenary events, which will also include the following distinguished speakers: Ray Suarez of PBS's The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, who will lead a panel discussion on the topic 'Exploring Global Talent Flows;' Gillian Sorensen, senior adviser and national advocate for the United Nations Foundation, and previously U.N. assistant secretary-general for external relations under Kofi Annan; and Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and former Colombian ambassador to the United States. All events will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

With 55 pre-conference workshops and more than 200 sessions, the NAFSA conference offers a wide array of learning and networking opportunities for international educators, focusing on the most crucial topics in international education and exchange today, from study abroad and international student and scholar advising to global education trends and systems and international education policy. A major highlight of the conference is the International Education Expo Hall, which features exhibitors representing more than 450 organizations from around the world, including colleges and universities, study abroad and intensive-English programs, embassies and government agencies, and more.

New This Year

Complete information about the concurrent sessions to be offered at the conference, including session topic and presenters, will be available online later in the spring. Continue to monitor NAFSA's conference pages for news media

With this year's 'Green Initiatives,' NAFSA is committed to environmental awareness and aiding in the effort to decrease our impact on the environment. Find out some of the many ways we are going green.

Applying for a Press Pass

Members of the news media can apply for a complimentary press pass to attend the conference. The NAFSA Press Pass includes admission to the plenary speeches, the opening and closing celebrations, the International Education Expo, and the concurrent sessions. Conference workshops, private events, and meetings of NAFSA leadership and member groups are closed to the news media.

Inquire about a press pass