Washington Post's David Hoffman to Receive 1998 SAIS-Novartis Prize Award Ceremony to Include Panel Discussion on Russia

The 1998 SAIS-Novartis Prize for Excellence in International Journalism will be presented to Washington Post journalist David Hoffman on Thursday, 04/22 at the Johns Hopkins Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The award presentation will be preceded by a panel discussion, "Perspectives on Russia: What Is Wrong and What Can Be Done About It," a topic related to Hoffman's work.

Hoffman, the Post's Moscow bureau chief, won the SAIS-Novartis Prize for his 10 reports entitled "Russia." The winning entry was the culmination of a yearlong reporting project on the legacy of former Soviet weapons sites in post-Communist Russia.

Established in 1995 by SAIS and supported by an unrestricted grant from Novartis, Ltd., the SAIS-Novartis Prize was created to recognize outstanding achievement in the coverage of international affairs. This $15,000 award is presented annually to one or more journalists whose work has brought to public attention a topic of international importance. The prize is open to all journalists in all media. This year's entries came from 32 countries in 20 languages.

Panelists for the Russia discussion include:

Charles Fairbanks, director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at SAIS and research professor of international relations. He will speak about "Post-Communist Society."

David Hoffman, Moscow bureau chief for The Washington Post and winner of the 1998 SAIS-Novartis Prize. He will speak about "Disintegration and Corruption."

David Lipton, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former under secretary of Treasury for international affairs. He will speak about "The Russian Economy and the Impact of the West."

Dimitri Simes, founding president of The Nixon Center and former director of Soviet studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He will speak about "Internal Politics, Factionalism and their Impact on Foreign Policy.

The event, open to the public, will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Kenney Auditorium, first floor of the school's Nitze Building, 1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.

For more information, contact Felisa Neuringer Klubes at the SAIS Public Affairs Office at 202.663.5626 or [email protected].