Annual Report – Elliott360

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.

August 29, 2024September 10, 2024

IIEP Hosts Fourth Conference on Indian Economic Development

India has come a long way since its independence in 1947. It has reduced poverty dramatically, become the world’s fifth-largest economy, successfully chaired the G20 in 2023, and become the world’s most populous nation, leaving India a demographic dividend that must be realized.

However, India still faces numerous challenges going forward. Within this context, the Institute for International Economic Policy (IIEP) hosted its fourth GW India Conference on India’s Economic Development and U.S.-India Economic Relations. This year’s conference focused on “Making India an Advanced Economy by 2047: What Will It Take?”

The conference brought together prominent economists, policymakers, and experts to discuss India’s strategic pathways and challenges toward becoming an advanced economy. The conference was very well received, with some describing it as the best conference on India’s economy in the U.S. A keynote address by V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, GOI, on “India’s Path to an Advanced Economy: Growth and Structural Transformation” kicked off the conference, immediately followed by an address by Indermit Gill, Chief Economist, The World Bank, on “How Can India Avoid the Middle-Income Trap?” During the lunch keynote session, Dr. Vivek Lall, Chief Executive, General Atomics Global Corporation, gave an address on “U.S.-India Technology and Defense Cooperation.”

The conference concluded with remarks by Raghuram Rajan, 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Executive Vice President of MIGA. In addition to the keynote remarks, there were five panels and 15 distinguished speakers from around the world featured. Speakers addressed topics ranging from macro issues to trade policy, from inequality and social inclusion to climate change. This conference was co-sponsored by the Institute for International Economic Policy, the Institute for International Science and Technology Policy, the GW Center for International Business Education and Research, and the Sigur Center for Asian Studies. This is a recurring conference held every year in the spring to coincide with the meetings of the IMF and the World Bank. Future gatherings will include social issues as well as India’s engagement with other parts of the world, including the African continent.

August 29, 2024September 11, 2024

The Sigur Center Center for Asian Studies: Diplomatic Insights on American Policy in Southeast Asia

Retired Singaporean academic and diplomat Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan presented the annual Gaston Sigur Memorial Lecture April 9, 2024 on “The Future of American Policy Towards Southeast Asia.”

The speaker began by recounting a historical anecdote involving Singapore’s decision to offer the US military the use of its facilities in Southeast Asia in the late 1980s. This decision faced initial backlash from neighboring countries but was later accepted without protest in subsequent years, highlighting a shift in attitudes towards US military presence in the region.

The speech delved into the evolving perceptions of the US and China in Southeast Asia, citing a recent survey that showed a slight preference towards China over the US among ASEAN members. Despite this, concerns over China’s influence and trustworthiness were prevalent in the region. Amb. Kausikan emphasized the complexity of attitudes towards external powers and the need to understand the nuances of Southeast Asian diplomacy.

Amb. Kausikan argued that true neutrality means “knowing your own interests, taking

positions based on your own interests, and not allowing others to define your interests for you by default.” He further warned of the danger of passivity in relation to the US-China split, saying

“there is no ‘sweet spot’ to keep both the Chinese and Americans ‘happy.’”

In conclusion, the speech underscored the dynamic nature of relationships in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific, emphasizing the importance of strategic flexibility and understanding the region’s complexity. Amb. Kausikan urged avoiding demonizing China or oversimplifying complex geopolitical dynamics. The lecture aimed to shed light on the future of American policy in Southeast Asia amidst evolving global and regional challenges.