Poland and Turkey’s Support for Democracy

Investment executive and entrepreneur David Colin Burke leads Selby Lane, LLC, as chairman and chief executive officer and Tuolumne Capital, LP, as managing director. Also a noted philanthropist, David Colin Burke contributes to the work of organizations dedicated to education, civic engagement, and good governance, including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

In January 2021 the Carnegie Endowment issued a report on political conditions in two key nations experiencing rising tides of illiberal populism and struggles with authoritarianism: Poland and Turkey.

As the Carnegie analysis shows, both nations over recent decades have inspired hope in their potential not only to govern as increasingly influential democracies but to provide positive influences on emerging democracies elsewhere in the world. But each has experienced significant “slippage” in its commitment to principles of civil society, human rights, and the rule-of-law practices essential to the functioning of healthy democracies.

The report looked at how the turn toward illiberalism in both countries has affected their support for other democracies in their regions. It found that though the countries offered continued support for neighboring democratic countries, they continued to tilt toward authoritarianism themselves. Further, this democratic support is embedded in the countries’ ongoing foreign policy commitments and regional alliances, and is therefore more likely to be performative than an expression of genuine commitment to democracy.

This wasn’t always the case. Turkey, a republic since 1923, was long a beacon of democracy and influence throughout the Middle East, and was formerly on track to gain membership in the European Union. Meanwhile, Poland emerged from the democratic revolutions of 1989 with a government and a population scarred by the repressions of the Soviet system, and has often lent substantial support to democratic movements in Central and Eastern Europe, most recently in Ukraine and Belarus.

Miller Center Looks at Barack Obama's Life Before Becoming President

An Atherton, California-based financial executive with extensive experience in venture capital, private equity investing, and entrepreneurship, David Colin Burke is the chairman and CEO of Selby Lane, LLC. Having earned a master's degree in international relations as well as a juris doctor from the University of Virginia (UVA), David Colin Burke maintains affiliation to the university through support of the UVA Miller Center of Presidential Studies.

The UVA Miller Center is a nonpartisan academic organization that focuses on presidential scholarships and political history. It has produced several books on presidents and featured online content on topics such as Watergate, the Vietnam War, and Barack Obama's life before becoming the 44th president of the US.

Obama's life from his youth up until 2004 is covered in the latter essay, which was edited by Rhodes College professor Michael Nelson. Born in Hawaii, Obama later lived for four years with his mother and stepfather in Indonesia. He stated that experiencing such diverse cultures at an early age was a benefit to his life and career in politics.

The essay also touches on Obama's education, family life, and relationship with religion. He was, as he once wrote, "not raised in a religious household," but was baptized and became a Christian in 1988 at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. The essay concludes with Obama's rise as a prominent figure in federal politics with his election to the US Senate in 2004. It also touches on his memorable speech that year at the Democratic National Convention.

Stanford Faculty Senate Encourages Move Toward Net-Zero Emissions

David Colin Burke guides Selby Lane, LLC, and has an extensive leadership experience in the global capital investment sphere. A guest lecturer with the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, David Colin Burke previously oversaw endowment allocations on behalf of the institution.

The Stanford Faculty Senate approved a multi-part resolution in November 2020 designed to accelerate momentum toward a target of transitioning to net-zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions across operations and endowment investments. Eighty-nine percent of senators cast affirmative votes, and the focus will now turn to transitioning endowment divestments away from fossil fuels and toward industries that are helping to achieve the emissions goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

The Stanford Faculty Senate’s overwhelming approval came despite some senators' concerns that meeting target dates for the “at least net-zero” emissions goal was aspirational rather than concretely achievable at the pre-set time. The target date set for direct and indirect-on-campus emissions is 2030, while the “other indirect emissions” net-zero date is 2040. 

A Look at the UVA McIntire School's Master of Science in Commerce

David Colin Burke leverages more than 25 years of experience in venture capital and private equity to serve as the chairman and CEO of Selby Lane LLC. A graduate of the University of Virginia, David Colin Burke remains involved with the institution as a lecturer with the UVA McIntire School of Commerce.

The McIntire School of Commerce offers a master of science in commerce, which is geared toward engineering, liberal arts, and science majors. Over the course of this 10-month graduate program, students work collaboratively to learn skills in fields such as business analytics, finance, government, management, and marketing. In addition to pursuing studies on the Charlottesville, Virginia, campus, students can participate in an immersive international learning experience while completing their degrees.

In 2019, The Economist ranked this master's program No. 1 among U.S. management programs and No. 6 worldwide. The program was also ranked No. 2 on the list of the Top 25 Best Value Master's in Management Programs by valuecolleges.com in 2020.