IMPORTANT PRESS RELEASE

Here's a quick press release I through together for an WTO expert giving a presentation tomorrow at 4 PM:


World Trade Expert to Speak at Benedictine College (Wednesday, March 25, 2009)

Benedictine College’s Thomas M. Hoenig Student International Business Council (SIBC) will host Irina Nicolaevna Kireeva-Dudley, an international lawyer with expertise in the World Trade Organization, on Thursday, March 26. Her presentation, titled “The Functions and Purpose of the World Trade Organization,” is set for 4 p.m. in Westerman Auditorium that afternoon. The event is free and open to the public.

Kireeva-Dudley has been an associate lawyer at O’Connor & Company in Belgium since 2002. She has provided legal advice and expertise as well as technical assistance on World Trade Organization (WTO) law in the areas of agriculture, sanitary measures, technical barriers, intellectual property and European Community general food law. She is well versed in the current round of negotiations in the WTO, known as the Doha Round. She also has had experience in Thailand, Kenya, China, Rwanda, Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Swaziland, and Russia.
The WTO is the only global organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At the core of the WTO are agreements that are negotiated and signed by a majority of the world’s trading nations. The WTO aims to help producers of goods and services as well as assist exporters and importers conduct their business.

Dr. Michael King, Chair of the School of Business at Benedictine College, shared his outlook for this Thursday’s presentation.

“First of all she brings an expertise in two areas, one is the WTO and the other is agricultural issues from trade to national security on agriculture,” he said. “She also has practical legal expertise and extensive publishing accomplishments. We are pleased to have her on our campus and encourage everyone to come.”

Anthony Martinez, chairman of the SIBC, also expressed his anticipation for the presentation.

“Having an awareness of the WTO and the factors surrounding it are vital in our increasingly globalized world,” he said. “This presents an amazing opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom experience and hear from someone who deals with the WTO and international law directly.”

The Thomas M. Hoenig Student International Business Council is known for its international business consulting projects and internships. It is united with Benedictine College in enhancing the education of individuals through faith and scholarship. The council develops the human person in all dynamics through discovery experiences and servant leadership. The SIBC models business excellence on all levels of commerce.

The Arts

The Arts have been a great part of my life. I can remember the first CD I ever really bought, embarrassingly enough it was Hanson's "Middle of Nowhere," but looking back on feeling the passion of the music, it really struck me and I believe carried on to what I am today. I've been playing the guitar for several years now and am currently both teaching guitar lessons and running my own recording studio. I was in a band named "Glory Blue" where we recorded two albums and toured and played lots of shows (www.myspace.com/glorybluemusic). From my studies in the music program and involvement in choir at Benedictine College, and through my experience with music, I find great joy in all different kinds of music and find that I can appreciate every kind of music from country to rock to rap. Having this appreciation for music, I can look at other arts and see the passion people put into them. While I may not have a great knowledge about different styles of painting or different ways of acting, I can see that there is great beauty in that passion and fulfillment from the arts. This also has given me a better outlook on life in general by being able to look at people and appreciate their differences in opinions and culture. So ya, that's the arts for me. Cheers!