Developing Future Leaders in U.S.-Russia Relations

Ambassador Mark Pekala will reflect on his experience as U.S. Ambassador to Latvia (2012 – 2014) and the shared policy priorities between the U.S., Latvia, and Latvia’s Baltic neighbors.

A two-day symposium during which students from U-M and other Midwestern universities will explore Russian and Eastern European security issues.

Students will break into groups to reconcile the various conflicting mandates of the state and international actors, seeking ways forward that respect international legal obligations.

In this workshop, students will break into small groups, each tasked with determining U.S. preferences for the basic structure of the Strategic Stability Dialogue, its conduct, and its mandate and agenda.

During this workshop, students will each take on the role of a key stakeholder and participate in a community deliberation activity.

During this workshop, students will explore how the U.S. and European partners can work more closely to give Central and Southern European countries greater opportunities for growth and investment and provide a stable, resilient basis for the regions’ long-term development.

This workshop will have students analyze the role that international NGOs can play in raising awareness of, and advocating for, increased government transparency in Ukraine.

The inaugural Ford/CREES U.S.-Russia Future Leaders Professional Development Workshop will be led by Jill Dougherty, (BA Russian ’70), Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.