Elliott 360 – Page 13

November 29, 2018December 4, 2018

A Message from the Dean

Dear Elliott School Students, Faculty, Staff, and Friends:

Let me begin by saying that as finals season rapidly approaches, I urge those of you who are students to exercise self-care. I know you’ll be studying hard. Remember to also eat healthly healthfully, to exercise, and to get enough sleep. Keep in mind, too, that we have set aside December 6 as “stress-less” day, when you can pause a moment to hug a therapy dog, get a free massage, participate in guided meditation, decorate cookies, and paint pottery.

As we close out the calendar year, we will be wishing farewell to some long-standing faculty members. I’d like to thank retiring faculty Professors Henry Nau, Ed McCord and Ronald Spector who have dedicated their careers to teaching, research and service here at the Elliott School. They leave an enduring legacy and will be sorely missed by colleagues and students.

And finally, I want to share a few thoughts about cultivating civil discourse in our community. In October, during Colonials Weekend, GW President Thomas LeBlanc led a Q&A session with parents, students, and alumni. He called upon the GW community to be a “role model for civil discourse.”

How do we at the Elliott School go about doing this? In the words of former United States President John F. Kennedy, “It is incumbent upon all of us to encourage a spirit of tolerance, not only from government, but from one group within the community toward another. Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather, it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.”

It is too easy to simply say that we as a school are committed to sustaining a safe and welcoming campus for all members of our community, regardless of religious belief, race, or gender identity.

We know that the rights and welfare of all groups are fundamental values here. But how do we live that truth? I challenge each of you, in the weeks and months to come, to be deliberate in finding your own way, through action or expression, to be a role model for civil discourse. I invite you to share your experiences via the Elliott School’s social media channels.

Each day, I am reminded by how much the success of our mission depends on all of us. Thank you for the many ways you contribute to our community. I am honored to serve as your dean, and I am immensely proud of the work we do to make the world a more tolerant and peaceful place.

Warm wishes,

Dean B

November 29, 2018December 4, 2018

Three Elliott Faculty Members Prepare to Retire

This year, the Elliott School bids farewell to three long-serving faculty members poised to retire over the coming months. The Elliott community says thank you for your extraordinary teaching and exemplary service over the years.

Students of Professor Ed McCord once gave him the affectionate moniker “Warlord McCord,” in honor of his study of China’s warlords of the early 20th century. During his 25-year career at GW, Dr. McCord, Professor of History and International Affairs, has held almost every academic position that a member of our faculty could hold – deputy chair of the history department, director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, founder and director of the Taiwan Education and Research Program, vice dean, and acting/interim dean. He also served as associate dean for every constituency at the school, guiding faculty and students, overseeing research grants, pitching in on management and planning. A tireless and dedicated member of the Elliott community, Dr. McCord was often spotted striding vigorously to his classes.

In his 40 plus years of teaching, Professor Henry R. Nau has helped to shape the lives of hundreds of Elliott students. “He had a profound influence on my professional career,” said one former student. Dr. Nau, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, has held many positions. At GW, he directed the longest-standing Congressional exchange program between Members of the U.S. Congress, the Japanese Diet, and the Korean National Assembly. For this work, the Japanese government in 2016 awarded him its Order of the Rising Sun. Dr. Nau also served as special assistant to the undersecretary for economic affairs in the U.S. Department of State and was a senior staff member on the National Security Council during the Reagan administration. He excelled at showing to students how different theories of international affairs play a decisive role in explaining debates about world affairs.

An award-winning scholar of modern military history, Professor Ronald Spector was the first civilian to become Director of Naval History and head of the Naval Historical Center. He is both a prolific author and an educator with broad scope. In his nearly 30-year career at GW, he has taught courses on U.S.-East Asia Relations, World War II, the Vietnam War, and U.S. Naval History. His book At War At Sea: Sailors and Naval Combat in the Twentieth Century (2002) received the Distinguished Book Award of the Society for Military History, and Eagle Against the Sun: The American War with Japan (1985) won the Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Prize for Naval History. “He has an awesomely dry sense of humor,” noted one of Dr. Spector’s former students. “He really knows his stuff [as] he served in Vietnam,” remarked another.

November 29, 2018December 3, 2018

Elliott School Senior Speaks About Youth, Peacebuilding at UAE Conference

Senior Nadia Crevecoeur said she was both honored and humbled to be part of a recent conference in Abu Dhabi to share her research on how young people can support peacebuilding efforts.

Crevecoeur is set to graduate in May from the Elliott School with a B.A. in international affairs and concentration in conflict resolution. Her involvement at the Youth and Sustainable Peace conference came through her work as a senior program assistant at Women In International Security (WIIS), which helped organize the event in partnership with TRENDS Research & Advisory.

Crevecoeur said she had been helping write a policy brief at WIIS on the Youth, Peace and Security agenda when her boss asked if she could participate in the October conference. She said she was both “elated and very nervous” to join.

“I’m just extremely honored and privileged to be at that conference and to have my voice heard, and [I’m] humbled by the other speakers,” she said.

