robinkhan – Elliott360

February 28, 2025February 28, 2025

Revolutionary Tales: Ukrainian Mariia Prishchak Finds Her Purpose

War changed her world overnight. Now the first-year student is studying international affairs at GW to change it.

Authored by:Nick Erickson, Video by Cara Taylor

Somewhere in an apartment building in Kyiv, Ukraine, sits an unwashed coffee cup on a desk next to a stack of schoolbooks for a high school sophomore with the world ahead of her. Every day for the past three years, that same student—now a first-year international affairs major at the George Washington University—has hoped and prayed that she will one day have the opportunity to put those objects away.

At this point, of course, the coffee mug and books are merely metaphors for home, and their preservation represents hope. And the world ahead of her now is so vastly different.

Because when Mariia Prishchak and her family left for their annual family vacation to the Hawaiian island of Oahu in February 2022—carrying just one suitcase for the entire family of five that included her parents and two younger sisters, the Russian military had not yet launched the largest full-scale attack on a European country since World War II. Its presence on Ukraine’s eastern border at the time the Prishchaks left for their tropical trip was chalked up by some as an intimidation tactic in an ongoing eight-year struggle that started when Russia first invaded and then annexed Crimea in 2014.

“Everyone knew something might happen, but no one really believed it,” Prishchak said.

Then at roughly 4 p.m. Hawaii time on Feb. 23—which was the early morning hours of Feb. 24 at home in Eastern Europe, the world as her family knew it changed forever. With a simultaneous air and ground attack, war had become a haunting reality.

As she was at the beach some 7,600 miles away from home, Prishchak received a text from her mother to come to the hotel immediately.

“When I got back, she was crying. My dad was on the phone, speaking with multiple people, and I turned on my phone to see messages from friends in Ukraine saying, ‘We hear sounds, we don’t know what’s happening. Is the war starting?’” Prishchak said. “It felt like a nightmare. One minute I was at the beach with my family, and the next I was hearing that my home, my family and my friends were in danger.”

Keeping their return tickets for two weeks later, the Prishchaks were hopeful peace would prevail. But that would prove to be just that—hopeful. The war still rages on nearly one million injuries and deaths—many of those civilian—later.

Mariia Prishchak Rev Tales
After a conversation with her father about why wars happen, first-year GW student and Ukrainian Mariia Prishchak became motivated to study international affairs and diplomacy. She has made the most of her time so far at GW while always remembering her "why."

The Prishchaks have never left Hawaii, forced to build a new life on the island while constantly keeping tabs on their former one, where every day they check in on the safety of their loved ones, neighbors, teachers and friends. To Prishchak’s knowledge, her family’s apartment building in Kyiv, where her entrepreneurial parents owned and operated a cosmetic company they are still trying to run from afar today, is still standing.

The family is forever grateful to the Hawaiian communities who embraced and supported them.

In the years that have followed, Prishchak has found herself constantly explaining that her family didn’t just choose to leave their homeland in wartime. They were stuck abroad. It has felt wrong, Prishchak said, to be anchored in Hawaii when people she loved faced constant danger back home.

“It’s a tough conversation, but I’m trying to stay connected with the place I came from,” Prishchak said. “I follow my high school on social media, and I see how brave the kids are, like these first graders who draw pictures for soldiers on the front lines while hiding in basements. It’s so inspiring.”

What has happened the past three years has inspired Prishchak herself to go down a different route.

When she left for Hawaii in 2022, she was 16 and had ambitions of being an entrepreneur like her parents. She admittedly wasn’t interested in politics. But after the war broke out, Prishchak vividly remembered a conversation with her father about why powerful people and entities choose physical force over diplomacy. “Why can’t we just all talk it out and avoid war?” she asked him.

Her father suggested that if she wanted to dig deeper, perhaps she should study international affairs, political science or diplomacy.

“I realized this was much more interesting than sitting in an office with red lipstick every day,” Prishchak said, grateful for her parents’ support in this career path pivot. She soon began researching “best colleges for international affairs” using ChatGPT.

