The panelists will discuss foreign perceptions of the U.S. in a post-COVID-19 world.
The American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) and Texas Tech University's Office of International Affairs will host the sixth annual Ambassadors' Forum at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (March 2). The panel discussion, "Foreign Perceptions of the U.S. in the post-COVID-19 World: What is reality? What is myth? And does it matter?" will be held via Zoom webinar.
The event is free and open to the public and will feature a discussion with questions from the audience.
The panelists will discuss the challenges and possible domestic and international landscapes of multinational institutions and whether they are important to the U.S.; alliances, both formal and informal, and the price worth paying to maintain them; and trade arrangements: what are US interests, what do we gain and lose from multinational pacts and how does our diplomacy affect American jobs?
The ambassadors also will hold several virtual events throughout the day, including a forum with Lubbock Independent School District leadership and students, a luncheon with Texas Tech's Honors College and a forum with Texas Tech faculty and staff.
"From the many shifts in countries around the world, to economics unsettled by the pandemic; wage and skill gaps; the impact of new technology; the way in which people work and socialize; and continued inequities to changes in political alliance approaches," said Sukant Misra, vice provost for International Affairs, "we are incredibly fortunate to be able to engage with four of our nation's top diplomats whose global experiences and insights can add immeasurably to our understanding of the future of our world, our country and our own individual lives."
The panel will feature perspectives of four distinguished, high-ranking former U.S diplomats. The panelists are:
- AAD President Ronald E. Neumann, former ambassador to Algeria, Bahrain and Afghanistan and former deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
- Ambassador Lawrence Greenwood, former ambassador to the Asian Pacific Economic Conference, former vice president of the Asian Development Bank and former deputy assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.
- Ambassador Jimmy Kolker, former assistant secretary for Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Ambassador Harry Thomas, former ambassador to Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Bangladesh as well as director general of the Foreign Service.
For more information, visit the Texas Tech Ambassadors' Forum website.
