Praised by international organizations, Slovenia and Estonia constitute the most successful post-communist economies. These two states are likewise success stories when it comes to democratic consolidation and state-building. Slovenia has opted for gradual market reforms guided by social justice while Estonia quickly reformed its Soviet economy into one of the most liberal in the world. Still, I argue that their roots of success coincide. Crucial opportunities of civil initiatives were never repressed in Slovenia and Estonia during the Communist period as in several other Yugoslav and Soviet republics. Distinct national identities continued to form and re-form during these decades and became deliberated rather than repressed, later strengthening reform capacities in decisive areas. In Estonia, national identities were further emphasized by ethically dubious processes that locked large Russian-speaking minorities out of citizenship.

Li Bennich-Björkman is Johan Skytte professor in political science at University of Uppsala, Sweden. She has published on the organisation of creativity, Organising Innovative Research, (Elsevier/Pergamon Press, 1997), on educational policies, integration and political culture. A dominant theme in her present research on Eastern Europe and post-Soviet States has been how historical and cultural legacies relate to the divergent post-communist trajectories. A particular focus has been on the three Baltic States. Within this framework, Ukraine has been included. Recent research activities have concerned the impact of the European Union on elite values and political culture in Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania. Her latest publication is a monograph published with Palgrave/Macmillan, Political Culture under Institutional Pressure. How Institutions Transform Early Socialization, (2007), dealing mainly with the Estonian Diaspora. Articles have appeared in the Journal of Baltic Studies (2006), East European Politics and Societies (2007) and Nationalities Papers (2007) as well as Higher Education Quarterly (2007). Comparative state-building in Estonia and Latvia was addressed in a recently published volume on Building Democracy East of the Elbe (Routledge/Sage:2006).

Former Senator Gary Hart has served as chairman of the Council for a Livable World since 2006. Since retiring from the United States Senate, he has been extensively involved in international law and business, as a strategic advisor to major U.S. corporations, and as a teacher, author and lecturer. He is currently Wirth Chair Professor at the University of Colorado and Distinguished Fellow at the New America Foundation.

Hart was co-chair of the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century. The Commission performed the most comprehensive review of national security since 1947, predicted the terrorist attacks on America, and proposed a sweeping overhaul of U.S. national security structures and policies for the post-Cold War new century and the age of terrorism. He was also co-chair of the Council task force that produced the report: "America Unprepared-America Still at Risk", in October, 2002.

Hart has been Visiting Fellow, Chatham Lecturer, and McCallum Memorial Lecturer at Oxford University, Global Fund Lecturer at Yale University, and Regents Lecturer at the University of California. He has earned a doctor of philosophy degree from Oxford University and graduate law and divinity degrees from Yale University. He was visiting lecturer at the Yale Law School.

Hart represented the State of Colorado in the United States Senate from 1975 to 1987. In 1984 and 1988, he was a candidate for his party's nomination for President.

Senator Hart has written numerous books including Under the Eagle's Wing: A National Security Strategy of the United States for 2009 (Fulcrum Books, January 2008), The Courage of Our Convictions: A Manifesto for Democrats (Henry Holt/Time Books 2006), and The Shield and The Cloak: The Security of the Commons (Oxford University Press, 2006).

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Aimed at the new administration of 2009, Under the Eagle's Wing provides a sound national security strategy for the new century. Speaking from experience, former U.S. senator Gary Hart served on the United States Commission on National Security for the 21st century, which predicted the events of 9/11. Hart argues that threats such as terrorism, disease, and climate change are global challenges that should be addressed as such. He addresses a difficult question: How does a republic make itself secure in a revolutionary age without yielding to the temptations of empire? A thoughtful treatise, Under the Eagle's Wing makes a compelling plea for our leaders to embrace a new world order, one in which the U.S. and other nations draw strength from a united approach.

Iain Johnston is the Laine Professor of China in World Affairs at Harvard University's department of government. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. His research and teaching interests include socialization in international institutions, the analysis of identity in the social sciences, and ideational sources of strategic choice, mostly with reference to China and the Asia-Pacific region. He is the author of "Cultural Realism: Strategic Culture and Grand Strategy in Chinese History" (Princeton 1995) and "Social States: China in International Institutes, 1980-2000" (Princeton 2008), and co-editor of "Engaging China: The Management of an Emerging Power" (Routledge 1999), "New Directions in the Study of China's Foreign Policy" (Stanford 2006), and "Crafting Cooperation: Regional Institutions in Comparative Perspective (Cambridge 2007).

In this session of the Shorenstein APARC Corporate Affiliate Visiting Fellows Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Kazuhiko Ejima, "Reconstructing Japan's Public Finance"

Japan, the second largest economy in the world, is secretly facing public finance crisis with the worst debt-to-GDP ratio among developed countries. What led Japan into such crisis? How to get rid of it? In Japan, it is widely believed that raising the consumption tax is the best approach to fixing Japan’s finances. In contrast, Ejima argues, based on an assessment of the current political situation, that any new budget reconstruction plan should focus more on the expenditure side than on the revenue side, and that it should include reform of the public sector.

Naoki Hiyama, "Newspaper as an Industry:  Seeking New Business Model - Beyond Free News Website"

From the beginning of the internet age, for newspaper companies in advanced countries, revenue from print paper has declined. Still, web news sites are not profitable. Hiyama’s research presentation will explore how newspaper companies can survive in this internet age.

Kaoru Fukushima, "Present and Future Condition of Solar Power Generation Market in Japan and California"

California is enthusiastic about environment. PG&E fully cooperates with people to install solar power on rooftops. California has good geographical conditions for solar power compared to Japan. However, the diffusion of solar power in California is much smaller than that in Japan. What is the reason? What is the perspective for the future in Japan / in California? Fukushima’s research will analyze the difference from various aspects.

In this session of the Shorenstein APARC Corporate Affiliate Visiting Fellows Research Presentations, the following will be presented:

Mari Ichinomoto, "The Method for Attracting Semiconductor Industries with Fabless Policies in Japan"

Recently most local governments in Japan are exploring overseas firms who have interests to expand their business in Japan. But now other Asian countries are becoming tougher competitors. What can the local governments do to achieve their mission? Is there a good way to compete against other countries in order to achieve their goal?

Takao Isozaki, "Organization Change - Preparation for DBJ's Privatization"

The Development Bank of Japan (DBJ), one of the Japanese governmental financial institutions, will be fully privatized for 5 to 7 years. Isozaki’s research examines what kind of aspects DBJ's workers should take into account as preparation for its privatization process.

Hisashi Kanazashi, "Comparison and Analysis of US-Japan Policies for Innovation"

After catching up with developed countries and experiencing the collapse of the bubble economy, Japan has struggled to recover. The key word during the struggle was “innovation”, and the Japanese government has pushed many reforms to encourage it. However, is the reform for innovation in Japan sufficient? The goal of Kanazashi’s research is to examine it by analyzing the recent trend of start-ups and comparing policies in the United States and in Japan.