GW was near the top of that list. Scott Liedtke, the college counselor at Oahu’s Le Jardin High School, confirmed what AI had spit out to her.

“Once the reality hit that college in the U.S was going to be a viable option due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Mariia and I had lots of conversations about college and the college process in the United States,” Liedtke said. “She ended up applying to a handful of schools and ultimately made the best decision for herself, attending GW. She possesses change-making qualities with a genuine interest in those around her. GW made a great choice.”

Prishchak earned three diplomas while in Hawaii—the one from Le Jardin, its International Baccalaureate program and one from back home in Ukraine, where she finished her coursework online.

“I couldn’t be more complimentary of Mariia’s resilience, determination and pragmatic approach,” Liedtke added.

After the GW admissions office diligently worked to accommodate her extraordinary circumstances, Prishchak began her study of international affairs in fall 2024 with ambitions of using her education and the diplomatic skills she gains at the university to contribute to rebuilding her own country after the war.

“I dream of returning to Ukraine as a professional, as someone who can help rebuild, maybe as a diplomat or in foreign service,” said Prishchak, at GW on a student visa.

She has immersed herself in her studies and extracurriculars at GW. Outside the classroom, Prishchak is active in Delta Phi Epsilon, a dance team, and both the Ukrainian and Hawaiian student associations. She is invigorated with how driven people are around her.

Her first semester confirmed her confidence that she made the right decision to come to GW and D.C., and she’s constantly reminded of her “why.” She has drawings from her sisters above her desk in Thurston Hall, and a family friend recently mailed a brown winter coat she had in Ukraine, which she has been wearing around Foggy Bottom during this cold stretch of D.C. weather.

Above her bed is a Ukrainian flag signed by some of the country’s elite former rowers, including her godfather. “It’s a really meaningful gift, knowing that they haven’t forgotten us and that they’re still waiting for us to return,” Prishchak said.

Many of the places she loved are either destroyed or under renovation. The metro station she used to take to school, for instance, is gone. It’s heartbreaking for her to think that one day she might wake up to the news that her home in the city center is no longer there, but she holds on to hope that it doesn’t happen.

“It’s incredible how, even in the face of such horrible things happening, Ukrainians keep fighting for each other and keep their spirits high,” Prishchak said.

“I pray that Ukraine stays strong and that the future is brighter for everyone.”

Prishchak knows that whenever she does go home, it won’t be the same. Nothing ever will be in Ukraine.

January 31, 2025January 31, 2025

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins Joined the Elliott School as Shapiro Visiting Professor

As Jenkins brings her expertise to the Elliott School, she joins three current experts, positioning the school as a leader in gender-focused security policy.

Authored by: Brook Endale

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins joined the Elliott School as the Shapiro Visiting Professor of International Affairs.

Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins has joined the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs as the Shapiro Visiting Professor of International Affairs. Jenkins, who has a distinguished career in diplomacy, arms control, international law and security, brings her expertise to the classroom, teaching undergraduate and graduate students.

The Shapiro Professorship, created in 1992 by the J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Foundation, aims to bring in high-level professionals to teach at the Elliott School, offering students a chance to learn from those who have accomplished extraordinary work throughout their careers.

Jenkins’ career has been defined by her leadership on critical global issues. Since 2021, Jenkins has served as the U.S. under secretary of state for arms control and international security. She’s been instrumental in shaping U.S. policies around nuclear security, arms control and the fight against biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. She made history as the first African American to be an under secretary of state.

In May 2023, Jenkins was appointed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to lead efforts on AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. She was also previously the special envoy and coordinator for threat reduction programs during the Obama administration, working to keep weapons of mass destruction (WMD) materials out of the hands of non-state actors. She also led the U.S. delegation to the Nuclear Security Summits from 2010 to 2016 as U.S. Representative to the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of WMDs.

Along with her contributions to the country throughout her illustrious career, Jenkins is equally passionate about inspiring the next generation of leaders in international affairs, which is why she is excited to return to the classroom.

