Past Events

Vitaly Churkin

On April 27, 2012, the Honorable Vitaly Churkin—Russian ambassador to the United Nations—presented his lecture, "Cooperation Among Russia, the United States and the European Union in Global Affairs" at the University's Sié Chéou Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy. Read about Churkin's lecture. Watch a video of Churkin's lecture.

Since May 2006, Ambassador Churkin has served in his current position as permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations. As a prominent leader in world affairs, he appears often in headlines regarding major foreign policy issues, such as the Russian position on Syria, Iran and other global debates.

Ambassador Churkin came to international prominence as the first Soviet official to testify in front of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 about the Chernobyl disaster. He has served as ambassador to both Belgium and Canada, and as ambassador-at-large to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He has appeared as a guest on Charlie Rose and other programs. Ambassador Churkin is fluent in English, Mongolian, and French. His diplomatic rank is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi

On April 9, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi held a talk on "A Euro-Atlantic Vision for Kosovo: European Integration and Regional Dynamics." He entertained questions from the audience on a range of issues including visions for Kosovo's future.

Hashim Thaçi is the prime minister of Republic of Kosovo, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK), and former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

Andrea Herrmann

On March 26, Andrea Herrmann held a talk, "Do Americans and Germans Create Firms Differently: How Institutions Influence Venture Creation Processes." 

Abstract: Entrepreneurs in the US and in Europe show systematic differences in their approaches to venture creation. But the literature on process-oriented entrepreneurship does not have a theory of how national institutions influence venture creation processes. This is particularly striking because economic policies in numerous European countries adopt a 'one-size-fits-all' to stimulating entrepreneurship by imitating 'Silicon-Valley conditions' – often with little success. This paper researches the link between institutions and entrepreneurial activities. Using the varieties-of-capitalism literature as an analytical framework, I analyze how differences in labour and financial market regulation influence the order and timing of venture creation in Germany and the US. Data from interviews with entrepreneurs are analysed with 'optimal matching techniques', originally developed to decode the human genome, to reveal systematic differences between venture creation processes in Germany and the US.

Bio: Andrea Monika Herrmann is a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the 'Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy' at Columbia University and Assistant Professor at the 'Innovation Studies Group' of Utrecht University. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung (Cologne) in 2006-2008. She holds a PhD from the European University Institute in Florence and an MSc from the London School of Economics. She has published articles on institutional theory, corporate competitiveness, strategy, innovation management, and methodology, and a book - One Political Economy, One Competitive Strategy? – with Oxford University Press, in 2008.

Igor Guardiancich

On Feb. 13, Igor Guardiancich gave a talk at the Josef Korbel School on "The Rise and Fall of Private Pensions in Central and East Europe."

Abstract: During the heyday of neoliberalism, the World Bank advocated a multi-pillar structure as model for the modernization of fiscally unsustainable PAYG (pay-as-you-go) pension systems.

The blueprint entailed the partial privatization of pension systems and the introduction of individual funded accounts. The Bank presented the new pillar as a panacea: it would outperform public pensions and solve the problems of pensions in ageing societies. Following the World Bank's advice and Latin American experience, Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe eagerly embraced privatization and individualization.

However, the neoliberal experiment was more hazardous than expected: implementation was troublesome, returns disappointing and the reforms prone to political abuse.

After years of uncertainty, the financial crisis and the inflexibility of European accounting rules sounded the death knell for mandatory private pensions in the region, triggering a thorough rethinking of their future role and design.

Igor Guardiancich is a post-doctoral fellow at the Political Science Department of the University of Michigan. He has professional experience at the European Commission (2005), the European Trade Union Institute (2008) and the Academic Careers Observatory of the EUI's Max Weber Programme (2010-11). Guardia He has also been a consultant to the Belgian gov't. and the European Commission.

His most recent publications include Pension Reforms in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe: From Post-Socialist Transition to the Global Financial Crisis (Routledge 2012); "The Survival and Return of Institutions: Examples from Pension Reforms in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe," West European Politics 34, 2011; "Pan-European Pension Funds: Current Situation and Future Prospects," International Social Security Review 64, 2011; and "Pensions and Social Inclusion in Three ex-Yugoslav Countries: Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia," Acta Oeconomica 62, 2010.

Guardiancich defended his PhD dissertation on Pension Reforms in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe at the European University Institute in 2009. He has a BA in Economics from Trieste University and an MA from the London School Economics.

John Kornblum

On Thursday, January 26, Ambassador John Kornblum kicked off CSEW's launch with a talk titled, "Why Does Europe Matter?"

On January 27, Ambassador Kornblum, Martin Rhodes and Rachel Epstein held a roundtable discussion on the Crisis of the Eurozone, moderated by the Josef Korbel School Dean, Christopher Hill.

John Kornblum is a former diplomat, who has been at the center of the some of the most significant international developments of recent decades. He played a major role in Cold War diplomacy and in negotiating the post-Cold War security framework for Europe.

Kornblum's past roles have included:

• U.S. ambassador to Germany (1997-2001)
• Member of the State Department's policy planning staff under Henry Kissinger (1973–1975)
• Director of the State Department's Office of Central European Affairs (1981–1985)
• United States minister and deputy commandant in Berlin (1985–1987)
• Deputy ambassador to NATO (1987–1991)
• Ambassador and head of the U.S. mission to the OSCE in Vienna (1991–1994)
• Assistant secretary

He is now an investment banker and international business consultant, and lives in Berlin.