2011 Mestenhauser Lecture

Cultural Diplomacy and International Understanding

Dr. Richard Arndt
Author, "The First Resort of Kings: American Cultural Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century"

Friday, November 11, 2011
3M Auditorium, Carlson School of Management

The lecture was organized by the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance. Cosponsored by the Carlson School of Management, the College of Education and Human Development, and the Minnesota International Center.

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About the speaker

Dr. Richard Arndt is an academic turned diplomat and an expert in the area of cultural diplomacy. He is the author of "The First Resort of Kings: American Cultural Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century." He began his diplomatic career after leaving his professorship in 18th-century French literature at Columbia University in 1961. His start in cultural diplomacy was with the U.S. Information Agency and the Department of State, where he served as U.S. Cultural Attache in Beirut, Colombo (Sri Lanka), Tehran, Rome, and Paris, and in various positions with USIA and State. On retirement in 1985, he served as Diplomat in Residence at the University of Virginia (1986-89) where he also directed mid-career educational programs and joined the permanent faculty of the Center for the Study of Mind and Human Interaction. He then taught at the George Washington University (1992-94). He served on numerous boards, including the National Peace Foundation, Fulbright Association, the Council of International Programs, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. He is Founding President of the Roth Endowment, honoring his late wife and fellow cultural diplomat Lois W. Roth.

Cultural Diplomacy and International Understanding

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