演讲主题：The Role of Media in American Presidential Election 讲座嘉宾：David J.Firestein 讲座时间：2012年5月8日上午10:10 讲座地点：北京大学二教309室 讲座嘉宾介绍： Firestein is the author or co-author of three books on China,including two China-published bestsellers: Pacific Reflections:Essays on Chinese and American Society and Culture (1997); and Hereand There: 81 Conversations about China and America (2004). In 1995-1996, Firestein wrote a column for the Beijing Youth Daily; he was the first foreigner ever to have a column in a PRC newspaper.From 2000 to 2002, Firestein wrote over forty articles, mostly on U.S.politics and society, for Russian newspapers and magazines. In all,he has published some 130 articles in Chinese and Russian publications, including the Global Times, the China Youth Daily, the Legal Times, Noviye Izvestiya and other major periodicals. In the United States, Firestein’s recent commentary has appeared in the Dallas Morning News and the Austin American-Statesman. Firestein’s career highlights include domestic Foreign Service stints at the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (as deputy executive director and senior advisor), the State Department's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) office, and the China desk.From 2007 to 2009, Firestein was also an elected at-large member of the Board of Governors of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the Foreign Service's union and professional association; in this capacity, he represented about 9,000 State Department Foreign Service constituents. Among Firestein's major awards and honors are the 2006 "Secretary of State's Award for Public Outreach," MGIMO’s 2001 “Teaching Excellence Award,” the 1997 "Linguist of the Year Award" (for accomplishments in Mandarin Chinese in the U.S. Foreign Service), and designation, also in 1997, as one of Peking University's "50 Most Distinguished Foreign Alumni." Also in 1997, the Beijing Youth Daily described Firestein as “arguably the most influential American in China” with respect to how Chinese viewed the United States.