Asia Society Celebrates 60: A Reflection on 60 Years of Building Understanding
VIEW EVENT DETAILSAsia Society was founded in New York on June 28, 1956, and entrusted with the mission to build bridges of understanding between the peoples of Asia and the United States. It was a mission grounded in John D. Rockefeller III’s profound impression—after numerous trips to Asia in the 1940s and 1950s—that Americans poorly understood the cultures of the region’s nations and peoples he had come to know. Today, Asia Society is a global organization with 12 centers across Asia, the U.S., and Europe. In Houston, Asia Society Texas Center has executed the global mission with a local focus for more than 35 years, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of the city through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.
Join Asia Society for a special panel discussion with former Asia Society Global President Dr. Vishakha Desai, Asia Society Global Trustee Charles Rockefeller, and former Asia Society Texas Center Chairmen Charles C. Foster and Roger W. Wallace. Executive Vice President of Asia Society Global Tom Nagorski will moderate this program reflecting on highlights from the organization's past 60 years.
Schedule
11:30 am | Registration
12:00 pm | Lunch and Program
Related Links
60 on 60: Asia Society Celebrates Six Decades in Photographs
Asia Society Celebrates 60 Years of Building Bridges Between the U.S. and Asia
John D. Rockefeller III, the Asia Society, and 60 Years
About the Panelists
Dr. Vishakha Desai is Senior Advisor for Global Affairs to the President of Columbia University and Senior Research Scholar at its School of International and Public Affairs. She also serves as Senior Advisor for Global Programs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. From 1990 through 2012, Dr. Desai served in various capacities at Asia Society Global, ranging from being Director if its museum, to being the President and CEO of the organization from 2004. A noted scholar of Asian Art, Dr. Desai is well known for her leadership in presenting contemporary Asian art to American audiences and in developing innovative approaches to the relationship between culture and foreign policy in Asia. In addition to featured articles, and numerous editorials, Dr. Desai’s major publications include: Asian Art History in the 21st Century (March 2008), Gods Guardians and Lovers: Temple Sculpture of North India (November 1993), and Life at Court: Art for India’s Rulers (June 1985). A recipient of five honorary degrees, Dr. Desai holds a B.A. in Political Science from Bombay University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Asian Art History from the University of Michigan.
Charles C. Foster is Chairman of Foster LLP (formerly Tindall & Foster, P.C.), one of the largest global immigration law firms. He is also the honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Thailand. A native of Galveston, Mr. Foster received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. Mr. Foster serves as the founding Chairman of the State Bar of Texas Immigration and Nationality Law Section and a Board member and is past national President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Chairman of the American Bar Association Coordinating Committee on Immigration law and Vice Chairman of the Houston Bar Foundation. During the 2000 Presidential Campaign, Mr. Foster served as the principal advisor to President Bush on U. S. immigration policy and was an advisor on immigration policy issues to President Bush in the 2004 campaign and President Barack Obama in the 2008 campaign. In the 2016 campaign, he served as immigration policy advisor to Jeb Bush. He is Chairman of Americans for Immigration Reform, a 501(c)(3) affiliate of the Greater Houston Partnership and the GHP’s Immigration Task Force. He is immediate past Chairman of the Asia Society Texas Center and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston. He is a past Chairman of the Houston International Festival and past President of the Houston Forum and the Houston Club. Mr. Foster is married to Lily Foster and they have two children.
Charles Rockefeller is the Head of Partnerships and East Coast Business Development for Composite Apps, Inc. Composite Apps is a digital consulting company that specializes in applying a combination of mobile technology, user experience, and advanced analytics to solve real-world business problems. Prior to this role, Rockefeller was a co-founder at LearnerX and Halio Health, innovation companies that create science-based, technology-enabled products and services to help people develop practical habits to improve their lives. In 2013 Rockefeller received a master degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania, while concurrently earning three certificates from the Wharton School of Business. Rockefeller also has a master degree from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Previously, Rockefeller worked as a marketing manager at sothebys.amazon.com and then in the Global Private Client Group at Sotheby’s, Inc., where he created a loyalty program for Asian clients. A graduate of Stanford University, Rockefeller is a Trustee of Historic Hudson Valley and Asia Society as well as a member of the President’s Council of the University of Tokyo.
Roger W. Wallace serves as Senior Advisor to Pioneer Natural Resources Co; he retired as Pioneer’s Vice President of Federal Policy in May. Prior to his work with Pioneer he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Investamex, which he co-founded in 1993. Mr. Wallace was the Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico during the NAFTA negotiations and served as Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce under President George H.W. Bush. Prior to his Washington service, he served as Deputy Director of the Texas Department of Commerce. Mr. Wallace is Co-Chair of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute Advisory Board and is a member of the Board of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation. He is a former Chair of the Inter-American Foundation where he continues to serve as a Board Member. Mr. Wallace is a founder of the Asia Society Texas Center and served as its first Chairman. Mr. Wallace received a bachelor's degree from Washington and Lee University and a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy with post-graduate work at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.
About the Moderator
Tom Nagorski became Executive Vice President of the Asia Society Global following a three-decade career in journalism — having served most recently as Managing Editor for International Coverage at ABC News. Before that he was Foreign Editor for World News Tonight, and a reporter and producer based in Russia, Germany and Thailand. Nagorski was the recipient of eight Emmy awards and the Dupont Award for excellence in international coverage, as well as a fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation. He has written for several publications and is the author of Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-Boat Attack. Nagorski lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.
Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, The Rockefeller Foundation, United Airlines, and Vinson & Elkins LLP are presenting sponsors of Business & Policy programs, with lead support from BP America, and East West Bank. Generous funding also provided by the Friends of Business & Policy at Asia Society Texas Center, a premier group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.
Presenting Sponsors
Program Sponsors
Event Details
Asia Society Texas Center 1370 Southmore Blvd Houston, TX 77004