University of Denver Renames International Studies School in Honor of Founder Josef Korbel

Renaming captures the influential teachings of Korbel-- father of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright--and signals the Josef Korbel School of International Studies' continuing commitment to shape global leaders.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 28, 2008 -- The greatest tributes to a teacher are the accomplishments of those inspired by his ideas and visions. The legacy of Josef Korbel is unique--he educated two Secretaries of State, his daughter Madeleine K. Albright and Condoleezza Rice--as well as scores of others who are carrying on his tradition, and that of the school now named in his honor.

The culmination of Korbel's lifelong journey was marked May 28, 2008, as the University of Denver Graduate School of International Studies, founded by the former Czechloslovak diplomat in 1964, was renamed the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. The school's mission continues to be dedicated to preparing talented and idealistic students for careers of distinction in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

just as he was grateful and proud to be a member of the University of Denver community.

"My father was a diplomat, a scholar and an educator. His lifelong dedication to democracy and the quest for knowledge lives on in the school of international studies that will now bear his name. I am sure he would be both grateful and proud of this recognition," said Albright, "just as he was grateful and proud to be a member of the University of Denver community."

The Josef Korbel School's professional master's degree program is one of the 10 best in the United States according to a survey released by Foreign Policy magazine. It is among the elite in the world for the study of international human rights, development, health and humanitarian assistance, international and homeland security, and the political economy of investment and trade. The program ranked ninth ahead of Yale, the University of Chicago, the University of Southern California and the University of California at San Diego. The biennial survey was conducted by researchers at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, who reviewed international relations programs at 1,199 four-year colleges in the U.S.

The school's rich legacy includes a long list of prominent graduates. In addition to Secretary Rice, the list includes: Heraldo Munoz, the current Ambassador to the United Nations for Chile; Gen. George Casey, Jr., chief of staff of the United States Army; Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations; Susan Waltz, the former chair of Amnesty International's International Executive Committee; Pierre-Michel Fontaine, the former director of the Office the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Jami Miscik, Global Head of Sovereign Risk, Lehman Brothers and former Deputy Director for Intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency; Thomas Stauffer, president, CEO and professor of Management at American University in Afghanistan; and Masoumah Al-Mubarak, minister of Health for Kuwait and the first woman to hold a cabinet position.

"The Josef Korbel School of International Studies is a global leader in producing practical idealists equipped with the broad perspectives, critical minds, and technical skills required for careers of distinction in the public, private and non-profit sectors of today's integrated world," said Tom Farer, dean of the Josef Korbel School. "In their commitment to the public good, no less than their personal success, the school's graduates personify the legacy of Josef Korbel."

Josef Korbel was born in Czechoslovakia in 1909. His political activities and his Jewish heritage forced him to flee to London after the Nazi invasion in 1939. While in London, he served as an advisor to the exiled Czechoslovak president. After the war, Korbel returned to his homeland where he was appointed the Czechoslovak ambassador to Yugoslavia. In 1948, Korbel and his family took refuge in the United States following the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia. In 1949, he began teaching international affairs at the University of Denver and in 1964 he founded the Graduate School of International Studies and became its first dean. He died in 1977, but his memory and his ideals endure.

The University of Denver (www.du.edu), the oldest private university in the Rocky Mountain region, enrolls approximately 11,117 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Denver as a Research University with high research activity.

New Details on US Terror Network

New Details on US Terror Network

The Information Ministry on Saturday issued a communiquŽ releasing new details about discovering and busting a terrorist group affiliated to the US.
According to IRNA, the statement noted that intelligence officials foiled the terrorist group and gained valuable information about its organization in America.
“The Information Ministry discovered reliable documents pertaining to special centers in the US and Israel, and their cooperation with anti-Iran terrorist networks. Complementary investigation about the group, which officially has an anti-religious stance, is continuing. Results will be made available to the people of Iran in a few days,“ the statement noted
It also said that in tandem with the interrogations, international legal and diplomatic measures will be taken against the US and UK by “competent centers“.
The statement underlined that evidence showed that the US had equipped the group with chemicals, explosives and cyanide.
“The group is responsible for the recent explosion in Shiraz mosque. In this merciless crime, several innocent children of Iran were injured or martyred,“ it said.
The communiquŽ also recalled that the terrorist group intended to plant bombs in the Tehran International Book Fair and a few scientific, educational and religious centers, and also create insecurity in the densely-populated cities of the country.
It also said the members of the terrorist network were identified and arrested in Fars, Khuzestan, Gilan, West Azarbaijan and Tehran provinces on May 7.
“One member of the group was killed during the operations and other members are under custody,“ it said.
The announcement emphasized that the main goal of the group was to create fear and intimidation.
“Terrorist acts against the Russian Consulate in Gilan and explosion of oil pipelines in southern Iran were also among their targets. That’s why American centers had planned scuba diving training for the group to target undersea oil pipelines in the Persian Gulf,“ it said.

International Anti-Terrorism Drive Needed

Int’l Anti-Terrorism Drive Needed

Alaeddin Boroujerdi

Lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi called for international cooperation for restricting terrorism worldwide.
Boroujerdi made the remark in the inaugural ceremony of the International Conference of Kalkan in Tehran on Tuesday, which is Interpol’s anti-terrorism initiative in Central Asia, IRNA reported.
Noting that unilateral or bilateral efforts by particular countries are not sufficient in this respect, the lawmaker said, “If the phenomenon of terrorism is considered an international challenge, political and governmental means needed for dealing with it.“
Kalkan is the name of a plan for fighting international terrorism and 20 to 22 countries from North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia participate in it. “Although there are efforts to fight international terrorism by governments and global organizations, the responses to the ominous phenomenon are insufficient,“ he said.
Pointing to the establishment of conventions for fighting terrorism, he mentioned that more efforts and planning are needed to confront the phenomenon in line with the growth of international terrorism and its role in the world.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has been a victim of terrorist acts, but the terrorist groups have been given safe haven in western countries,“ he said.
Boroujerdi further said current developments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are obvious examples of terrorism and organized crimes, and that Israeli state terrorism targeted the Palestinian activists as well. “Terrorism is not limited to national and trans-national borders, because it has increased alongside globalization,“ he said, adding that no government or region is immune from the threat of sabotages and terrorist acts.