Jenkins previously taught a course on arms control and weapons of mass destruction at the Elliott School as a professorial lecturer in 2020 and 2021. Also in 2021, she delivered the Elliott School’s commencement keynote address.

“I really enjoyed teaching and this time, I’m really looking forward to finding more opportunities to be involved on campus,” Jenkins said.

She hopes her students will leave her class with a deep understanding of the complexities of international security and the evolving challenges facing global leaders today.

“One of the things we’re looking at in my course is evolving issues. So, there are no answers yet on how the global community tackles some new international security challenges,” Jenkins said. “It’s about finding ways to increase stability in an international security environment that’s always in flux. And adjusting our strategies to meet the demands of today’s security landscape.”

Jenkins’ commitment to diversity in the security and peacebuilding sectors is also a cornerstone of her career. She founded Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS) to support women of color in this field by creating a network of mentorship and advocacy.

“Security affects everyone, and for too long, women and people of color have been underrepresented in these spaces,” Jenkins said. “It’s important to continue encouraging women to see these issues as something they can and should be involved in, and to make sure that we’re present at the table, advocating for solutions that benefit all people.”

As Jenkins teaches at the Elliott School, she will join three other current faculty members who are security policy specialists interested in gender—Chantal de Jonge Ourdraat, Renata Giannini and Shirley Graham.

In the fall, De Jonge Oudraat joined the Elliott School as the program director of the Master of Arts in International Affairs (M.A.I.A.) and the John O. Rankin Professor of International Affairs.

De Jonge Oudraat has a long-standing involvement with Women In International Security (WIIS) and served as its president and chief executive officer from 2013 to 2021. The organization’s mission is to help women advance to leadership positions in the field of national and international security affairs. The organization was started in the mid-1980s by a small group of academic women who were frustrated that they were marginalized in their field. WIIS is now a global network with many international affiliates.

Giannini is an associate professor of practice of international affairs and the assistant dean for executive education and special initiatives at the Elliott School. She focuses her research on the intersection of gender, conflict and climate change. For the past 16 years, she has been a researcher and practitioner working in think tanks, international organizations, and development banks in Argentina, Brazil and the U.S., where she has been able to influence public policies in areas related to public safety, gender equality, sustainable development and democratic transformation.

Graham is the director of the Gender Equality Initiative in International Affairs and an associate professor of practice in international affairs at the Elliott School, where she teaches courses on global gender policy, gender and women in global politics. She created the Student Consortium on Women, Peace and Security in 2021, and launched the first undergraduate gender concentration in 2023. Her work focuses on gender, militaries and peacekeeping, feminist foreign policy, and gender-based violence and trauma.

Together, these faculty members position the Elliott School as a leader in gender and security policy.

January 28, 2025February 27, 2025

Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II Honored in Flag Ceremony

The former Elliott School dean concludes his post as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa.

A flag ceremony marking the official conclusion of Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II’s tenure as United States Ambassador to South Africa took place at the Elliott School of International Affairs on Friday. Brigety, who previously served as the school’s dean, was confirmed as the 29th U.S. Ambassador to South Africa on July 21, 2022. This momentous event celebrated his distinguished service and legacy at both the school and in international diplomacy.

January 15, 2025January 15, 2025

Elliott Students Present Capstone Projects at State Department

Inaugural Program Culminates in #OnlyatGw Experience for Undergraduates

Bureau of Conflict & Stabilization Operations

Capstone projects are rigorous culminating educational experiences traditionally reserved for Elliott School M.A. students. Each year, students collaborate with client organizations to identify policy solutions to current global challenges. Capstone teams conduct in-depth research and analysis, ultimately presenting policy recommendations to some of the most prestigious institutions in Washington and beyond.

