The University of Michigan is pleased to announce the upcoming visit of John Beyrle, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Ambassador Beyrle will deliver a public lecture titled “U.S.-Russia Relations: Status of the ‘Reset’,” at the University of Michigan Alumni Center on January 12, 2010. A career Foreign Service Officer and specialist in Russian and East European Affairs, Ambassador Beyrle has held the top position in the Moscow Embassy since July 2008. This will be a unique opportunity to hear from a leading public official about U.S. foreign relations policy under the Obama administration. Ambassador Beyrle will address what the highly publicized “reset” means and in what areas the Obama administration intends to concentrate its efforts.

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Ambassador Beyrle received his bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree from the National War College. He has worked for the State Department since 1983, previously holding positions at the embassies in Moscow and Prague, and serving as the Ambassador to Bulgaria from 2005-2008. Ambassador Beyrle’s talk comes at a time when U.S. foreign relations are undergoing a conceptual shift, and the relationship with Russia is as important as it was in the days following the end of the Cold War. Nuclear arms reduction, the placement of U.S. missile shields in Europe, concerns about energy security, and strategic decisions about how to deal with Iran are all at the forefront of international policy decisions. In the 21st century, the United States and Russia continue to be global leaders, and Ambassador Beyrle is on the front lines of managing the relationship between the superpowers of the 20th century.

PLACE: Founders Room, Alumni Center. 200 Fletcher, Ann Arbor.

SPONSORS: International Policy Center; Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies; Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies; and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

WEB LINKS: www.ii.umich.edu/wced; www.ipc.umich.edu

The International Policy Center (IPC) was established at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in the fall of 2005. IPC is devoted to interdisciplinary research and education that advances the learning of Michigan faculty and students and informs policy makers on policy issues arising from an increasingly globalized world. In particular, the goal of IPC’s work is to demonstrate how in an interdependent world well-designed policies of governments and international institutions can improve the welfare of people, especially those in developing nations. For more information, visit www.ipc.umich.edu.

The Ronald and Eileen Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) supports faculty and student research, teaching, collaboration, and public engagement in studying the institutions, cultures, and histories of these regions. WCEE is housed in the University of Michigan International Institute with the Center for European Studies-European Union Center (CES-EUC); the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES); and the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies (WCED). Named in honor of Ronald and Eileen Weiser and inspired by their time in Slovakia during Ambassador Weiser’s service as U.S. ambassador from 2001-04, WCEE began operations in September 2008. For more information, visit www.ii.umich.edu/wcee.