Mississippi State University will host Croatia’s ambassador to the United States Wednesday as part of its Executive Lecture Forum.
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic will be visiting as a guest of MSU’s Center for International Security and Strategic Studies. She will also be visiting Jackson on Thursday.
According to its Web site, CISS devotes attention to international problems with emphasis on the post-communist era’s complex security problems.
Janos Radvanyi said the purpose was to start something new on campus.
“When we started the chair [of CISS], MSU had no international program, so we wanted to get one started,” Radvanyi said.
Tan Tsai Chapman, CISS research associate, said one of the Radvanyi Chair’s functions is to host an Executive Lecture Forum.
Radvanyi said CISS has been hosting the ELF since 1983.
“We invite international officials to come to Jackson, Miss. to speak at the ELF,” Chapman said. “We use the opportunity to bring the speakers to Mississippi State to promote MSU and so people can see what we have to offer.”
CISS reports directly to MSU vice president for research and economic development Kirk Schulz.
Schulz said the university brings speakers annually.
“Each year, we have five to six internationally prominent speakers come to MSU to … [address] topics of interest focused on diplomacy and international relations,” Schulz said.
He said MSU is working to build a larger international focus across campus.
“Having professional diplomats come and visit … will help to bring greater international reputation to MSU,” Schulz said.
According to the CISS Web site, before becoming Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the U.S. in March 2008, Grabar-Kitarovic was Croation Head of Delegation for negotiations with the European Union.
“The social science research center at MSU is working to develop a partnership with the University of Zagreb in Croatia and the visit by Ambassador Grabar-Kitarovia will help us move this initiative forward,” Schulz said.
Art Cosby, director of social science research, said MSU’s contact with Croatia comes at a politically remarkable time.
“Croatia is interesting to study because they are in the process of transitioning from communism,” Cosby said.
Radvanyi said he thinks MSU will benefit from Grabar-Kitarovic coming to visit.
“I think this visit will be useful because the ambassador will report back that MSU has a lot of potential,” Radvanyi said.