At the event, Crevecoeur participated both as a panelist and forum participant. During the “Youth, Gender and Peace” panel, she spoke about how young women can contribute in peacebuilding efforts and how they can sometimes be left out of the decision-making process due to their age and gender.

Crevecoeur also participated in a forum with nine others, all under the age of 33, to talk about the UN Youth Strategy, Fifth Priority Peace and resilience building. She said it “was like a conversation with friends” and that they all still talk via group messaging chats.

Crevecoeur’s favorite conference memory was when she and other participants were doing a soundcheck and they were joking they should open up their own think tank.

“I thought that was really funny, and then I looked around the room and thought, “Wow! We probably could!” she said. “It was a cute memory, but it was really empowering because that was the point of the conference, to empower young people. And it was good because we looked around the room and thought, “Wait, we could actually do this.”

A first generation Haitian American, Crevecoeur grew up in Churchill, Maryland. She is the co-founding president of March On the Campus, a GW student group formed following the 2017 Women’s March, and is the president of Delta Phi Epsilon, a professional foreign service sorority.

November 1, 2018November 1, 2018

Elliott School Honors Life, Legacy of Swiss Diplomat Carl Lutz

More than 100 students, faculty, staff and residents joined us at the Elliott School on Tuesday, Oct. 23, to hear about the late Swiss diplomat Carl Lutz, whose bravery and tireless efforts saved the lives of 62,000 Jewish people living in Hungary during the Holocaust. Lutz has a GW connection, having received his B.A. from the Columbian College in 1924.

Lutz acted “without hesitation to help the Budapest Jewish community,” said Martin Werner Dahinden, the ambassador of Switzerland to the U.S, at the event. Lutz received his bachelor’s degree in 1924 from GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and is a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

“There is a reason why we need to remember and keep the memory of people like Carl Lutz alive,” Dahinden said. “He serves as a role model for future generations. We want to remember the heroism so that it continues unabated.”

Lutz’s rescue strategy involved issuing letters of protection that helped guarantee a Jewish person’s safety in Hungary. He negotiated with the country’s government and German regime to secure 8,000 of these letters to hand out to Jewish residents of Hungary. He then secretly issued tens of thousands more letters than he was originally granted, which historians say was the largest civilian rescue operation of World War II.

Lutz also set up 76 safe houses in Hungary that were under Swiss protection.

The Oct. 23 event also featured remarks from Dean Reuben Brigety; Frederic Hayat of the G.I.L. Reform Jewish Community of Geneva, Switzerland; Agnes Hirschi, Lutz’s step-daughter; and Katrina Lantos Swett, the president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice.

Swett said Lutz was “willing to shred the rules to do what was morally right.” She emphasized that it is important to study his story and actions to help “show the path” on what to do when faced with seemingly intractable moral challenges.

The event was sponsored by the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, Embassy of Switzerland, the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and the Hungarian American Coalition. View our photo album from the event.

October 31, 2018

International Day of the Girl- How One Elliott School Student is Making a Difference

Oct. 11, 2018, marked the sixth annual International Day of the Girl. The UN-sponsored event highlights and addresses the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting their empowerment and human rights. This year’s theme was With Her: A Skilled GirlForce.

Pratyusha Sibal, a graduate student in the Elliott School’s International Development studies program, is an intern with The Asia Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program team in Washington, D.C. She recently had an opportunity to write a blog post for the foundation about the importance of developing skills among a new generation of girls preparing to enter the global workforce.

According to the UN, of the 1 billion young people – including 600 million adolescent girls – who will enter the workforce in the next decade, more than 90 percent of those living in developing countries will work in informal sectors, where low pay, abuse, and exploitation are common.

Sibal says her interest in gender and development comes from her upbringing and experience. “I was born and raised in India, and my passion for gender issues stems from myriad of personal experiences, as well as work and study in Beijing, Bangkok, and Paris. Having witnessed gender discrimination firsthand, I wrote this article from personal observations over the years, along with extensive research.“

Sibal landed the internship with help from advisers in Elliott’s Office of Graduate Student Services. The internship is growing her skillset as a gender professional, she says. “Being able to contribute feedback on proposals and publications regarding women’s political participation, economic empowerment and their rights and security, in addition to assisting with logistics and events, is strengthening my understanding of what a career as a gender adviser entails.”

Looking forward, March 8, 2019, is International Women’s Day. At the Elliott School, students and faculty will honor the day with a public event and photo exhibition, #PressforProgress, Celebrating Women in Politics. At The Asia Foundation, there will be a range of events and activities.To learn more, visit the foundation’s website.

October 31, 2018October 31, 2018

The Reading Room- Elliott Faculty Book RoundUp

Several prominent Elliott School faculty members recently published books dissecting urgent global issues. In four new volumes, Elliott authors cover the globe, offering insight into the plight of Palestinian refugees, Russian identity in the 21st century, the evangelical Christian movement, and the evolution of China’s foreign affairs. In case you missed the latest book-launch series, here is a round-up of writings from our world-class faculty.

llana Feldman, Life Lived in Relief: Humanitarian Predicaments and Palestinian Refugee Politics

About the Book

Palestinian refugees’ experience of protracted displacement is among the lengthiest in history. In her breathtaking new book, Feldman explores this community’s engagement with humanitarian assistance over a 70-year period and its persistent efforts to alter present and future conditions. Based on extensive archival and field research, Life Lived in Relief offers a comprehensive account of the Palestinian refugee experience in many places and across multiple generations.

