Beginning in 2016, Michigan State University inaugurated a guest lecture series to bring distinguished speakers from all over the world who have deep and profound experience in community-engaged scholarship and university outreach to campus to share their thoughts, research, and practice in global contexts.

A collaboration between the MSU Offices of University Outreach and Engagement and International Studies and Programs, the Global Engagement Speaker Series explores the twin foci of advancing fundamental human rights and meeting basic human needs. The series highlights the role of higher education as a collaborator – working with civil societies, governments, and industries – to anchor secular principles in democratic governance and due process, in order to guarantee human rights and advance societal well-being. Equal attention will be accorded to efforts to address basic human needs, such as reducing hunger and malnutrition, tackling endemic diseases, reducing adult illiteracy and youth unemployment, and ensuring healthy environments. Other intractable international problems that have caused human suffering, and which demand urgent attention will also be considered, including regional conflicts, gendered oppression and violence against women, religious tyrannies, terrorism, human trafficking, forced human displacement, and gross income inequalities. Speakers will reflect on their experiences and the role of universities in addressing pressing issues that people across the globe face in their daily lives.

The Global Engagement Speaker Series represents part of MSU’s effort to operationalize its World Grant ideal, building on its strong Land Grant tradition of advancing human well-being and development, and to address the Bolder by Design imperative to expand international reach. It is coordinated through MSU’s Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship.