Discovery Institute is pleased to host distinguished Russian Studies scholar Herbert Ellison and international attorney Bill Robinson for an insightful and informative forum and discussion on the state of U.S.-Russia relations. The event will be facilitated by Yuri Mamchur, Director of Discovery Institute's Real Russia Project, and will focus on Western stereotypes about Russia and how these stereotypes negatively impact trade and diplomacy between our respective countries. Board members and affiliates of the Russia Roundtable of the Tacoma World Trade Center will participate in the forum as well.
This is a rare opportunity to hear the views of these highly knowledgeable Northwest leaders as they examine the business and investment climate in Russia, while at the same time debunking a number of myths about life within the country. The event will be filmed by Russia Today, Russia's English language news channel.
The lecture and reception will be held Wednesday, October 11, 2006 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Discovery Institute, located at 1511 Third Avenue, Suite 808 in downtown Seattle (map). Beverages and hors d'oeuvres wil be served. There is no cost to attend, but we do ask that you register soon, as space is limited.
To register please contact Annelise Davis at adavis@discovery.org or call (206) 292-0401, ext. 153.
Professor Ellison is the namesake of the Herbert J. Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington. Previously, he served as the Director of the esteemed Henry M. Jackson School for International Studies. He is also the author of a recently published book entitled Boris Yeltsin and Russia's Democratic Transformation, one of the first in-depth publications on the subject written by an American author. Professor Ellison, former Director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., has also served as a consultant to the Department of State and to the foreign affairs committees of the U.S. Congress.
Bill Robinson directs William T. Robinson PLLC, a legal corporation that has represented numerous Russian companies in America, as well as U.S. and multinational clients investing in the former Soviet Union since 1990. Mr. Robinson has lived in Russia and Japan and has traveled extensively throughout Siberia and other regions of the Russian Federation. His vast business knowledge, combined with his own personal experiences within Russia, provide him with a practical perspective on U.S.-Russia relations.
Yuri Mamchur is a Russian composer, a Senior Foreign Policy Fellow at Discovery Institute, and creator of RussiaBlog, and Director of Discovery Institute's Real Russia Project. He attended classes at Georgetown University and is a PhD candidate and graduate of the Russian Tax Academy School of Law in Moscow. During his studies he served as the Director of International Relations for the Sodeystvie Fund, the oldest charitable foundation in the Former Soviet Union. He represented one of the first Ukrainian private businesses in Moscow.
Comments
On the topic of myths about Russia, I cannot think of anyone more expert as Michael Averko.
Posted by: Alexandra | October 8, 2006 4:55 PM
Agree.
Posted by: Andrew Waller | October 9, 2006 8:28 PM
Me three.
People with views like Mishka's are being suppressed.
Posted by: Zhana Klimova | October 10, 2006 2:58 PM
Excellent event. I thought the information was well presented from credible experts. There were questions asked of the panel that spoke to both optimism and pessimism. In the end, a balanced and fair view was offered.
Many thanks to the organizers. I am hopeful that future business possibilties come to fruition as a result of these efforts.
Posted by: Tanya | October 15, 2006 6:07 PM