Madeleine Albright joins Davidson Institute at Business School

Former Secretary of State to Lead Institute’s Efforts on Convergence of Democratization, Human Rights and Economic Development in Emerging Markets

ANN ARBOR—B. Joseph White, dean of the University of Michigan Business School and president of the William Davidson Institute, announced today that former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will join the Institute as its first Distinguished Scholar, effective
“Economic development in emerging markets is heavily dependent on those countries’ success in democratization and human rights—no issue could be more significant to their long-term development and to our own future,” Albright said. “My association with the William Davidson Institute represents a remarkable convergence of my own interests in developing economically viable democracies based on the rule of law and human rights with the Institute’s extensive knowledge and expertise assisting governments, policymakers and firms in developing economies as they transition to market-driven economies.”

“We are honored to have former Secretary Albright join the William Davidson Institute,” White said. “She is a scholar and policymaker of the first order. Her expertise in fostering democratization and institution building is the perfect complement to the Institute’s expertise in economic and business elements of emerging market economies around the world. The two go hand in hand.”

“Secretary Albright has experienced firsthand many of the economic challenges the William Davidson Institute works to resolve,” said Lee C. Bollinger, president of the University of Michigan. “On behalf of the University of Michigan, I am proud to welcome Secretary Albright to our community. The William Davidson Institute and the important work done there is a point of pride for us all.”

Albright earned her doctorate in Public Law and Government and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in international affairs, U.S. foreign policy, Russian foreign policy and Central and Eastern European politics. As the Davidson Institute’s Distinguished Scholar, she will chair an annual policy conference in Washington D.C. The conference will convene senior public and private policymakers and international academic experts to discuss vital emerging market issues, including the forces and effects of globalization.

In addition, Albright will spend several weeks each year in Ann Arbor at the Davidson Institute headquarters, located at the University of Michigan Business School. There she will interact with students and scholars from the Davidson Institute, the Business School and the University of Michigan community as well as the Davidson Institute’s global network of scholars, government officials and business and community leaders. “Together, we will strengthen the Institute’s outreach to policymakers around the globe who are grappling with the vital political dimensions of business and economic development,” White added.

About the William Davidson Institute

The William Davidson Institute is a leading center of expertise on business and economic development in emerging market economies. Its faculty and student affiliates are actively engaged in research, education and business assistance in transition and emerging market economies around the world, including China, Vietnam, Russia, Central Europe, southern Africa and Latin America. The Davidson Institute’s executive director is Professor Jan Svejnar, a Princeton-trained economist who has worked extensively in developing economies and advised policymakers and business leaders in the Czech Republic and Central and Eastern Europe. With a global network of more than 150 faculty affiliates, the Institute conducts conferences and workshops on business and economic issues in emerging market economies, and provides business assistance to private firms and state-owned enterprises around the world in cooperation with the University of Michigan Business School.

Founded in 1992 by Guardian Industries Corp. and named in honor of its owner, chairman and CEO, William Davidson, the Institute is a nonprofit, independent institute headquartered at the University of Michigan Business School in Ann Arbor. It was established with a gift of $30 million-at that time the largest gift ever given any business school, public or private. Davidson, a 1947 graduate of the University of Michigan Business School, also is the owner of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association and Palace Sports and Entertainment.

Mr. Davidson added, “My vision is that the William Davidson Institute will help forge a path for those responsible for economic change in transitional and emerging markets by providing the knowledge, methods and blueprints for a successful transition to a market economy.”

About Madeleine K. Albright

Madeleine K. Albright served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. From 1993 to 1997, Albright was the United States’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations and a member of President Clinton’s Cabinet and National Security Council. Previously, she was president of the Center for National Policy, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a Senior Fellow in Soviet and Eastern European Affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. From 1982 to 1992, Albright was a Research Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Albright earned her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and her master’s degree and doctorate from Columbia University. In addition to working on her memoirs and speaking, Albright is currently developing business opportunities and serving as chairman of the National Democratic Institute.

For more information, contact:

B. Joseph White, Dean, University of Michigan Business School, President, William Davidson Institute,
Madeleine K. Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of State, Distinguished Scholar, William Davidson Institute,
Jan Svejnar, Executive Director, William Davidson Institute,
Brent Chrite, Managing Director, William Davidson Institute,

B. Joseph WhiteLee C. BollingerJan SvejnarGuardian Industries Corp.Center for National Policy