Leaders can learn from ancient Greece

Distinguished classicist W. Robert Connor will visit Grand Valley State University for a two-day event which will include a presentation, panel discussion and debate about lessons from ancient Greece and how they may relate to today’s global economy, policy and business.

With the global economic collapse and political change in the Middle East, Connor’s insights into ancient Greece can teach about modeling and managing risk and responding to unforeseen developments.

What Happened to the Future? Lessons from Ancient Athens about Leadership and Its Limits
March 22
7 p.m.
Eberhard Center, 301 W. Fulton
Free and open to public

Respondents Panel and Debate
March 23
1 p.m.
Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room
GVSU Allendale Campus
Free and open to public

Panelists include:
• Polly Diven, professor of political science, program coordinator for International Relations at Grand Valley
• Paul Isely, associate professor and chair of Economics Department at Grand Valley Seidman College of Business
• Jonathan White, professor of interdisciplinary studies, executive director of GVSU Homeland Defense Initiative

W. Robert Connor is an expert on Thucydides and the democratic politics of classical Athens and a leader in the field of academic assessment and accountability. He was an Andrew Fleming Wester Professor of Classics at Princeton University until 1989, when he became president and director of the National Humanities Center in North Carolina. From 2003 until his retirement in 2009, he was president of the New York-based Teagle Foundation, where he focused upon improving student learning in liberal arts and sciences. He holds honorary degrees from several colleges and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.

The event is sponsored by Grand Valley’s Provost Office, the Department of Classics and the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. For more information, contact the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at (616) 331-2770 or visit www.allpresidents.org.