Liberal economist John Kenneth Galbraith and conservative writer and television host William F. Buckley Jr. will conduct an informal debate at UNLV on Jan. 9 as part of the Barrick Lecture Series.

"Current Events: Perspectives on the World Around" is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall. The event is free, but tickets are required and should be picked up in advance at the Performing Arts Center box office at Ham Concert Hall. Tickets will be available beginning Dec. 16. For information on ticket availability, call 895-3801.

Galbraith and Buckley debated each other before at UNLV on Jan. 10, 1983, during the second year of the Barrick Lecture Series. Their return this year is part of the celebration of the series' 15th anniversary.

The Barrick Lecture Series, funded through a grant from philanthropist Marjorie Barrick, presents nationally and internationally known speakers from a variety of fields each semester at UNLV. The presentations are always free and open to the public.

Galbraith is internationally known for his development of Keynesian and post-Keynesian economics, as well as for his writing and his involvement in American politics. He is the Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics Emeritus at Harvard University.

From 1961 to 1963 he served as President John F. Kennedy's ambassador to India. Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Galbraith served as the deputy administrator in the Office of Price Administration in the early 1940s. In that job he organized and administered the wartime system of price controls. He also served as director of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey in 1945. For his public service, Galbraith was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 1946.

Galbraith, 87, has published many books and articles, including "The Affluent Society," "The New Industrial State," and "Economics and the Public Purpose." He also has written novels.

Galbraith earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto (Ontario Agricultural College) in 1931, and a master's degree and doctoral degree from the University of California in 1933 and 1934 respectively. He taught at both the University of California and at Princeton University before moving to Harvard in 1948. He retired from Harvard in 1975.

He has received some 45 honorary degrees from universities worldwide, including Harvard, Oxford University, and the University of Paris.

Buckley founded the conservative journal "National Review" in 1955.

He is the host of the television show "Firing Line." The show began in 1966 and has the distinction of being the longest-running television program in the United States to have had only one host.

Guests on the award-winning "Firing Line" have included presidents, other world leaders, and celebrities. Among the guests have been Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush; British Prime Ministers Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher, and Edward Heath; comedian Groucho Marx; and author James Michener.

Buckley, 70, also writes a newspaper column, "On the Right," which appears twice a week in more than 300 newspapers in the United States and abroad. He began writing the column in 1962.

Buckley, who once ran for mayor of New York City, has written numerous non-fiction books and articles and also is the author of the popular Blackford Oakes spy novels.

Born in New York City, Buckley graduated with high honors from Yale University. In 1991 he was awarded the Medal of Freedom. He also has received more than 35 honorary degrees.

A man of eclectic interests, Buckley has made four transoceanic sailing voyages, journeyed to the South Pole, and played the harpsichord with symphony orchestras.

For additional information on Buckley and Galbraith's appearance at UNLV, call 895-3801