David Newsom Interview: Conversations with History; Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

Reflections of a Diplomat: 
    Conversation with Ambassador David D. Newsom, former Undersecretary of State, 
    6/13/02 by Harry Kreisler

Page 4 of 4

Conclusion

If students sought your advice about how to prepare for the future, what would your thoughts be?

How to prepare themselves for a career future?

Yes. How they should prepare to think about the world, in order to engage it in whatever field they're in?

I would advise any student of whatever the profession going into this century to set aside some time to read about and understand the world beyond our shores, because that world is going to continually impinge upon whatever we do. We are an insular people and we have a tendency to dismiss foreign societies as strange and difficult to comprehend. Ambassador Newsom meets with Leopold Senghor, the first president of Senegal (c. 1970)So I would say, whether they're in engineering or medicine or whatever, the extent that they can encourage in their universities studies of international relations and the world beyond our shores will be to their advantage in the future.

I get the sense, in reflecting back on your life, that that trip you took after you graduated was something that changed your life and made you understand the world better.

It certainly made me more interested in the world.

Ambassador Newsom, on that note, I want to thank you very much for being with us today and reflecting on your life and your work. Thank you.

It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you.

Thank you. And thank you very much for joining us for this Conversation with History.

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