David Steinberg is a distinguised professor
of Asian Studies in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University,
where he was director of the Asian Studies program for ten years. He is
the author of thirteen books and monographs, six of which are on Burma/Myanmar,
and some 100 articles/chapters, of which about 50 are on the same subject.
He also writes extensively on Korean affairs. As a member of the Senior
Foreign Service, USAID, U.S. Department of State, he was the director of
technical assistance for Asia and the Middle East and the director of Philippines,
Thailand and Burma Affairs. He was a representative of the Asia Foundation
in Burma, Hong Kong, Korea and Washington, DC, and the president of the
Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs. Professor Steinberg was educated
at Dartmouth College, Lingnan University (China), Harvard University and
the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, where
he studied Burmese and Southeast Asia. His latest volume is Burma/Myanmar:
What Everyone Needs to Know. Other books include Turmoil in Burma: Contested
Legitimacies in Myanmar and Burma: The State of Myanmar.
In February, 2009, the United States announced a review of its policy toward
Burma/Myanmar. Around the same time, the Burmese government announced its intention
to hold elections in the near future. In the face of these new developments,
Prof. Steinberg gave his expert assessment of U.S.-Burma/Myanmar relations.
