U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) Chicago Conference - Caspian geopolitics and the Azerbaijani-Americans during the Obama Administration

U.S.Azeris Network (USAN) Chicago Conference – (location to be announced)
Friday, December 4, 2009

Location: Chicago Kent College of Law
First Floor Event Room
565 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60661 

DRAFT PROGRAM
 
Caspian geopolitics and the Azerbaijani-Americans during the Obama Administration
 
(Suggested length of each speech: 10 minutes. Maximum: 12 minutes. Q&A: 30 minutes)
 
9:45am – Registration and coffee
 
10:00am– Opening of the USAN conference – welcoming remarks by the USAN Managing Director
 
10:08am – Illinois Governor Proclamation
10:09am – Mayor of Chicago Letter
 
10:10am – 11:35am - Session I: U.S. and Azerbaijan: Caspian geopolitics during the Obama Administration
- Panel chair – Dr. Adil Baguirov, USAN Managing Director
- Consul Elman Abdullayev, Deputy Chief of Mission, Republic of Azerbaijan Consulate General in Los Angeles
- Dr. George Van Dusen, Mayor of Skokie, IL, and professor at Oakton Community College
- Prof. Elkhan Nuriyev, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS), Baku, Azerbaijan
 
11:35am-11:40am – Coffee break
 
11:40pm – 1:00pm - Session II: History, music and culture
- Panel chair – Mehriban Afandiyeva, USAN Board Director, Northern Region (Chicago)
- Prof. Harry Lepinske, Central Asian Productivity Research Center (CAPRC)
- Prof. Inna Naroditskaya, Northwestern University, School of Music
- Prof. Holly Shissler, University of Chicago
 
1:00pm-2:00pm - Traditional Azerbaijani Lunch
 
2:00pm – 2:05 – PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: U.S. Census Bureau
 
2:05pm – 2:55 - Session III: Trade and international relations and links
- Panel chair – USAN Board Director
- Suleyman Sozeri, Office of the Commercial Attache, Turkish Consulate General in Chicago
- Asad Hayauddin, Consul (Trade and Commerce), Commercial Section, Consulate of Pakistan
- Bill Yoshino, Midwest Director, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
- Rizwan Kadir, President, Pakistan Club, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

 
3:00 – 4:00 - Session IV: Grassroots advocacy and congressional relations. A roundtable Session: Azerbaijani-American Diaspora Today - grassroots advocacy and growing political activism by Azerbaijani-American Diaspora: lessons learned and looking ahead
 
- Panel chair – USAN Board Directors
- Ahmad Obali, founder, GunAz TV -- Azerbaijani TV channel (Chicago)
- Jason Katz, state and local government relations specialist
- Dr. Adil Baguirov, USAN Managing Director
- Mehriban Afandiyeva, member of the USAN Board of Directors