The National Foreign Language Center and National Security Education

Friday, January 11, 2002

The National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland and the National Security Education Program, the nation?s leading language policy institute and federal education program dedicated to improving the language ability of the federal work force, will sponsor a briefing on language and national security. The event will take place at the National Press Club, on January 16, at 8:30 a.m.

Reacting to FBI Director Robert Mueller?s plea for language volunteers immediately following the September 11th attacks, the briefing will establish the critical need for language learning to stem the war on terrorism. Leaders from the intelligence, defense, diplomatic and education communities will reveal that deficiencies in language resources are glaring, and that the United States has yet to formulate a long-term solution to the problem, relying instead on temporary remedies that prove ineffective time and again.

Chaired by James Collins, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (1997-2001), the briefing will provide legislators and the media with strategies for dealing with this long-neglected and increasingly dangerous problem. Key officials will outline language needs, difficulties in recruiting and training skilled linguists for federal service, and resources available in lower and higher education. Participants include Ellen Laipson of the National Intelligence Council, CDR Edward Kane of the U.S. Navy, John Campbell of the State Department, Everette Jordan of the Department of Defense, Ray Clifford of the Defense Language Institute, J. David Edwards of the Joint National Committee for Languages, and Gilbert Merkx of Duke University.

The briefing will start at 9:00 a.m. in the First Amendment Room of the National Press Club, located at 529 14th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. A continental breakfast will be served beginning at 8:30. If you wish to attend, please contact the National Foreign Language Center at 202.637.8881, extension 11. For detailed information about the briefing, please contact Susan Weissman at 301.656.7408, or via e-mail at sbweissman@aol.com.