Keynote speaker Henry Kissinger, left, and OU President David Boren welcome the distinguished participants and guests at the International Programs Center's Foreign Policy Conference . Foreign Policy for the 21st Century P1110 11 KuRAPwIY IIV itt rttF,tt`C TAYl oR 4 SOONER MAGAZINE QUr•.,1;1'ro:\': Why did this stellar group of experts come to Norman, Oklahoma, to discuss U .S . foreign policy? Where else could they breakfast with Sam Nunn, lunch with ,7eane Kirkpatrick and dine with Henry Kissinger? n U .S. foreign policy dis- cussions this fall, all roads led to the campus of the University of Oklahoma . J"Preparing America's Foreign Policy for the 21" Century" show- cased OU's new International Pro- grams Center. For the event, OU President David Boren and the center's director, former U .S . Am- bassador to the United Nations Ed- Members of the International Programs Center Board of Visitors, on campus for the ward J . Perkins, assembled the foreign policy conference, gathered for the advisory group's first official meeting in the center's Whitehand Hall conference room . year's most impressive array of dip- lomats : intelligence and national security experts ; economic, busi- ness and legal analysts ; scholars ; and journalists . director of't.he International Programs Center at OU . The three days of major addresses, roundtables and An invaluable preamble to the address of the second day's panel discussions-September 12, 15 and IA-attracted luncheon speaker, the ambassador to the United States approximately 6,000 individuals to 12 separate public from the People's Republic of China, Li Daoyu, was the panel events . In less structured environments, such as a reception, discussion, "The U . S. and Asia ." The panelists included two a private dinner, incidental encounters and late-night re- well-known authorities on China Jan C . Berris, vice presi- caps, the participants interacted with faculty, students . dent of the National Committee on U .S.-China Relations . University guests-and each other . and Professor Michel Oksenberg, senior fellow at Stanford The celebrity of the principal speakers guaranteed ven- University's Asia/Pacific Research Center-and U .S.-China ues filled to overflowing-former Secretary of State Henry relations specialist . Professor Dunren Zhou, of the Center A. Kissinger . former U .N . Ambassador Jeane J . Kirkpatrick, for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, former U .S. Senator Sam Nunn, economist Richard L . Sandor, China. Offering the perspective on Japan was Ambassador ,journalist and former presidential adviser David R . Gergen, Francis lMcNeil, senior advisor to the Pacific "Task Force of Chinese Ambassador to the United States Li Dayou, best- the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel . Discus- selling author and scholar Colleen McCullough . But the sants were OU professors Mikael S . Adolphson, history, and expertise at the roundtables provided some of the most Marl an Downey, J . Denny Bartell Professor of Geology and stimulating give-and-take, both among the panelists them- Geophysics. selves and with their audiences . Experts in international trade, business and finance In a laudatory post-conference Washington Post article, took center stage at the roundtable, "Trade Policy and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Jim Hoagland found the Preparing America's Economy for the 21"' Century," which knowledgeable and insightful questions from students, built on the preceding two days of speakers and discussions. faculty, community leaders and others to be the most in- Ambassador Clayton K. Yeutter, former U.S. trade repre- triguing part ofthe sessions-includingt.heone in which he sentative, chief U .S . trade negotiator and former secretary participated . "The State of the World as We Enter the 2l of agriculture, dealt with U.S. trade policy. John S . Wolf. Century" was moderated by Yale University's Larned Pro- U .S . ambassador to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation fessorofHistoryGaddisSmith . Hoagland shared the panel Forum, addressed trade organizations, while Wall Street with former U.S. ambassadors Perkins, James R . Jones and financier Michael F. Price's topic was the strengthening of Jack F . Matlock Jr., and Peter Rodman . director of National the U.S. economy for international competition . Kerr- Security Programs for the Nixon Center for Peace and McGee chairman, CEO and president Luke R . Corbett Freedom, Middle East . Discussants were former ambas- discussed the pluses and minuses of trade sanctions . Dis- sadors George C . McGhee and Edwin G . Corr. associate cussants were prominent Washington, D.C., attorneys W . Foreign l)oli A panel of diplomats and foreign policy experts discussed "The State of the World as We Enter the 21" Century," one of several roundtables that were part of the OU International Programs Center conference in September . National security expert Peter Rodman, from the Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom, joined five former ambassadors, a history professor and a journalist to discuss the state of the world at the dawn of a new century . Ounren Zhou, a specialist on U.S .