The Mexican secretary of foreign affairs, who is an ISU alumnus, will return to Iowa State to lecture on trade and immigration policies that affect both the United States and Mexico.

Luis Ernesto Derbez, an ISU alumnus with a doctorate in economics, will present a global perspective on economic and political issues during the Manatt-Phelps Lecture in Political Science. He will speak at 8 p.m. Monday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Derbez’s lecture is open to the public and is free of charge.

James McCormick, professor and chairman of the department of political science, said Derbez will “focus on the international political economy,” and will discuss the effects the North American Free Trade Agreement has had on both the Mexican and U.S. economies.

McCormick said Derbez worked for the World Bank for 14 years before becoming Mexico’s economic minister and, later, secretary of foreign affairs. During his work with the World Bank, Derbez arranged economic aid programs for Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala, and also helped to provide disaster relief funds for Honduras and Nicaragua following Hurricane Mitch.

McCormick said Derbez’s time with the World Bank gave him experience “trying to right the economies of nations in dire situations.”

McCormick said the Manatt-Phelps Lecture, which is in its second year, “was established to support an annual lecture that looked at the international political economy, the changes it’s experienced in the last year and its ties to Iowa.”

McCormick called the annual lecture the premier event on the international political economy during the year in the state of Iowa.

Derbez’s speech will be preceded by a press conference at 2 p.m. Monday in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union.

A reception for Derbez, who will be making his first trip back to Iowa State since his graduation, will immediately follow the lecture.