UNLV's Center for Democratic Culture and the foreign languages department will host a seminar Jan. 23 on the business opportunities and investment prospects in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

"Executive Briefing on Eurasian Business Dynamics: 10 Years of Lessons Learned" will be held 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Classroom Building Complex, Room B-225. The seminar is free and open to the public.

The seminar is being co-sponsored by the Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS) - a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce - and the Las Vegas U.S. Export Assistance Center.

During the seminar, U.S. and Eurasian business experts will discuss topics relevant to local businesses interested in exploring development and investment opportunities in the Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Azerbaijan. The seminar is focused toward the following industries: trade and project finance, energy, retail, real estate development, construction, gaming, medical, agribusiness, and information technology.

Featured speakers will include Jeffrey Kamins, international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and several BISNIS representatives from U.S. embassies in Eurasia, including Andriy Vorobyov of Ukraine; Bakhtiyar Mamedov of Azerbaijan; and Irina Belinskaya of Russia. These speakers will examine a variety of topics, including Russian language assistance tools, financing, multimedia conferencing opportunities, and trade and investment leads

Individuals interested in attending the seminar must RSVP via e-mail by Jan. 21 to Jeffrey_Kamins@ita.doc.gov. Those responding should provide name, company, telephone, fax, and e-mail information in the body of the message.

For more information, call Dmitri Shalin, UNLV professor of sociology, at 895-0259.

BISNIS is the U.S. Government's primary market information center for U.S. companies exploring business opportunities in Russia and other newly independent states It provides U.S. companies with the latest market reports and tips on developments, export and investment leads, and strategies for doing business in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Since opening in 1992, BISNIS has facilitated more than $3 billion worth of U.S. exports and overseas investments.

UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution with nearly 25,000 students and more than 800 faculty members. More than 180 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees are offered. Founded in 1957, UNLV is located on 337 acres in dynamic Southern Nevada. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.