-China relations at Fudan George C . McGhee, right, former assistant secretary of University in Shanghai, offered his perspective to the panel state and U .S . ambassador to Turkey and West Germany, discussion . "The U .S . and Asia," which also featured Michel was one of the roundtable discussants at the OU Foreign Oksenberg, left, from the Asia ./Pacific Research Center at Stanford . Policy Conference . 6 SOONER MAGAZINE for the 21St Century Below, OU President David Boren, left, opens a Foreign Policy Conference panel discussion featuring authorities on United States relations with Asia, in particular China and Japan . OU Business Dean Richard Cosier, left, moderated the roundtable addressing the issue of trade policy, with expert opinions coming from participants such as Ambassador Clayton K . Yeutter, right, former U .S . trade representative and chief trade negotiator and former secretary of agriculture . Jan C . Berris, right, original staffer to the historic "ping Wall Street fund manager Michael F . Price, an OU alumnus . gong" diplomacy in U.S--Chinese relations, was part of raised the issue of "Strengthening the U .S . Economy for the Foreign Policy panel discussing "The U .S . and Asia ." International Competition" during a Foreign Policy Conference At left is the director of OU's International Programs roundtable . At left is John S. Wolf, U .S . ambassador to the Center, Ambassador Edward Perkins . Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum . 1997 FALL 7 A reception in the Great Reading Room of Bizzell Memorial Library gave conference attendees, which included many students, the opportunity to meet participants, such as Henry Kissinger, left, and OU President David Boren . DeVier Pierson and Max N . Berry. Indicative of the unique nature and scope of this conference was the participation of the current CIA director and four former directors . True to the spirit of academic freedom-and to no one's surprise or consternation-a small group of demonstrators was on hand with their placards quietly protesting CIA activities and representation at the conference . "With 21,000 students, you would almost worry if there were not a few people who ex- pressed diversity," Boren commented . Former CIA Director William Webster agreed, recalling similar incidents on other campuses . "They just wanted to make a point . Orderly expressions are healthy and never bothered me ." Carol ,I. Burr The Conference Keynoter Kissinger, That single name, like that of others famous and infamous, conjures up notjust the physical image ofthe person who answers to it but also a host of more abstract associations . In the case of super diplomat and interna- tional scholar Henry Kissinger, those associations include everything from his trademark speech pattern-heavily accented and quite deliberately paced-to his extensive knowledge about all things related to foreign policy . As the keynoter delivering a pre-banquet speech at the University of Oklahoma's International Foreign Policy Conference, Kissinger captivated an overflow room of hun- gry people for almost an hour,- In his prepared text titled "The Architecture of an American Foreign Policy for the Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger shared his vision of 21st Century" and his answers to questions from students U .S. foreign policy for the next century with an overflow and guests, Kissinger shone in the beautifully redecorated audience in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom . Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom, sit.e of this and sev- eral other conference events . Using his dry wit and complete grasp of complex foreign policy issues in all regions of the world, Kissinger en- Expressing his profound admiration and respect for thralled an audience that included such dignitaries as Kissinger, Boren said, "The keynote speaker is a man who former presidential adviser and current "Lehrer News inrnany ways dominated intellectual leadership in the field Hour" commentator David Gergen, former CIA Director of foreign affairs and led the intellectual dialog about our Richard Helms and author and historian Colleen relations with other nations for approximately three dec- McCollough, also conference participants . ades." OLJ President David Boren delivered a powerful intro- Beginning with an anecdote made all the more humor- duction of Kissinger-whose resume includes the 1973 ous by its deadpan delivery . Kissinger thanked Boren for a Nobel Peace Prize, the 1977 Presidential Medal of Freedom glowing introduction and commented that such pre-speech and the 1986 Medal of Liberty . as well as an impressive list praise was both satisfying and anxiety-causing. of publications, most recently 1994's Diplomacy . Boren "Such an introduction puts me in the same position I noted Kissinger's years of service as the 56th secretary of found myself in at a reception," he said, "when a lady came state from 1973 to 1977 and as assistant to the president for up to me and said `I understand you are a fascinat.i rig."' man national security affairs from 1969 to 19 75, ending with the Kissinger paused foreffect before deliveringthe punch line .