Amb. Ted Osius & Amb. Kirk Wagar on multi-lateral relations between Vietnam, Singapore and the US. Moderated by George Dutton, director of the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

ABOUT THE TALK

Ambassador Ted Osius and Ambassador Kirk Wagar will join the UCLA Community for a discussion on multi-lateral relations between the Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Singapore and the United States, the impact of the TPP on trade and economics, and LGBT and human rights issues in the region.


ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

TED OSIUS is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, Ted Osius presented his credentials to President Sang on December 16, 2014, becoming the sixth U.S. ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Prior to his confirmation as ambassador, Mr. Osius was Associate Professor at the National War College and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Political Minister-Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India.

Mr. Osius also served as Deputy Director of the Office of Korean Affairs at the State Department, Regional Environment Officer for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and Senior Advisor on International Affairs at the Office of the Vice President. Early in his career, Mr. Osius helped open the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and was one of the first U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. He also served in the United Nations, the Holy See and the Philippines. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Osius worked in the Office of U.S. Senator Albert Gore, Jr., and as a Presidential Intern at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies.

KIRK WAGAR was sworn in as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore on September 4, 2013. Previously, he was Managing Partner of Wagar Law, P.A., a Miami-based law firm that focused on contract and insurance litigation. He served on the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee of the Export-Import Bank in 2010, and on the full Ex-Im Bank Advisory Committee for the 2011 and 2012 terms.

Mr. Wagar was the Florida Finance Chair for President Obama and a trustee of the inaugural committee in 2009 and 2013. Mr. Wagar also served as Florida Finance Chair for the Democratic National Committee for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign. He has been a member of the boards of the American Association for Justice, the Florida Justice Association, and the National Collegiate Conference Association, which is parent of the National Model United Nations and an NGO of the U.N. Mr. Wagar received a B.A. from Roberts Wesleyan College and a J.D. from the University of Miami.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

GEORGE DUTTON is the director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and a professor in the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. He specializes in early modern through early colonial Vietnamese history and teaches courses on early and contemporary Vietnam, and a range of courses in Southeast Asian Studies.

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Duration: 24:38

Published: Friday, March 11, 2016