Dr. John D. Welty, president of California State University, Fresno, is one of the invited participants in the Higher Education Summit for Global Development at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., today and Wednesday (April 29-30).

Rwandan President Paul Kagame will join Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance Henrietta Fore at the summit.

Welty is among the 200 university presidents from the U.S. and overseas, and corporate and foundation leaders invited to attend. The summit aims to strengthen the role of U.S. and foreign higher education institutions in social and economic development worldwide.

The summit will highlight innovative ways to build educational capacity, expand research, and encourage the exchange and application of technology.

Along with other educators, Welty will help promote new partnerships that will benefit developed and developing countries through faculty exchanges.