For the very first time this past semester, Elliott undergraduates were given the same opportunity to undertake a capstone course. Students who signed up for the inaugural course were lucky enough to have Dr. Keith Noble as their instructor. By day, Dr. Noble serves as the Bureau Chief Data Officer and Director, Office of Advanced Analytics, in the Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO). He leads the Bureau’s efforts to harness data analytics to enhance foreign policy decision-making on issues related to conflict prevention and stabilization. Prior to joining the State Department, Dr. Noble co-founded Blackcloud International, LLC, a leading data analytics firm based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He also previously served as the Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, Inc. and spent nearly a decade with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The student-led teams presented on a diverse variety of topics, including gang demographics in Haiti, mapping pro-democracy groups in Burma, climate security in Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) National Action Plans (NAPS), disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration efforts (DDR) in WPS National Action Plans, and protest trends in Central Asia. Officials from across the State Department attended the presentations, including CSO leadership and desk officers from relevant regions.

As students entered the State Department building adjacent to the Elliott School for a security check, they appeared a bit awestruck. However, they quickly found their footing as they presented their findings to an in-person and remote audience, eagerly responding to questions and receiving compliments from relevant CSO teams.

We spoke with Dr. Noble about his motivation for teaching an undergraduate capstone course at the Elliott School. He shared, “The Elliott School has some of the most accomplished and dynamic international affairs students in the country. I had little doubt that a class of undergraduate students—working in tandem with my colleagues in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO)—would provide valuable research to address some of the Department’s highest priorities.”

One student remarked as he exited, “This is something I could never have imagined myself doing before coming to the Elliott School.” Clearly, Dr. Noble succeeded in his goal of helping to inspire and mentor the next generation of international affairs scholars and practitioners.

December 3, 2024December 3, 2024

Can The Humanities Learn To Love AI?

Q&A With Alexa Alice Joubin

By John DiConsiglio

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just on its way to humanities classrooms—it’s already there! From students asking philosophy questions to ChatGPT to professors using AI platforms for sharpening writing and research skills, AI is transforming the humanities world every bit as much as computer science labs.

And despite fears that it may encourage cheating or erode basic skills, some humanities scholars are seizing AI’s classroom potential—like self-proclaimed AI ‟early adopter” Alexa Alice Joubin, professor of English, theater, international affairs, East Asian languages and cultures, and women’s, gender and sexuality studies.

Joubin has made AI a centerpiece of her scholarship. She’s an affiliate of the new Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS) at GW, a founding co-director of the Digital Humanities Institute and an inaugural GW Public Interest Technology (PIT) Scholar.

In the classroom, Joubin has embraced AI as a technology tool that can be as instructive to the humanities as an encyclopedia—or the written word itself. In her courses, she uses AI platforms to help students learn how to ask quality questions, conduct in-depth research and refine their critical questioning skills. As a PIT scholar, Joubin is pioneering trustworthy AI projects, including creating an open-access AI tutor based on her own teaching model. And she also champions the technology’s potential to create a more inclusive classroom for international students who may struggle with English and students with varying learning needs. ‟It’s an empowering tool if you deploy it responsibly,” she says.

In a recent conversation, Joubin explained what AI can bring to the humanities landscape—and how humanities can help shape the future of AI.

Q: You describe yourself as an early adopter of AI in the classroom. How did you first become interested?

A: I’m very interested in the relationship between art and technology. Technology relies on art.

When you launch a new technology, you are telling a story, a narrative. There is technicity in art, and artistic imagination brings forth new technologies. And, of course, art needs technology. If you think about it, what is a quill pen? It’s a craft for writing—a technology. Technology is any application of conceptual knowledge for practical goals. As early as ancient Greece, people were dreaming of machines that could do things autonomously. And even in the 20th century, [mathematician] Alan Turing famously gave us the Turing Test on whether there is consciousness in the computer—and consciousness is a humanities question. So this didn’t start with ChatGPT. It’s one famous iteration over a long history.

When generative AI came along in late 2022, I was thrilled. I jumped on it right away. I was disappointed in the early days. But I’ve been steadily teaching with AI and urging my students to look at it realistically and critically. It’s not a devil and it’s not an angel. But AI is in our mix and it’s not going away.

Q: Where are we in the relationship between AI and the humanities?

