Leading presidential candidates are being invited to participate in two public forum events sponsored by the Brookings Institution and the University of Nevada, Reno. An event on Aug. 20 will provide a forum for leading Republican candidates, while an event on Aug. 22 will provide a forum for leading Democratic candidates. Both events are tentatively scheduled to take place 1 to 4 p.m. in Lawlor Events Center on the University campus.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is the first of the invited Democratic candidates to confirm he will participate in the forum on Aug. 22.

The forums are part of Opportunity 08, a project of the Brookings Institution in partnership with ABC News to help broaden the discussion of America's policy challenges. Each forum will open with an expert, non-partisan panel discussion on a specific topic, followed by remarks from participating presidential candidates. Candidates will be allotted equal time to address the forum topic, and may also discuss other issues important to Nevada. The forums and related information will be featured on the project website, www.opportunity08.org.

"We are very excited to have been presented the opportunity to host these forums," said University President Milt Glick. "The mission of Opportunity 08 is to stimulate discussion and debate on important and challenging topics, and this is certainly in keeping with the role and mission of the University.

"I am especially excited to see these events come together for our students," said Glick. "As planning moves forward, we look forward to collaborating with campus student organizations to involve their voice and participation in these events."