Under the auspices of the Freeman Forum and the University of Minnesota, Ismail Serageldin delivered three exceptional lectures over the course of a single day on the occasion of the official inauguration of the Freeman Forum lecture series. Serageldin kicked-off the event with "The Digital Future: Producers and Consumers in the New Knowledge Economy", during which he spoke of the transformation towards a knowledge society and technology driven economy and discussed the challenges and costs of bringing technology, and the knowledge and information it conveys, to people in less developed countries. Serageldin's following lecture; Agricultural Sciences and Technologies: A World Divided? emphasized the need to empower women, preserve biodiversity and conduct research on crops needed by developing countries as key elements of the effort to abolish hunger. To wrap up, he enlightened his audience with a wonderful presentation of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, its past, present and future. Serageldin's dynamic presence and intriguing lectures inspired a wealth of ideas and discussions among his audience. The Freeman Lecture series is a public-private partnership created by the University of Minnesota and the Freeman Forum to honor and carry on the work of former Minnesota Governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman.