The panelists will discuss the China Challenge.
The American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) and the Texas Tech University Office of International Affairs will host the fifth annual Ambassadors' Forum at 5 p.m. Monday (March 9) in the International Cultural Center auditorium, 601 Indiana Ave.
The panel is free and open to the public and will feature a discussion on the challenges and possible solutions to the U.S. relationship with China.
During their time in Lubbock, the ambassadors will meet with Lubbock Independent School District leadership and about 200 local high school students. They also will have sessions with Texas Tech students and faculty.
"This year's Ambassadors' Forum at Texas Tech provides the opportunity to engage in dialogue related to the role of China from the academic challenges, such as intellectual property and scholarly exchange, to trade, security and other related issues in international relations and affairs," said Sukant Misra, vice provost for International Affairs. "Having these incredible practitioners on our campus is a unique opportunity, and we encourage members of the Texas Tech and Lubbock communities to take part in the discussion."
This year's panel of ambassadors will feature perspectives of four distinguished, high-ranking former U.S diplomats. The panelists are:
- Ronald E. Neumann, the AAD board president and former deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He has served as ambassador to Algeria, Bahrain and Afghanistan and will moderate the panel discussion.
- Charles A. Ray, who has served as a U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of Zimbabwe. He was the first U.S. Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. During his diplomatic career, Ray served at consular posts in Guangzhou and Shenyang, China; and Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- The Honorable Catherine A. Novelli, who served as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment and is now president of Listening for America, an organization dedicated to forging a new vision of U.S. international trade engagement.
- Sylvia Gay Stanfield (retired), a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, who focused on China for much of her 30-plus years in Hong Kong, Beijing and Taiwan. She also served on the State Department's "China desk" at the time of the normalization of U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China.
For more information, visit the Texas Tech Ambassadors' Forum website.
