Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid is the invited speaker at the XI Annual Convention of the Chambers of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of the State of Parana (FACIAP), Brazil. The convention is being held in the city of Foz do Iguacu on August 17-18, 2001.

The invitation to address the convention was extended to President Reid by Ardisson Akel, President of FACIAP. Nearly 800 business leaders and opinion makers are attending this annual convention. The President's address will focus on how universities can assist small businesses that wish to expand their global marketing vision, particularly those interested in exporting goods to the United States.

President Reid is a strong advocate of a role for higher education in regional economic development. Under his leadership, Wayne State University has been designated as one of 11 SmartZones by Michigan, and planners are in the process of designing an urban research and technology village consisting of collaboration centers, incubators, anchor tenets of high tech companies, a science/technology theme school and residential facilities.

President Reid serves on boards of many international and national businesses including the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor; Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Detroit Economic Growth Corporation; Greater Downtown Partnership; Detroit Medical Center;

Karmanos Cancer Institute; Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce; Detroit Urban League; Detroit 300 Committee and Economic Club of Detroit. He is also chair of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan comprised of the 15 public universities in Michigan.

He has been a frequent participant in national and international meetings on global education and has been a guest on radio and television programs focusing on higher education and the economy. Dr. Reid currently serves as a member of the boards of Mack-Cali Real Estate Investment Trust, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He is also on a 12-member steering committee created by DaimlerChrysler to plan a triennial meeting of global business leaders known as the Berlin Seminar.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 14 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.

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