Northwood University will welcome several nationally recognized speakers to campus as part of its 37th Annual Freedom Seminar to be held Thursday, April 9, 6 pm – Sunday, April 12, 5pm. All sessions will be held on the Midland, Michigan campus. In addition to hosting students, the event is open to the public. Those interested in gaining additional information should visit the Northwood University Freedom Seminar or contact: Professor Dale Matcheck (989) 837-4256; to gain additional information or to confirm their attendance.Opening with a keynote address by the Honorable Maurice McTigue, Vice President for outreach at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and former New Zealand Cabinet Minister, the series of forums will focus on the importance of capitalism, freedom, and democracy.
Along with the many other experts who will be presenting related topics, Paul Traub will highlight the many challenges facing Michigan’s economy as it regains strength. Traub is currently Senior Business Economist at the Detroit Branch of Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and has more than a quarter century of experience in economic forecasting and analysis.
The featured speaker on Saturday night, Herman Pirchner is President of the American Foreign Policy Council. Under his leadership, the American Foreign Policy Council has conducted hundreds of briefings for Members of Congress and their staff members, and has organized dozens of fact-finding missions abroad for current and former senior American officials. Travels have taken him to most areas of the world, especially to the territory of the former Soviet Union, where he has visited more than 65 times since 1989. Additionally he has visited China annually since 1994. He is an engaging speaker with a compelling grasp of the dynamics of world affairs.
On Friday morning, Dr. Richard Ebeling, BB&T Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Free Enterprise Leadership at the Citadel, will provide a historical perspective on the battle of ideas in his lecture, “The Rise and Fall of Classical Liberalism.” Dr. Timothy G. Nash and Dr. David E. Fry Endowed Professor and Vice President of Strategic and Corporate Alliances Northwood University answers the question “Can the American Dream Survive?” Nathan Schleuter, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Hillsdale College, and Harry Veryser, Adjunct Professor of Economics, Northwood University engage in a spirited debate on the relative merits of libertarians and conservative philosophies on Friday afternoon.
Other topics addressed by seminar speakers include the economics of public subsidies for sports stadiums, tax reform, capitalism and inequality, disaster relief, privacy in the information age, the limits of democracy, character and leadership.
One of the architects of the “New Zealand miracle,” opening speaker Maurice McTigue dramatically reformed the country’s government and economy by implementing market-driven, pro-growth policies. McTigue advised the Office of Management and Budget and most federal agencies in the Clinton and Bush administrations on issues of accountability and transparency and has consulted with legislators and governors in more than 30 states. He also served as a special advisor to Louisiana’s Commission on Streamlining Government and was named to Virginia governor Bob McDonnell’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring. He will share his insights on good government gained from his years of experience in his lecture entitled “Lessons from Free Economies Around the World.”
The Northwood University Freedom Seminar is an annual three and one-half day symposium on the free enterprise system led by distinguished academic and business leaders. The purpose of the Freedom Seminar is to investigate current business and economic topics of utmost interest to the academic and business communities. The seminar offers a unique active learning environment in which students will be learning from and interacting with internationally recognized leaders in industry, academia, and government. Students will learn how the precepts of The Northwood Idea are applied to the problems of today. A complete schedule of all featured speakers with times and topics is available on the Northwood University website at Northwood University Freedom Seminar .
