The Tate Lecture Series will present the Turner Construction/Wachovia Student Forum and The Gregg and Molly Engles Lecture today. The two programs feature the current U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Clark T. Randt, Jr.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, various reporters and TV personalities continually referred to the games as China’s coming out party. And who would disagree? The opening and closing ceremonies were jaw-dropping and the venues were incredible, not to mention China’s accumulation of over fifty gold medals. It was an incredible show, and it got the world’s attention, if it did not already have it.

China has a population of 1.3 billion people, roughly one-fifth of the world’s population, its importance to the U.S. and world economy cannot be ignored, and its political influence is growing.

Clark T. Randt, Jr. is the longest serving U.S. ambassador to China. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on April 30, 2001, and confirmed by the Senate on July 11.

In 1974, Randt was appointed as the China representative of the National Council for United States-China Trade. From 1982-84, Randt lived in Beijing and served as First Secretary and Commercial Attache at the U.S. Embassy. He then headed the substantial international law firm Shearman & Sterling for the next 18 years before being appointed to his current position as Ambassador. Randt is largely recognized as an expert in Chinese law.

The Turner Construction/Wachovia Student Forum will be at 4:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom. Admission is free and seating will be provided on a first come, first served basis. To guarantee seating, please arrive by 4:15 p.m.

For the evening lecture, students should go to the basement of McFarlin Auditorium with their SMU IDs at 7 p.m. Backpacks are prohibited. Dress is business casual.