Contact: Sammy McDavid
An Atlanta-based British diplomat makes a two-day visit to Mississippi next week as the special guest of the Janos Radvanyi Chair in International Security at Mississippi State.
Michael C. Bates, consul general of Great Britain to the Georgia city, will speak at 2 p.m. Wednesday [Feb. 25] in the university's Simrall Hall auditorium on Hardy Road. "The U.K. and the U.S.: Strategic Partners" will be his topic for combined classes in political science, history, international business, and Army and Air Force ROTC. The dean's offices in the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Business and Industry are co-sponsors.
While on the Starkville campus, Bates and his wife Janice also will visit with President Charles Lee and Jack White, director of the University Honors Program.
On Thursday [the 26th], the Bateses travel to Jackson, where the ambassador will deliver the same address during lunch with the Executive Lecture Forum. The ELF program begins at 11:45 a.m. at the University Club, 210 East Capitol St.
During his stay in the state capital, Bates also will be featured in a live interview beginning at 7:36 a.m. on the Mississippi SuperTalk radio program. Additionally, he is scheduled to conduct an interview later that day with Mississippi Public Broadcasting Television. (Schedules permitting, he also may meet during the day with some state officials.)
Since joining the British diplomatic corps in 1966, Bates has served in India, the former Soviet Union, Singapore, and Belgium, among other locations. In 1994, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for outstanding contributions to his nation's diplomatic efforts.
While the ambassador's presentations to the MSU class and Jackson forum are not open to the general public, interested members of the media are invited to attend either or both. [To assure adequate seating, confirmation of media attendance at the programs will be greatly appreciated; the telephone number is (662) 325-8406.]