World Affairs Media Kit
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Innovation and China
A conversation with Mary Kay Magistad, Asia Correspondent for
Public Radio International
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
China invented paper, printing, the compass and the seismograph, and was among the first countries to harness fossil fuels and map the stars. Within the context of its rise to global economic prominence, China hopes once again to lead the world in creative innovation.
Expanding on her recent five-part series from PRI's "The World", Mary Kay Magistad will further examine the history of Chinese innovation and its implications for the future.
For almost 6 years, veteran foreign correspondent Mary Kay Magistad has covered East Asia for PRI's "The World." Prior to joining "The World", Ms. Magistad covered China and Southeast Asia for National Public Radio, the Washington Post, and other media, and opened NPR's first Beijing Bureau.
WHEN: Refreshments 6:00 P; program 6:30 - 8:00 P
WHERE: Pohlad Hall (2nd floor), Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401
COST: Free, but advance registration is requested
Speaker bio - Mary Kay Magistad: For almost 6 years, veteran foreign correspondent Mary Kay Magistad has covered East Asia for The World. From the geopolitical struggle over North Korea's weapons program, to the SARS epidemic, to tensions in Kashmir, Magistad has brought local perspective to stories with international impact.
Before joining the staff of The World she covered Southeast Asia and China for National Public Radio, the Washington Post, and other media for twelve years. She opened NPR's first Beijing bureau and covered a wide range of political, economic, cultural, and social issues, including Chinese war games preceding Taiwan's first presidential elections, the crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual sect, and increasing tensions in the Sino-US relationship. She has also reported from Africa, covering the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, the challenges of famine in Ethiopia and the Polisario's forgotten war in the Western Sahara.
Magistad earned her BS in journalism at Northwestern University and an MA in international relations at Sussex University in England, completed on a Rotary Foundation fellowship. She was a 1999-2000 Nieman fellow and a 2001-2002 Radcliffe fellow, both at Harvard University.
Program Cosponsors:
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Haiti: What's Next?
A panel discussion on Haiti's past, present, and future
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The world watched in horror on January 12, 2010, when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti, at the time already considered by the United Nations as the least developed country in the Western Hemisphere. A global outpouring of grief and financial aid immediately followed, but immense challenges still loom on Haiti’s horizon.
Four months after this tragedy, MIC invites you to take part in an important discussion about Haiti’s past, present, and future. What was the significance of this earthquake at this time, and how are the Haitian people recovering? How did international NGOs respond in the days and weeks immediately following the earthquake? How dependent is Haiti’s recovery on continued international attention, public generosity, and government aid?
Panelists will include Ms. Beaudelaine Pierre, 2009-10 UMN Humphrey Fellow from Haiti; Daniel Wordsworth, President and CEO of the American Refugee Committee; and J. Brian Atwood, former Administrator at USAID and current Dean of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
WHEN: Doors open/check-in 5:30 P; program 6:00 - 7:30 P; reception 7:30 P
WHERE: Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
301 19th Avenue S, Mpls, MN 55455
COST: MIC members and members/supporters of cosponsoring organizations $5
Non-members $10
Students free
Advance registration requested
Panelist bios:
Ms. Beaudelaine Pierre: Ms. Beaudelaine Pierre received a post graduate degree in population and development studies from the University of Haiti. As the editor of ANAYIZZ magazine, an international Haitian women’s magazine she addresses the challenges faced by Haitian women within the community. She also serves as the director of research for a private communications firm Haiti Sonde. Prior to this, she was involved in programs related to children’s rights, gender affairs, and migrant rights. She is also a university professor, a published author, and is involved in research on minority languages. Ms. Pierre was an award recipient from the Department of Modern Languages at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, March 2009. Despite the significant role Haitian women play in society, she has found that they are underrepresented in all aspects of policy making. During her fellowship year, Ms. Pierre will focus on gender equality, the role of women in the media, sustainable development, leadership, civic participation, and the environment.
Mr. Daniel Wordsworth: Daniel Wordsworth currently serves as President & CEO of the American Refugee Committee, an international humanitarian aid agency which operates relief programs throughout Africa and Asia.Wordsworth joined the American Refugee Committee in 2009, after 12 years with the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF), where he most recently served as Vice President of the Asia Region, based in Thailand. During his tenure, he built the foundation of CCF’s emergency response programs in East Timor, Sierra Leone, Gujarat, Afghanistan, and Northern Uganda. Prior to joining the American Refugee Committee, Wordsworth led a team engaged in for-profit business start-ups in China. He has also lived and worked with the urban poor in Australia and Hong Kong. Over the last 15 years, Wordsworth has lived in China, India, Vietnam, and Thailand. He has written numerous publications on children and poverty. He started his career in the Royal Australian Navy.
Mr. J. Brian Atwood:J. Brian Atwood became dean of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs in October 2002, where he is widely credited for raising the school's profile and national ranking. He served for six years as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) during the Administration of President William Clinton. In the Clinton Administration, Atwood led the transition team at the State Department and was Under Secretary of State for Management prior to his appointment as head of USAID.During the Carter Administration, Atwood served as Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations. He was dean of Professional Studies and Academic Affairs at the Foreign Service Institute in 1981 to 1982 and the first president of the National Democratic Institute for international Affairs (1986 to 1993).
In 2001, Atwood served on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Panel on Peace Operations. He writes and speaks frequently on international development, post-conflict reconstruction, foreign policy, the role of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations in international affairs, and the united States' role in the world order. Atwood holds a bachelor's degree in government and history from Boston University and received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from American University. He joined the Foreign Service in 1966 and served in the American Embassies in Cote d'Ivoire and Spain.
Program Cosponsors:
