A renowned author, a prominent film director, world-class journalists and cutting-edge business and labor leaders will discuss job success and current world events during West Virginia Universitys 7th annual Festival of Ideas series that begins Tuesday, Feb. 19, and runs through April 8.

“This exciting and enlightening eight-lecture series will expose students to a variety of thought-provoking issues regarding current events presented by speakers from today’s headlines,”said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr.”This annual Festival of Ideas remains a hallmark of WVU s commitment to the free exchange of ideas regarding many of todays issues.”

This years series also will offer expert tips on how students can attain success when they enter the job market, Hardesty said.

“As a student about to enter the job market, this information is very important and timely,”said Jodi Bias, WVU Arts&Entertainment.

Leading off the Festival Tuesday (Feb. 19) will be Daniel Goleman, author of”Emotional Intelligence.”He will be followed by film director John Singleton on Tuesday, Feb. 26; former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman on Monday, March 4; and The New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell Wednesday, March 5.

Juan Enriquez, director of the Harvard Business School Life Science Project, will talk on Monday, March 18, and Fareed Zakaria, author of the Newsweek article Why They Hate Us: The Roots of Islamic Rage and What We Can Do About It, will speak Monday, April 1.

Monster.com CEO Jeffrey Taylor will make a presentation on Thursday, April 4, and Judith Miller, senior writer for The New York Times, will conclude the series on Monday, April 8.

All talks, which are free and open to the public, are produced by WVU students. They begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Mountainlair ballrooms. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Goleman, who will open the series Feb. 19, will talk on Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. Founder of Emotional Intelligence Services, Goleman is a psychologist who, for 12 years, reported on the brain and behavioral sciences for The New York Times. His groundbreaking book,”Emotional Intelligence,”transformed the way the world educates children, relates to family and friends and does business.

Since its release this book has been a fixture on the bestseller lists throughout America and has achieved international bestseller status in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

For more information on the series, call 304-293-SHOW.