Secretary Pablos Hosts First Consular Roundtable Series Meeting At UT Austin

Secretary Pablos hosts the first Consular
Roundtable Meeting at UT in Austin.


Secretary Pablos provides and overview of his
responsibilities as Texas' Chief International
Protocol Officer.


Secretary Pablos poses with consular officials.

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos today hosted the first meeting of The Secretary of State's Consular Roundtable Series in partnership with the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. The Consular Roundtable Meetings bring together consular officials from across Texas and are aimed to assist the foreign diplomatic corps in developing and maintaining relationships with Texas state government, academic institutions and other stakeholders related to foreign direct investment, innovation, commercial and cultural trade, and academic exchange.

Secretary Pablos was joined by UT Austin President Dr. Greg Fenves and LBJ School Dean Angela Evans in leading a substantive discussion on opportunities for academic collaboration with Texas' international partners. Secretary Pablos provided an overview of his responsibilities as Texas' Chief International Protocol Officer and discussed the many resources the State of Texas provides in facilitating inbound and outbound trade and diplomatic missions. The meeting concluded with a presentation on opportunities for international exchanges during the upcoming 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festival in Austin.

"I am grateful to Governor Abbott for his leadership in ensuring that Texas remains a top global player in the international arena. The global relationships we are developing as a state will help strengthen Texas' international standing in the long term," Secretary Pablos said. "As we move forward with the Consular Roundtable Series, I am confident we will continue to position Texas as a partner of choice for international collaboration. With over 100 foreign consulates in Texas, we have an incredible array of opportunities to build partnerships across the globe. I would like to thank President Fenves and Dean Evans for hosting today's roundtable discussion and extend my sincerest appreciation to our entire Texas consular corps for its continued friendship with the Lone Star State."

"The introduction of the Consular Roundtable Series is a demonstration of UT and the LBJ School’s deep and enduring commitment to global engagement. What better place than a university and its public policy school to facilitate this exchange of knowledge and ideas between academia and international leaders," Dean Evans said. "Over time, we envision expanding the initiative to include other universities from across the state, further reinforcing the links between Texas and the diplomatic community. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Secretary Pablos and Dr. Varun Rai, the LBJ School’s Associate Dean for Research, for conceiving of and developing the Consular Roundtable Series. I would also like to commend President Fenves for his commitment to expanding the university’s global reach and international opportunities for students and faculty."

Read more about International Protocol in the State of Texas.

Learn more about Foreign Direct Investment in Texas.

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