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Deborah Avant Named to SIÉ CHÉOU-KANG Endowed Chair

Deborah Avant has been named the inaugural holder of the SIÉ CHÉOU-KANG Center for International Security and Diplomacy Endowed Chair at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Avant most recently was a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of California at Irvine.

“I am so pleased that Deborah will be the first holder of the SIÉ CHÉOU-KANG Endowed Chair,” Ambassador Christopher Hill, dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, says. He notes Avant will play a pivotal role in strengthening DU’s reputation and leadership in international security, while continuing personal research and publication.

The chair was made possible by a generous gift from Anna and John J. Sie in memory of Ambassador Sié Chéou-Kang — John’s father. The elder Sie was a diplomat, educator, author and playwright who spent much of his adult life in Europe forging relationships on behalf of China. He held the position of Chinese Cultural Ambassador to several European countries including Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy and served as the diplomatic envoy from the Republic of China to the Vatican, where he developed personal close ties with Popes Pius XII, John XXIII and Paul VI.

 “It is with great pride that we name Deborah Avant to this inaugural chair named for my father.  We hope to continue growing Sié Chéou-Kang’s legacy by building the Sié Chéou-Kang Center as a focal point for international security relations,” says Sié.

Avant earned her doctorate degree in international relations from the University of California, San Diego, where she also received her graduate and undergraduate degree in political science. She is author of three books and numerous peer-reviewed articles, including the recently published book Who Governs the Globe? (Cambridge University Press, 2010).

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