German ambassador to US to speak at Rice’s Baker Institute May 11

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

German ambassador to US to speak at Rice’s Baker Institute May 11

HOUSTON – (May 5, 2016) – Peter Wittig, Germany’s ambassador to the United States, will speak on “The Importance of Trans-Atlantic Relations: Challenges of a World in Turmoil” at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy May 11.

PETER WITTIG

Co-sponsored by the Baker Institute and the Consulate General of Germany in Houston, the event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Who: Peter Wittig, German ambassador to the U.S.          

The Baker Institute’s director, Ambassador Edward Djerejian, will give welcoming and introductory remarks.

What: A presentation on “The Importance of Trans-Atlantic Relations: Challenges of a World in Turmoil.”

When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

Wittig has served as the ambassador of Germany to the U.S. since April 2014. Prior to this appointment, he was the country’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York and represented Germany during its tenure as a member of the United Nations Security Council in 2011 and 2012. There, he drew on his wide expertise in U.N. matters, having previously served as director-general for United Nations and Global Issues at the German Foreign Office in Berlin. Wittig joined the German Foreign Service in 1982. He has served at the embassy in Madrid, as a private secretary to the foreign minister and as an ambassador to Lebanon and to Cyprus. Before starting his career in the German Foreign Service, Wittig studied history, political science and law at Bonn, Freiburg, Canterbury and Oxford universities. He also taught as an assistant professor at the University of Freiburg.

The public must register to attend this event at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/1792.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

-30-

Follow the Baker Institute via Twitter @BakerInstitute.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top five university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.