[Daviscenter-list] Columbia-Harvard forum, Feb. 21-22, 2008

TO: Davis Center affiliates FROM: Lis Tarlow RE: Columbia-Harvard forum on "Does Leadership in Russia Matter?" Dear friends, On February 21-22, the Davis Center and Harriman Institute will be cosponsoring a forum at the Century Club in New York on the topic, "Does Leadership in Russia Matter?" An impressive group of scholars and practitioners will address this question as it pertains to politics, business, culture, and grassroots organizations. For more information, please see the announcement below or attached. While the majority of attendees will be "paying customers," we may be able to accommodate a certain number of our affiliates with subsidized tickets. These people need only to provide their own travel and lodgings. If you are interested in attending as our guest, please let me know as soon as possible. Once we know how many people we can invite, we will accommodate on a first-come, first-served basis. Lis Tarlow ____________________________________________________________ *The Columbia-Harvard Russia/Eurasia Forum** *Does Leadership in Russia Matter?** *February 21--22, 2008** *in New York City ** _ http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/seminars_conferences/Harriman.html_ /To what extent does leadership, as opposed to underlying factors and forces, drive events in Russia and the surrounding region? Do leaders---not only in the realm of politics, but also in business, culture, and grassroots organizations---make a difference? Do they make more or less of a difference than they would in other places, including the United States?/ On the eve of the 2008 Russian presidential elections, the Harriman Institute and the Davis Center---the country's leading centers for the study of Russia and the surrounding area---are launching a joint project to foster in-depth comparative discussion of the region and of the big intellectual issues surrounding it. We aim to consider and debate how best to understand trends in this strategically important region of the world by going beyond conventional wisdom and tired stereotypes that often pass for analysis. We invite you to join with professionals, scholars, and other interested citizens for the Columbia-Harvard Russia/Eurasia Forum on February 21--22. *Tentative program** * *Thursday, February 21, 6--9 p.m. * *Opening Debate: */*Does Leadership in Russia Matter?* / *Timothy Colton*, Director, Davis Center, Harvard University *Stephen Kotkin*, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Princeton University *Friday, February 22, 8 a.m.--7:30 p.m. ** *Panels**: *Politics; Culture & the Arts; Grassroots Organizations & NGOs; Economics* *Keynote speaker* *Zbigniew Brzezinski*, U.S. National Security Advisor to President Carter (1977-1981) *Featured Panelists* *Rawi Abdelal*, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School *Timothy Colton*, author of forthcoming biography /Yeltsin: A Life// /*Anna Gincherman*, Relationship Manager, Women's World Banking *Marshall Goldman*, author of forthcoming /Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia/; Professor Emeritus, Wellesley College *Sergei Guriev*, Executive Director, Center for Economic and Financial Research, New Economic School *Natalia Ivanova,* First Deputy Editor, /Znamya/ *Sarah Lindemann-Komarova*, Cofounder, Siberian Civic Initiatives Support Center *Rory MacFarquhar*, Managing Director, Economic Research, Goldman Sachs, Russia *Catharine Nepomnyashchy*, Director, Harriman Institute, Columbia University; Professor, Barnard College *Gleb Pavlovsky*, President, Foundation for Effective Politics *Thomas Remington*, Professor of Political Science, Emory University *Harlow Robinson*, Professor of History, Northeastern University *Stephen Sestanovich*, Ambassador-at-Large and Special Advisor to the Secretary of State (1997--2001); Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations *Ole Solvang*, Executive Director, Stichting Russian Justice Initiative *William Taubman*, author of Pulitzer Prize--winning biography /Khrushchev: The Man and His Era/ (2003); Professor, Amherst College *Venue* All events will take place at the Century Association, 7 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036. *Registration* The conference fee is $600 (/$250 academic rate/) for registrations postmarked by January 31. Includes reception and dinner on Thursday, and continental breakfast, lunch, and cocktail reception on Friday. Late registration: $750 (/$300 academic rate/). The registration form can be downloaded here: http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/seminars_conferences/Russia_Eurasia_Foru… *Lodging* A special conference rate is available at the Club Quarters Hotel, Midtown. Booking details provided upon registration. *Further* *Information* Please contact Irene Coffman at 212-854-5431 or ibc3(a)columbia.edu <mailto:ibc3@columbia.edu>.