September 8, 1997

Middlebury College’s Geonomics

Institute Links Corporations with Qualified Job Candidates at

Moscow Conference

Serving as a bridge between

U.S. and Russian high-level business, government and academic

leaders, Middlebury Collegeís non-profit Geonomics Institute

will participate in the celebration of Moscowís 850th anniversary

by hosting a business and career forum September 19-20 at Moscow’s

Olympic Penta Renaissance Hotel. The event is presented with

the support of the United States Information Agency (U.S.I.A.).

The forum will examine the

cityís economy and its potential for investment and development.

Focused workshops also will provide career development training

for aspiring employees of U.S., Russian and multi-national organizations

doing business there.

Speakers and panelists range

from James F. Collins, the new U.S. ambassador to Russia, and

Moscow mayor Yuri M. Luzhkov to Peter Charow, president of the

American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, and Mark D. Shaver, general

manager of Coca-Cola Refreshments Moscow, Coca-Cola’s distributor

in the greater Moscow area. The event will serve as ambassador

Collinsí first major speech to the U.S. and Russian business

communities. Middlebury College President John M. McCardell,

Jr. also will speak on the long relationship between the College

and Moscow, where the Middlebury Russian School is celebrating

its 20th anniversary.

According to Kathryn Wittneben,

president of the Geonomics Institute, ìThe forum will help

businesses that have an interest in investing in the former Soviet

Union to explore opportunities there and to find employees with

the right qualifications, including language skills.î

ìInvestment is crucial

to the creation of a strong economy in Moscow, which benefits

both U.S. business and American employees who gain work experience

there,î added Wittneben.

The first day of the event,

ìMoscow in the New Millennium,î will focus on the

cityís position as a growing center for investment and

employment. Serving as panelists, top leaders of U.S. corporations,

including Patrick Durkin, manager of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenretteís

international banking group, and Jack A. Barbanel, president and

chief executive officer of Sector Capital, will join representatives

from Russian government and business to discuss U.S. investment

in Moscow.

During the second day of the

event, ìOpportunities and Skills for the New Millennium,î

forum guests will have a chance to attend both a job fair and

practical career workshops. The job fair will offer representatives

from U.S., Russian, multinational businesses and other organizations

the opportunity to meet prospective employees and recent students

face-to-face. Career workshops will range in topic from such

hands-on skills as resume writing and Internet access to the ìImportance

of Professional Networking,î led by Deborah E. Klepp, second

secretary of the U.S. embassy in Moscow. Michael A. Tappan, chairman

of Ward Howell Russia/Ward Howell International, a leading worldwide

executive search firm also will conduct a workshop entitled “Career

Opportunities.”

For this portion of the forum,

Geonomics expects to attract approximately 150 well qualified

young prospective employees from Russia, the former Soviet Union,

and the U.S. All are alumni of one­year undergraduate exchange

programs funded by the U.S.I.A., the American Collegiate Consortium,

or Middlebury College. As students, each of them has lived and

studied for a year either in the U.S. (Russians and other citizens

of the former Soviet Union) or, in the case of the Americans,

in the former Soviet Union. The year abroad familiarized them

with either Russian or U.S. language, culture and business practices.

Individuals and corporations

are welcome to participate in the Geonomics anniversary program.

To register, or for further information, please contact Geonomics

Institute at tel: 802­443­2300, fax: 802­443­2050,

or e­mail: <geonomic@middlebury.edu>.