International Affairs Expert to Answer 'How Unstable is Pakistan?'

HARRISONBURG – Professor Victor Bulmer-Thomas, director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House from 2000-2006, will speak at James Madison University on "How Unstable is Pakistan?" Admission to his presentation is free and open to the public. 

DATE: Friday, Jan. 18, 2008 
TIME: Noon 
LOCATION: Room 309, Taylor Hall 

Bulmer-Thomas will discuss the tragic political events in Pakistan and the repercussions of the current situation for the United States and the international community. He will explore the recent events surrounding Benazir Bhutto's assassination as well as the possible scenarios he envisions for the region. Bulmer-Thomas' JMU presentation is sponsored by the JMU English Department. 

In addition to his six-year tenure as director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Bulmer-Thomas has served as director at the Institute of Latin American Studies, a consultant for the European Commission, a consultant for the Agency of International Development and a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank. 

His most recent publications include two articles in The World Today – "Targeting Terrorism" and "Pro- and Anti-Americanism in Britain: With them or Against Them?" In addition, he has also written "The Economic History of Latin America since Independence" (1994), "Studies in the Economics of Central America" (1988) and edited "Regional Integration in Latin America and the Caribbean: the Political Economy of Open Regionalism" (2001), "Thirty Years of Latin American Studies in the United Kingdom" (1997) and "The New Economic Model in Latin America and its Impact on Income Distribution and Poverty" (1996). 

Currently, Bulmer-Thomas is an invited professor at Florida International University.