Romanian Ambassador

from Erlend D. Peterson, Associate International Vice President

Speaker: His Excellency Adrian Cosmin Vierita, Ambassador to the United States for Romania
Title: “Romania and the US at 130 years of diplomacy relations: Values, partnership and vision”
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 12:00 noon
Location: David M. Kennedy Center Conference Room, 238 HRCB
Sponsor: David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

Ambassador Vierita has a very distinguish background. We hope you will be able to join us. We ask you to invite students and colleagues to attend. Please forward this email to those whom you think will be interested.

Ambassador Vierita’s CV:

Ambassador Adrian Vierita presented his credentials to President of the United States, George W. Bush on January 22, 2008.

Prior to his current assignment, Adrian Vierita served as State Secretary for European Affairs with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since July 2006. Between 2002 and 2006, he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Mr.Vierita is a career member of the Diplomatic Corps of Romania. He joined the Foreign Service on March 1, 1991. He held various executive positions with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Chief of Staff of the State Secretary coordinating relations with Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America, Deputy Director of the United Nations and International Organizations Directorate, Director of the Central and South-East Europe Directorate and General Director for European and Transatlantic Affairs. Other postings abroad include a 4-year tour with the Permanent Mission of Romania to the International Organizations in Vienna, where he covered OSCE negotiations related to CFE Treaty and Black Sea security issues, as well as trafficking in persons and trans-border crime; he also served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Romania to IAEA and UNIDO.

In 2002, he was decorated with the Order of Faithful Service of Romania in the Rank of Officer. In 2003, he received the “Ambassador of the Year” Award and in 2005 was acknowledged Diplomat of the Year by “Nine O’Clock” daily in Bucharest. In 2006, Mr.Vierita received the Great Cross of Merit of The Federal Republic of Germany.

Mr. Vierita graduated the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna program of post-academic studies in International Affairs and European Integration, as well as the Romanian Institute of International Studies in Bucharest, specializing in international affairs and world economy, both awarded with Merit Diplomas. At present, he is a PhD candidate in economic sciences, at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. He has a Master’s Degree from the Faculty of Technology of the Polytechnic University in Bucharest. He was also a Visiting Lecturer to the European College for Liberal Arts in Berlin and co-authored the book “Romania in the United Nations Organization", published by the Encyclopedic Publishing House of Bucharest, in 1995.

He is married to Codrina Eugenia Vierita and has two children. Mr.Vierita was born on July 4, 1962 in Bucharest.

The Asian Cinema Club's Special Gift for everyone for the memorable day

Are you still scrambling to plan the special and memorable day? In tough economic times, it can be a challenge for anyone to make the day special. Well, we are here to help you out coming up with some creative ideas without depleting your wallet. The Asian Cinema Club's upcoming FREE romantic movie will make the day special and memorable for you and your valentine!

The upcoming Korean film, My Dear Enemy will be a perfect movie for this holiday season. It is a romantic black-comeday directed by Lee Yoon-ki, and starring Jeon Do-Yeon and Ha Jeong-woo who are regarded as one of the best actresses and actors in South Korea. My Dear Enemy takes the audience on a long day's journey of the two ex-lovers, and it is about female's view on men and the relationship between a man and a women. A striking combination of realism and idealism exists in this movie as well.

Mark the followings on your calendar:
When:Tuesday, February 9 at 7:30 P.M
Where: B002 JFSB (presented by Asian Studies 495)

Don't forget to bring your dear enemy. if don't, don't worry: that means you don't have any enemy in your life. Just bring yourself! Again. It is FREE!!
Please feel free to contact us at asiancinemaclub@gmail.com with any questions. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for your support as always,
The Asian Cinema Club

James Schlesinger Lecture

Speaker: Dr. James Schlesinger, Former United States Secretary of Defense and Former United States Secretary of Energy
Title: “Facing Old and New Defense Challenges”
Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Time: 7:30-9:00 pm
Location: Hinckley Center Assembly Hall
Sponsor: Wheatley Institution and David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies


James Schlesinger received a bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1950. He received his master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University in 1952 and 1956.

Dr. Schlesinger began his government service in 1969 as assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of the Budget (later the Office of Management and Budget), where he also served as acting deputy director. From July 1973 to November 1975, Dr. Schlesinger was Secretary of Defense. Immediately prior to this appointment, he served as Director of Central Intelligence. In August 1971, he was selected by President Nixon to become chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, a position he held until February 1973. Dr. Schlesinger was the nation's first Secretary of Energy, taking the oath of office one day after President Carter signed the legislation creating the new department. He served in this position from 1977 to 1979.

Dr. Schlesinger has also served on many government commissions and advisory groups. Recently, he served as chairman of the Secretary's Task Force on DoD Nuclear Weapons Management. He is vice chairman of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. From 1999 to 2003, he was a member of the Panel to Assess the Reliability, Safety, and Security of the U.S. Nuclear Stockpile, and from 1998 to 2001, he was a member of the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century (Hart-Rudman Commission). He recently served as co-chair of the Defense Science Board Task Force on the Future of the Global Positioning System (GPS). He also chairs the advisory group on GPS for the PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) Executive Committee. He was vice chairman of the President's Blue Ribbon Task Group on Nuclear Weapons Program Management (1984 –1985), and served on the President's Commission on Strategic Forces (1982–1983).

Dr. Schlesinger serves as chairman of the board of The MITRE Corporation. He is a consultant to the Departments of Defense and State, and a member of the Defense Policy Board and the International Security Advisory Board. Dr. Schlesinger is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. He is a director for Evergreen Energy and Sandia National Corporation. He is a counselor and trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a trustee of the Atlantic Council, the Nixon Center, the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation, the Center for Global Energy Studies, and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.

Dr. Schlesinger has been awarded eleven honorary doctorates. He is the recipient of the National Security Medal, as well as five departmental and agency medals. He is the recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Distinguished Service Medal, the George Catlett Marshall Medal, the H. H. Arnold Award, the Navy League's National Meritorious Citation, the Distinguished Service Award of the Military Order of the Carabao, the Jimmy Doolittle Award, the Military Order of the World Wars Distinguished Service Award, the Henry M. Jackson Award for Distinguished Public Service, and the William Oliver Baker Award. In 2009, he received the Air Force Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Schlesinger is the author of The Political Economy of National Security, 1960, America at Century's End, 1989, and numerous articles.