Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. secretary of state, and Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel, deliver keynote address at the 2012 BiTS Campus Symposium

Renowned leaders speak to Laureate students around the world on current issues at one-of-a kind summit

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Sep 13, 2012, 10:47 ET

BALTIMORE, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of students at 17 institutions in the Laureate International Universities network will have the opportunity to listen to political and business leaders at the 2012 BiTS (Business and Information Technology School) Campus Symposium in Iserlohn, Germany, today and tomorrow, September 13th and 14th. The Campus Symposium is entirely organized and managed by students at BiTS, a leading university of applied sciences in Iserlohn, Germany.

The theme of the 2012 Campus Symposium is communication and the role effective communication plays in all aspects of life, especially in an increasingly virtual world. The keynote speakers for the event are Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. secretary of state, and Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel, who worked together to use diplomacy to reduce tensions in the Middle East.

Students from BiTS University launched the Campus Symposium in 2005 to share information and create a networking platform to connect youth and business leaders. The Campus Symposium has since matured into a major forum for international decision-makers from business, politics and science to discuss current events and present new perspectives on the future.

"The students at BiTS are dedicated to producing an outstanding event," said Dr. Thorsten Bagschik, CEO of Laureate Germany. "This conference has evolved into one of the foremost events in Europe, a forum for discourse between world leaders and the future generation, going beyond just our institution here in Germany and into the classrooms of Laureate universities across the globe."

Dr. Rice and Mr. Olmert join a large and growing group of highly respected leaders who have participated in the BiTS Campus Symposium, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton (the honorary chancellor of Laureate International Universities), former President of Poland and Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa, former U.N. Secretary-General and Nobel Laureate Kofi Annan, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore, among many others.

About Laureate International Universities

Laureate International Universities is a trusted global leader in providing access to high-quality, innovative institutions of higher education. The Laureate International Universities network includes more than 60 accredited campus-based and online universities. Our more than 740,000 students are part of an academic community that spans 29 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Laureate universities offer more than 130 undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs in fields including architecture, art, business, culinary arts, design, education, engineering, health sciences, hospitality management, information technology, law and medicine. President William J. Clinton, 42nd president of the United States, serves as the Honorary Chancellor of the Laureate International Universities network, a role in which he offers advice on social responsibility, youth leadership and increasing access to higher education. For more information, visit www.laureate.net.