A: AI really is a humanistic issue, and it has ignited broad interest in questions about free will, mind and body and moral agency. When people talk about ChatGPT, they talk about these questions. That’s why the humanities are front and center in this [debate]. Humanities provides a range of tools for people to think critically about our relationship to technology and about the so-called eternal questions. What makes us human? How do you define consciousness? These classic philosophical questions have gone mainstream thanks to all the debate about ChatGPT. Free will has suddenly become an important topic.

Q: How do you think the humanities world is adapting to AI? It seems that most people are either pro-AI or anti-AI—and the humanities largely fall into the anti-camp. Am I wrong?

A: Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of fear and uncertainty. Even worse, there’s an indifference—a thinking that this has nothing to do with humanists. But it actually has everything to do with everyone in fields ranging from humanities to social sciences and theory. It is forcing us to pause and rethink some fundamental assumptions.

But technophobia, fear and indifference can lead to a shunning of AI. And that translates into an unhealthy classroom. We know students are using it. When they graduate, they are expected to have literacy in it. And writing, critical thinking and meta-cognition are becoming all the more central because of AI’s challenges. The bar is being raised.

Q: Can you give me an example of what AI technology can bring to the humanities classroom?

A: It can bring a level of self-awareness, because AI is a social simulation machine. It cannot create new knowledge, but it’s a repository of social attitudes. I teach my students to treat it like a shadow image of society. It allows you to think at a meta level about your role in a society and how society reacts to certain things. For example, when I teach ‟Romeo and Juliet” in my drama class, students invariably have ideas about performing the play in a modern setting. AI can generate visuals for the scenes they describe in their heads. But students often come back to me and say: Why are Romeo and Juliet always white? Why aren’t they Black or Latinx or a queer couple? It forces them to rethink how they phrase their questions and their default assumption. It’s an extremely fun and eye-opening exercise, but it also helps us examine our unspoken, unconscious racism or sexism.

Q: As a new PIT Scholar, one of your priorities has been to explore issues around trustworthy AI. How do you see humanities contributing to that conversation?

A: How do you build trust? That’s fundamentally a humanistic question. And there are many ways to define it—transparency, ethics, accountability, interpretability. Humanities is particularly good at exploring these critical theories in complex domains that deal with open-endedness. They require agile thinking. You have to be dynamic and always assessing and reassessing the context. Humanities scholars know that there’s no single universal morality. It depends on perspective. And a key humanities contribution is the ability to entertain ambiguity and multiple perspectives at once.

“AI really is a humanistic issue, and it has ignited broad interest in questions about free will, mind and body and moral agency … That’s why the humanities are front and center in this [debate].”
Alexa Alice Joubin

December 3, 2024December 3, 2024

Alumnus Veteran Continues his Service to the Country Within the Military and Beyond

In honor of Veterans Day, we caught up with Dan Fuhrman, MIPP ’15, an Army veteran and Command Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.

GW: Tell us about what you are doing now and why it matters to you?

DF: I have gone into business for myself, starting an executive coaching firm, Enotis Coaching, that provides coaching on business, leadership, and performance for leaders of companies developing technology for U.S. National Security. This has been a huge passion of mine since retiring from federal service as an Intelligence Officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency, where I supported advancing emerging and critical technology at the Pentagon.

Also, earlier this year, I assumed responsibility as the Command Chief Warrant Officer of a 2-star U.S. Army Reserve division, serving part-time, like many in the Reserves and National Guard. With 32 years of military service, I’m proud to be part of a team supporting the Army Reserve’s readiness to deploy in response to crises and contingencies worldwide.

GW: What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of personally or professionally, and why?

DF: I can’t single out any one accomplishment I am most proud of, but I’m probably most proud to serve our country as a soldier. Serving reinforced my values of duty, honor, integrity, and selfless service to something greater than myself. My experiences while serving shaped my worldview and commitment to making a positive impact in everything I do. Whether supporting my community, coaching leaders, or advocating for equity and inclusion, I carry forward these lessons of service, always striving to contribute meaningfully and help others reach their full potential.

GW: Do particular GW classes and professors stand out in your mind? Who helped you on your current career trajectory?

