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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, September 7, 2006

Wise to speak at Ukraine conference in Washington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2006

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Charles Wise, professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, will address U.S. federal government policy makers and analysts tomorrow (Sept. 8) at a conference entitled "Prospects for Reform Under the New Ukrainian Cabinet and Rada." The one-day conference is co-sponsored by the Intelligence and Research Bureau of the U.S. Department of State and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Wise will discuss the prospects for the passage of reform legislation in the new Ukrainian Parliament and participate as part of a panel addressing party development and civil society in the Ukraine. These prospects depend on the outcome of several developments, including the final make-up of the Majority Coalition, Wise said.

"The President's political party, Our Ukraine, is still negotiating over possibly joining the existing majority coalition which consists of the Regions, Communist and Socialist parties," Wise said. "If Our Ukraine is able to secure the agreement of the other parties to the President's core priorities, a larger coalition will result that could potentially pass legislation. However, the cohesiveness of the parties remains in question, and various issue-by-issue party coalitions are more likely to result than a continuing coalition majority which always votes together. "

Wise is a SPEA professor who began working with Ukraine in 1991. Since 1994, he has served as project director of the Parliamentary Development Project (PDP) for Ukraine. The PDP has provided non-partisan assistance to factions and committees of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukraine for over 10 years. PDP is an international project implementing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Democratic Parliamentary Strengthening Program in the Ukraine.

The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) organizes conferences to solicit the views of nongovernmental specialists and to facilitate the exchange of views between those specialists and government officials.

The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, located on eight campuses, focuses on curriculum and research that are distinguished by a vigorous interdisciplinary approach to education and problem-solving. It is committed to teaching, research and service in areas such as public and nonprofit management, public policy, environmental science, criminal justice, arts administration and health administration. The school maintains continuing relationships with a large number of public agencies at all levels of government; public and private hospitals and health organizations; and nonprofit organizations and corporations in the private sector. SPEA has earned national distinction for innovative educational programs and was ranked in the top three graduate programs in its field in 2002's U.S. News and World Report.

To speak with Wise, call 812-855-9744 or 812-320-4045, or email wise@indiana.edu.

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