A dramatic view of the chandelier hanging in Doré Commons at the Baker Institute.
It’s been a terrific and exciting year at the Baker Institute. We are proud of the hard work by our fellows, scholars and staff, and grateful to our Roundtable and other supporters who make this all possible.
Highlights of 2009 include the “America and China: The Next Thirty Years” conference, which featured former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Our “German Unification: Expectations and Outcomes” event included a panel discussion with some of the key policymakers and diplomats involved in the reunification talks following the fall of the Berlin Wall, including former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, and former Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze. You can access webcasts for both, as well as webcasts from other events, by clicking here.
Our scholarly programs were also busy. Our nationally renowned Energy Forum hosted events in Russia and Washington unveiling new research on energy dynamics in Russia and the Caspian States. Scholars from across the Middle East convened in Qatar to attend a conference organized by our International Stem Cell Policy Program. Here in Houston, institute fellows and scholars examined a host of issues, ranging from the U.S.-Mexico border to health care reform and protecting the nation’s computer systems.
As the year closes, we want to thank our many blog supporters and participants. A key part of our mission at the Baker Institute is to engage the public and bridge the gap between theory and practice of public policy. We look forward to a productive 2010, and hope to see many of you back here then.