November 7, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Peru: Economics: Lansing State Journal : Peter McPherson helps fight poverty in Africa

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Peru: Special Report: MSU President and Peru RPCV Peter McPherson: February 9, 2005: Index: PCOL Exclusive: RPCV Peter McPherson (Peru) : November 7, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Peru: Economics: Lansing State Journal : Peter McPherson helps fight poverty in Africa

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Peter McPherson helps fight poverty in Africa

Peter McPherson helps fight poverty in Africa

"Africa is such a huge continent. Some countries are growing pretty well. Other areas just have a very difficult situation. I strongly believe you can't treat Africa as a charity case. There are a lot of good people doing good things. I think Africa has got some real opportunities, but it's got some real problems." Former Michigan State University President Peter McPherson served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru in the 1960's.

Peter McPherson helps fight poverty in Africa

Global, college issues keep McPherson busy
Ex-MSU president helps fight poverty in Africa

By Chris Andrews
Lansing State Journal

Peter McPherson ended his 11-year tenure as MSU's president in January, but he isn't slowing down. Not by a long shot.

Now living in Arlington, Va., and working in Washington, D.C., McPherson this year has had his hand in everything from fighting poverty in Africa to getting more students to study abroad to assessing the country's nuclear weapons arsenal.

On Jan. 1, he takes over as head of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. It's a group that represents 200 universities, including Michigan State University.
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The State Journal caught up with him last week in a telephone interview. After asking his own questions about Michigan politics, he offered an update on his life.

• What have you been up to?

• McPherson: I've been spending a fair amount of time as chair of the board of the Partnership to Cut Hunger in Africa. It's an organization I put together five years ago with the presidents of African countries that works at issues of increased food production and rural income. ...

Africa is such a huge continent. Some countries are growing pretty well. Other areas just have a very difficult situation. I strongly believe you can't treat Africa as a charity case. There are a lot of good people doing good things. I think Africa has got some real opportunities, but it's got some real problems."

• You're about to take over as president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. How concerned are you about the level of funding states are providing?

• Incrementally, higher education is being defunded around the country. In the state of Michigan, it went from 75 percent of the cost of students' education to about 50 percent. That's a major issue in terms of opportunity for students. Our public education system has been one of the primary means of social and economic mobility in our society.

• You're heading a national commission trying to increase the number of college students studying abroad. What do you want to accomplish?

• In 10 years, we hope to have 1 million students studying abroad each year. Last year, it was about 170,000.

We live in a global economy. As part of a student getting a full education, involvement and knowledge about the world is critical.

• You spent five months in 2003 rebuilding the financial system in Iraq. What's your assessment of how things are going?

• This last election was one of the most significant things that has happened in Iraq since the invasion. This one by any measure, the Iraqis participated in. ... I think these are good developments. ...

The thing to watch is, will the Sunnis be willing to engage in participating as opposed to being the domineering party, and will the Shiites be willing to truly share power?

• You just turned 65. When do you plan to slow down?

• No plans.

Contact Chris Andrews at 377-1054 or candrews@lsj.com.





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Story Source: Lansing State Journal

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Peru; Economics

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