After speaking in Jackson at Mississippi Stateâs Executive Lecture Forum last week, Claudio Bisogniero, second from left, the Italian ambassador to the U.S., met with state and university officials, including Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Brent Christensen (l-r), Gov. Phil Bryant, MSU Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Gilbert, and Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Shaw. MSUâs new global aquaculture center with the Rome-based U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, collaborative architecture partnership with the University of Arkansas in Rome, economic development partnerships with Italian companies, and expanding student exchange programs were among the topics of discussion.