DF: One of my most challenging yet rewarding classes at GW was Writing for International Policymakers with Ambassador Ross L. Wilson. I felt I wrote well for policymakers then, but after receiving my first graded paper, I realized how much more work I needed to do. Clear and concise written and oral communications are crucial, and I am grateful the Elliott School emphasizes that during our studies.

GW: Why do you give back to the Elliott School as a volunteer and donor?

DF: Attending GW significantly impacted my life and career after I moved to DC. Giving back is the least I can do to repay that support. I am thankful to have remained engaged with students, faculty, and staff over the years through volunteering with the Elliott School’s Leadership, Ethics, and Practice Initiative, talking with prospective, current, and former students, providing perspectives during classroom interactions, and giving to the Elliott Equity Fund. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are very important to me. Giving to the Elliott Equity Fund is one way I support this value.

What would you say to current Elliott School students who want to make a positive difference in the world?

DF: Take advantage of every opportunity you have at GW and in the DC area. Expand beyond International Affairs and learn about big data analysis and business. Maintain the personal relationships you have developed in school and start to develop your professional network. These relationships will carry you forward in your career. Seek mentors who challenge you. Keep an open mind, as your path may evolve unexpectedly. Remember, progress in this field often comes through small, patient steps. Approach every challenge with humility and resilience, knowing that even small actions can contribute to a more just and equitable world. Your education is a foundation—build on it!

November 6, 2024November 6, 2024

Not Just a Number: GW Students Amplify Voices of Ukrainian Refugees and NGOs

Undergraduates Nataliya Layer, Lydia Miller, Liana Moldovanu and Anja Ree spent six weeks in Eastern Europe documenting the human toll of war through personal narratives.

Authored by: Nick Erickson

Liana Moldovanu (l), Lydia Miller, Nataliya Layer and Anja Ree presented their project, Not Just a Number, recently at the Elliott School of International Affairs. (Amy Cohen)

he emotions compounded with every story they heard—each delivered in gripping and emotional detail from a person whose livelihood war ripped away.

And in the heart of Eastern Europe, there was no screen to turn off and distance themselves from the harsh realities of the devastation and human toll paid in the two-plus years since Russia invaded Ukraine.

But hearing those stories and amplifying them are exactly why four George Washington University undergraduate students—second years Nataliya Layer, Liana Moldovanu, Anja Ree and senior Lydia Miller—traveled to the region for six weeks this summer.

“Our generation has grown up seeing different conflicts happen on world television every day, and we’ve essentially grown numb to it because it’s exhausting to have an emotional reaction to everything,” said Ree, a political science and government double major. “But just because we feel detached from it doesn’t mean we should react that way.”

Funded through Projects for Peace, of which GW is eligible as an institution since the university is a partner in the United World Colleges scholarship program, the quartet traveled to Poland, Moldova, Estonia and Romania from June 2 to July 14 to conduct interviews with over 40 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) supporting Ukrainian refugees, and with it documented more than 40 refugee stories.

The Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service administers Projects for Peace, which provides $10,000 for undergraduate summer projects that promote conflict resolution (applications for 2025 are due Nov 3).

The project, called Not Just a Number, chronicles refugee experiences and raises awareness about the critical work of organizations supporting these refugees on the ground.

The four GW students, all of whom have some sort of personal connection to Ukraine or the region, noted that some of the conversation and coverage surrounding the war has shifted to discussing how much aid, or if any at all, should be given to those affected. As the title of their project suggests, they believe it’s imperative to remember the human side of this conflict.

“It’s crucial that we don’t succumb to empathy fatigue,” said Miller, a double major in international affairs and political science. “The ongoing struggle deserves our continued attention and support.”

Personal stories, as tough as they may be to hear, form a connectivity between two strangers and creates compassion for someone living on the other side of the world.

Moldovanu specifically remembers speaking to a displaced 6-year-old Ukrainian at an NGO in Estonia, where the young boy expressed a desire to go home. But it was still too dangerous, especially since some of his friends there had been killed. This story made Moldovanu particularly emotional because she herself has a younger brother about the boy’s age.

