Private gala marks Baker Institute 20th anniversary
The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy will celebrate its 20th anniversary Nov. 8 with a private gala featuring former President George W. Bush, according to Ambassador Edward Djerejian, the institute's founding director.
According to the Baker Institute website, the gala will honor Hushang Ansary with the James A. Baker III Prize for Excellence in Leadership, an award given to individuals who have gained international recognition for their work in government, science or philanthropy.
Ansary has been active in both the private and public sectors. A native of Iran, Ansary has served in cabinet positions there, including as the minister of economy and minister of finance and economic affairs. He has also served as the ambassador to the United States. Ansary is also a founding member of the Baker Institute.
The event will also celebrate the Baker Institute's contribution to policy worldwide. According to a 2012 study by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, the Baker Institute ranks 13th among university-affiliated think tanks worldwide.
"At that event, we'll be recognizing all of our fellows and our scholars, as well as our student forums and student internship exchanges," Djerejian said. "The overall goal of this event is to commemorate symbolically the 20th year of an institute that has arisen really from a very small operation."
Djerejian, who served as a diplomat in the United States government for 32 years, said the Baker Institute has been highlighting its research over the course of 2013 in order to commemorate the anniversary. He said the institute focuses on several areas of research, including international economics, energy, health policy, space policy and Middle East relations.
According to Djerejian, the Baker Institute first opened its doors in 1994, modeling itself after some of the best think tanks in the world. However, the founders focused on making the research relevant to Houston and Rice students; energy policy was chosen to be the first topic of research because the energy industry is integral not only to public policy, but also to Houston's economy. The founders also incorporate space and health policy into the institute's research because of the proximity of NASA and the Texas Medical Center.
Djerejian said Rice students are an integral part of the institute, and said he encourages them to engage in the discussions, forums and debates at the Baker Institute. According to Djerejian, the Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program offered by the institute is one of the most rewarding internships offered by Rice, allowing students to actively participate in the federal government.
"It's difficult to create something new in any institutional structure in academia, and it takes a lot of reaching out, listening and forming productive collaborations with faculty, students and administration," Djerejian said. "We had a very, very [difficult] challenge: What were we going to do here at Rice in Houston to become a premier think tank? Our vision was a very high one: that we would be a bridge between the world of ideas and the world of action [by] bringing together scholars, statements and students."
The celebration of the anniversary will continue Nov. 9 with the event Club Berlin. According to the Baker Institute Anniversary website, this event will honor James A. Baker III's contribution to the fall of the Berlin Wall, with honorary event chairs Jenna Hager Bush and Henry Hager. The event will feature a more casual dress code of "Punk-Chic: Chaos to Cocktails," and New York City-based DJ KISS.
Tickets to the gala start at $1,500, and tickets to Club Berlin cost $100. Both can be purchased online.
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