Vernon Larson Lecture highlights K-State’s global leadership to open International Education Week
Kansas State University will kick off International Education Week 2025 with the annual Vernon Larson Lecture at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art’s UMB Theater.
Presented by the Office of International Programs, or OIP, the lecture honors Vernon Carl Larson, longtime OIP director whose leadership expanded K-State's global education partnerships across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Larson Lecture Series remains K-State’s longest continuously running lecture series, celebrating the university’s global engagement and civic-minded roots.
This year's lecture will feature Vara Prasad, university distinguished professor and R.O. Kruse Endowed Professor in agronomy. Prasad's internationally recognized research focuses on crop response to changing environments and sustainable agricultural practices that improve livelihoods worldwide. He has collaborated with scientists in more than 15 countries and is ranked among the top 1 percent of highly cited scientists globally. A continental breakfast will precede the lecture, and registration is requested.
Prasad’s talk, “Leadership of K-State in Establishing Land-Grant University System: India and Other Key Partnerships,” will explore K-State’s leadership in international education and development through global land-grant collaborations.
The lecture marks the opening of International Education Week, Nov. 7–21, a two-week campuswide celebration highlighting the university's global connections through events such as the International Film Festival, Flavors Without Borders, conversation tables, International Board Game Day and the International Food Festival.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and participate in the full lineup of events celebrating K-State’s global community.
For details and registration, visit the Office of International Programs website.