“In the moment, it definitely impacts you to learn what it’s like to live in that reality,” said Moldovanu, a double major in international affairs and math.

Refocusing public attention to the conflict through personal stories and human connection is only part of the project. The other is teaching people to turn that emotion they feel into appropriate action as they hope the project will inspire shifts in global philanthropy.

While initially focused on interviewing refugees and documenting their stories, they soon began collaborating extensively with local NGOs because they found it easier to meet refugees through NGOs and that these organizations that received significant attention and funding at the beginning of the war needed increased support.

“We realized that NGOs, especially grassroot ones, are critical in providing refugee support and that community aspect,” said Layer, also an international affairs major. “We really wanted to showcase that NGOs are so important for a lot of refugees in the way they support them.”

They noticed that many of the people running these NGOs supporting Ukrainian refugees were Ukrainian refugees themselves who felt a need to provide for others. But because some of these NGOs started from the bottom up, they are not as connected to networking communities where they can get access to grants and funding. The GW students hope that they can bridge some of that gap by highlighting their work in a website they are creating to feature the different grassroots organizations they met. They encourage those looking to help financially to find local NGOs as targeted donations can have more impact.

For the project’s next steps, the quartet is using the interviews to write an academic paper exploring how the decline in funding affects grassroots organizations’ ability to adapt. They also plan to create a podcast where each episode will focus on a different organization and translated refugee story, as well as a website directing users to local NGOs and first-person narratives.

The resilience shown by those they met affected by the war is what most motivates the quartet to continue the task ahead. They hope their project inspires others to carefully listen to refugee stories and consider the needs of local NGOs. As they suggest in the title, these refugees are not just numbers to be feel numbed by. They possess ambitions, hobbies, cultures, traditions and loved ones who not only have stories of loss during war, but also ones of strength and hope. The quartet’s project is showing that they need to be heard to be helped.

GW students Mariam Muradyan, Andrew Raynus, Lindsey Spain, Anna Vasyukevich and Aydan Ibadova did not travel but are also involved in the project and helping with interview notes and other tasks.

October 1, 2024October 1, 2024

Richardson Brothers Foundation Establishes New Scholarship at Elliott

Landmark gift provides need-based undergraduate scholarships for UK students

Dean Alyssa Ayres and Carl Richardson standing in front of the London Eye and House of Parliament.

Alumnus Carl Richardson, MA ’99, and his family have generously created an endowed scholarship at GW through the Richardson Brothers Foundation. The Richardson Family Scholarship, established in perpetuity, will offer scholarships to UK citizens—or citizens of countries in the British Commonwealth—seeking to study in America at the Elliott School. The scholarship is a charitable milestone for the Foundation, marking its first major gift to a U.S. university.

Reflecting on his time at the Elliott School, Richardson said, “My graduate studies at the Elliott School provided me with an important perspective on international business and global geopolitics. As our business continues to expand our investment activity in America, this is a perspective that my family and I would now like to share with future generations of UK students seeking to study in the U.S.”

Dean Alyssa Ayres added, “We deeply appreciate the outstanding generosity of Carl Richardson and his brothers in establishing the new Richardson Family Scholarship at our school. Education is one of the most powerful ways to change the world for the better, and scholarships are so important in our times.”

In addition to his philanthropic efforts, Carl Richardson is actively involved at the Elliott School as co-chair of the Executive Circle of the University’s Institute for International Economic Policy (IIEP). This alumni leadership group—which includes senior global executives, including co-chair Lisa Schroeter, BA ‘92, the Global Director of Trade & Investment Policy at Dow—advises the Dean and academic leaders on current trends in international economic policy, supports students, and helps advance the IIEP’s mission.

Since 2022, the Richardson business has also hosted the Elliott School’s global thought leadership event for alumni living in the London area as part of the school’s Dean’s Global Perspectives Series. This year’s event, held on September 11, took place at the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster, further showcasing the Richardson family’s commitment to fostering international dialogue and understanding.

