Former president of Mexico Vicente Fox will speak on campus this afternoon at the Vicente Fox Forum of World Leaders.

Lauren Kiser, a junior political science major said she planned to attend the forum. As a member of TCU’s Model United Nations team, Kiser said the opportunity to listen to an international leader could not be passed up.

“I think it’s a unique opportunity to listen to a former world leader speak,” Kiser said. “You don’t get that opportunity very often.”

Since Fox is no longer the leader of Mexico, Kiser said she hoped Fox could speak frankly about issues like interstate relations between the Arizona-Mexico and Texas-Mexico borders.

She said she also hoped Fox could discuss the issues in Syria and hear his perspective on the situation.

“I hope that people will think more about international relations and how important it is to be aware of the issues in the world,” Kiser said. “Being more informed about what’s going on will lead to better things in the future.”

Lauren Welch, a junior political science and communication studies double major, said she also hoped to attend.

“Being involved with Model United Nations, I think it’s an opportunity to see world leaders and hear their thoughts on important issues in their countries and global issues in general,” Welch said.

Hearing the opinion of underdeveloped countries and how they feel within the global stage could be interesting, Welch said. She said she hoped Fox would discuss the role Latin American countries might take in economic and agricultural issues in the future.

Overall, she hoped the forum would allow people to see the world in a new light, she said.

“It will give the TCU community a chance to see the world from a different perspective,” Welch said.

TCU students won’t be the only ones attending the forum today.

Paschal High School students plan to attend as well, Jennifer Cox, an AP U.S. and Comparative Government teacher at Paschal High School, said. Cox, who is married to TCU Assistant Professor Eric Cox, said 65 students in the World Affairs Council, Student Council and Hispanic Society of Paschal were planning to attend the luncheon.

“My students are in a comparative government class, and Mexico is one of our countries we’re talking about, so I thought it would be insightful,” Cox said.

Because immigration legislation issues are discussed in her class, Cox said, the forum should add to the learning experience. Seeing a president should be exciting for her students as well, she said.

Cox hoped the forum could be a stepping stone to inspire her students to pursue international and intercultural studies in college.

“If TCU does [more forums], it will give them more insight about college and college life,” Cox said.

Former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, will be the first speaker in the world leaders forum series. Fox and TCU announced a partnership in late October and will host the forum in tandem.

Other world leaders scheduled to speak at the forum in 2012  include former prime minister of Spain Jose Maria Aznar, former prime minister of Canada Jean Chretien, former president of Poland Lech Walesa ,and former president and prime minister of Israel Shimon Peres.

The focus of the forum is facilitating connections between world leaders and college and high school students. The speakers plan to encourage leadership development and provide a glimpse of presidential and prime ministerial leadership.

TCU graduate and cofounder of the Hispanic Leadership Alliance Juan Hernandez helped establish the forum, which will be held several times next year.

Vicente Fox Forum of World Leaders
When: Today, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Where: Brown-Lupton University Union Ballroom
Cost: Free

For more information call 817-257-7808 or email Nancy Styles at [email protected].