'U' professor advising Clinton

While most University professors traversed the Diag to get to work this morning, Kenneth Lieberthal strolled across the White House grounds to meet President Bill Clinton and introduce a new set of Asian ambassadors to the president .

Lieberthal, a political science and business administration professor, took a two-year leave from the University and accepted a job this summer as special assistant to the president for asian affairs and senior director for asian affairs on the National Security Council. The position makes him the chief adviser to Clinton on issues involving countries from North Korea to Australia to Burma.

The economic crisis in Japan, nuclear testing in North Korea and the increasing importance of China in world affairs have forced Lieberthal to hit the ground running in Washington, D.C.

"The Asian financial crisis is the fundamental problem we will have to deal with in my two or 2 1/2 years here," said Lieberthal.

Just one month into his term, Lieberthal has already played an integral role in the Clinton administration's daily negotiations with North Korea with regard to its development of nuclear weapons.

H is also coordinating Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's Sept. 22 visit to the United States.

"I'm by no means working alone, but I will provide final briefings for the President and attend the meeting," Lieberthal said. "I'll basically be the note-taker."

Lieberthal said his expertise in Chinese politics, which he taught during his 15 years at the University, qualified him for the position.

He's been visiting China for the last 30 years.

Lieberthal's colleagues at the University say he is the perfect man for the job. John Campbell, a political science professor who went to graduate school with Lieberthal and has taught with him for years, said Lieberthal is a great man and a super teacher.

"He is very knowledgeable, very smart, and well respected in China," said Campbell, who specializes in Japanese politics. "He has, for a long time, worked on foreign relations with China, but also worked quite hard at broadening his knowledge of the entire region."

Students have also praised Lieberthal. Law first-year student Casey Thomson said the professor's temporary leave is a great loss for the University.

"He was an absolutely great teacher," Thomson said. "I didn't even want to take his class, but I went to the first lecture and he totally won me over."

While National Security Adviser Sandy Berger selected Lieberthal for the post August 10, this is not the professor's first contact with Washington. Lieberthal has served as an adviser to the State Department for nearly two decades, largely because of his trips to China and his great expertise in foreign relations.

"I had briefed Sandy Berger and his predecessor Tony Lake several times on issues affecting China," Lieberthal said.

Lieberthal keeps a humble - or at least humorous - aura among international policy makers.

"But maybe I got the job for lack of other good candidates," he joked.

Working in the Old Executive Office Building, part of the White House compound, has been a dream come true. But he has not sold his house plans to return to campus after he is finished in Washington.

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