September 27, 2024October 3, 2024

FLAS Fellows Value Their Summer Experience

This summer, seven GW students took part in the summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship program to study regional languages in the Middle East. Whether in Rabat, Tunis, Cairo or Amman, fellows put their Arabic and Hebrew skills to work exploring new countries and interacting with local communities, their peers and teachers.

Fellow Abigail Strait described the FLAS opportunity as a “life changing experience that cannot be described easily…but highlights included exploring the ancient ruins of Jerash and Ajloun, volunteering at a food pantry while speaking in Arabic, sand boarding in Wadi Rum, and the time spent living with my host family, who I still message today.”

Fellow Zakee Hamawi talked about how well he appreciated his time in Tunisia, especially the eight weeks spent with his host family, where weekend food shopping and social trips complemented the rigorous study program.

Fellow Daiyan Khan assessed his language learning journey as “a very enjoyable experience. Academically, the rigorous curriculum improved my language skills greatly. The opportunity to employ the skills I learned in class with the Jordanian people was something that only studying abroad could give me. Outside of academics, I met people who shared my passion for the Arabic language, and I was able to form lasting friendships.”

All GW students interested in studying a Middle East language are encouraged to apply for this well-funded opportunity, which covers airfare, program costs, and an additional living stipend. For additional details on eligibility and application requirements, please visit GW’s Summer FLAS website. Applications open in October and are due by February 15, 2025.

September 10, 2024September 11, 2024

Preparing Humanitarian Leaders: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Addressing Global Crises

as seen in the September/October 2024 issue of Foreign Affairs

Author: Maryam Z. Deloffre, Associate Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Humanitarian Action Initiative at The Elliott School of International Affairs

How do the Elliott School’s programs prepare students to address humanitarian crises and provide effective assistance in complex global contexts?

At the Elliott School, courses on humanitarian action take a multidisciplinary and intellectually rigorous approach, paying particular attention to cultural context, ethics, field-based applied research, and innovative practices. A foundational course in humanitarian governance and policy introduces students to the global humanitarian system, key humanitarian agencies and donors, international humanitarian law and ethics, dilemmas in humanitarian assistance, and key challenges to delivering humanitarian aid. Specialized courses help students develop expertise in locally led humanitarian assistance; climate change and humanitarian assistance; refugees, migration, and displaced people; gender and security; humanitarian communication; education in humanitarian emergencies; ethics; and emergency management.

Students may pursue a concentration in humanitarian assistance in a number of our degree programs. It is a specific area of concentration or specialization, available under the following Elliott School master’s degree programs, including the security policy studies program conflict resolution concentration, the Master of International Affairs, and the Master of International Development Studies.

Are there fieldwork and research opportunities available to students looking to gain practical skills in humanitarian operations?

Most graduate courses provide project-based learning where students work on policy problems in consultation with humanitarian nongovernmental organizations or agencies. The humanitarian assistance section of the global capstone, as well as the capstone in international development studies, provide an in-depth and extensive opportunity for student teams to work on a year-long project for a humanitarian client. Undergraduate students may work on independent research projects on the topic of humanitarian assistance in Dean’s Scholars and other undergraduate research opportunities. Students can also reach out about available research assistantships to work on research projects directed by a faculty member.

How does the Elliott School approach teaching the ethical considerations and challenges involved in delivering humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations around the world?

The Elliott School approaches teaching ethical considerations and humanitarian challenges through initiatives like the Humanitarian Action Initiative, an academic and research hub that convenes and cultivates the school’s curriculum, scholarly research, and policy expertise on topics related to humanitarian assistance, and the Leadership, Ethics, and Practice Initiative, which integrates the exploration and analysis of ethics topics throughout undergraduate and graduate education.

The school aims to identify ethical issues in every subject and course, exploring them through case studies or other instructional means, through courses such as humanitarian governance and policy, global justice, and accountability and ethics in humanitarian and disaster settings that address questions and issues related to the ethics of humanitarian action. The school regularly hosts speakers on ethics topics and assists students interested in doing research on humanitarian issues.