Wes Watkins Distinguished Lectureship to feature former prime minister of Korea

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

The OSU School of International Studies is bringing Dr. Duck-Woo Nam, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, to Stillwater to share his professional experiences and thoughts on U.S. economic principles in relation to his native Korea. 

The title of his lecture is “Northeast Asia and the United States: A Korean Perspective.”

Nam, currently the chairman of the Korea Sanhak Foundation in Seoul, will be the featured speaker for the Wes Watkins Distinguished Lectureship at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, 2005, at the Wes Watkins Center. The lectureship and reception are free and open to the public, and a reception will follow.

The Wes Watkins Center is located on the OSU-Stillwater campus at the intersection of Hall of Fame Avenue and Washington Street.

Nam graduated from OSU in 1961 as the second Ph.D. graduate in economics from the Spears School of Business. He was named finance minister of the Republic of Korea in 1969, and from 1974-79, served as both deputy prime minister and minister of economic planning. In 1980, he was appointed prime minister of Korea by then-President Chun Doo Hwan.

In 1985, Nam was inducted into the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Service Award. He has written and published nine books on the history of economic thought and is widely regarded as the architect of economic recovery in the Republic of Korea.  

The lectureship honors one of Oklahoma’s most prominent and devoted public servants, former U.S. Rep. Wes Watkins. Congressman Watkins, an OSU graduate, is committed to outreach, international trade, and the economic development of Oklahoma and the nation.

The School of International Studies aims to provide a university-wide focus to synergize and expand international opportunities in instruction, research, and outreach for individuals and organizations seeking a greater understanding and involvement in world trade and global affairs. The school is part of the International Education and Outreach unit, which helps carry out the university’s mission of providing educational programs and services beyond traditional campus boundaries.

The school coordinates academic programs and opportunities with colleges and departments campus-wide, such as this event, coordinated with the Spears School of Business. School components include the International Bureaus, an English Language Institute, Study Abroad, a Peace Corps recruiting office, and a Graduate Program offering an M.S. and Certificate in International Studies and the Master’s International Peace Corps degree. More than 140 OSU faculty members participate in the school activities.