Marlene Laruelle and Jean Radvanyi, Understanding Russia: The Challenges of Transformation.

About the Book

This timely book provides a balanced and comprehensive view of the multiple forces that drive contemporary Russia. While this vast nation has long inspired fear in the West, Russia itself is frightened, the authors argue. Three decades after perestroika, multiple ghosts haunt both Russian elites and ordinary citizens, ranging from concerns about territorial challenges and economic decline to worries about vulnerability to external intervention. Faced with a West that emerged victorious from the Cold War, an increasingly powerful China and struggles with former Soviet republics, Russia today often questions its identity, its path forward, and its role on the international stage.

Melanie McAlister, The Kingdom of God Has No Borders: A Global History of American Evangelicals.

About the Book

More than 40 years ago, conservative Christianity emerged as a major force in American political life. The Kingdom of God Has No Borders offers a daring new perspective on conservative Christianity, shifting the lens to focus on the world outside U.S. borders. McAlister offers a sweeping narrative of the last 50 years of evangelical history, upending much of what we thought we knew about American evangelicals.

Robert Sutter, Foreign Relations of the PRC: The Legacies and Constraints of China’s International Politics Since 1949, Second Edition.

About the Book

This cogent, comprehensive book examines the international relations of the People’s Republic of China in the decades since its founding in 1949. Sutter provides a balanced assessment of the country’s recent advances, as well as the important legacies and constraints that hamper it, especially challenged from neighboring nations — long the major focus of China’s foreign policy. Sutter demonstrates how Beijing has carefully constructed an image of a nation that adheres to morally correct policies, all the while racking up a record of inconsistent behavior and frequent episodes of violence, intimidation and coercion.

October 2, 2018October 3, 2018

Bringing Student Experiences Abroad, Home to the Elliott School

Every year, Elliott School students travel the globe in search of international education, overseas internships and connections abroad — and of course, the thing that sets Elliott School students apart — real-life, in-the-field experiences. This past academic year was no exception. The submissions from the annual Elliott School Abroad photo competition were exceptional.

We received submissions from faraway locations including Brazil, Serbia, Norway, Chile, Uganda, and the Korean Demilitarized Zone. They depict breathtaking landscapes and stories of humanity, often focusing on visual portrayals of the international struggles Elliott School students have witnessed and hope to one day help to solve.

This year, due to the quality and variety of submissions, the Elliott School will hold an exhibition of the featured photography and host an opening reception on October 25, located in the Elliott School’s second floor atrium space. At the conclusion of the exhibit, the students will have the opportunity to take the prints home to hang as a reminder of their accomplishments and time abroad.

We are pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Elliott School Abroad Photo Contest!

Honorable Mention:
Bellín submitted by Cole Falkner, B.A. ’20

Chile
“In Puerto Natales, I walked into a woman’s shop. The walls were littered with handsewn sweaters, intricately crafted jewelry and a myriad of photographs all made by local artists or herself. We spoke about the art in the shop, and I bought some photos, then she let me take her photo. Her name was Bellín.”

Honorable Mention:
The Saharan Situation submitted by Calla Gilson, B.A.’18

Morocco
“This photo was taken in the desert as each member of my study abroad cohort raised their unique color of the traditional dyed scarf of the region to billow in the breeze. The contrast of the colors against the Saharan sand reflects the vivid nature of my time in such a colorful country.”

Honorable Mention
Battling the Sea submitted by Yongbao Zhuang, B.A. ’20

Aomori, Japan
This photo was shot on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the northeastern prefecture of Aomori, and depicts a local fisherman battling against the storm while fishing for clams and oysters. The Aomori Prefecture, along with Iwate and Miyagi prefecture, are located near the Japan Fishing Ground— one of the countries and is in decline due to overfishing.

3rd Place:
Machu Picchu Sunrise submitted by Lauren Bell, B.A.’19

Peru
After a four-day trek through the Inca Jungle, the group I was with hiked up to Machu Picchu around 5 in the morning. When we arrived at the top the sun was rising above the foggy mountains and there were more alpacas and people. It was a new, beautiful world for me.

2nd Place:
الشاي مع الأصدقاء (Tea with friends) submitted by Shannon McKeown, B.A.’19

Wadi Rum desert, Wadi Rum Village, Jordan
This picture was taken in a traditional Bedouin tent in Wadi Rum desert in Jordan. Tea is an important part of Jordanian culture as it facilitates social interactions and a sense of community.

1st Place:
Joy submitted by Chinwe Weli, M.A.’18

Meherpur, Bangladesh
This photo was shot at a local school in the Meherpur district in Bangladesh. The female students are captured laughing excitedly after answering a question in class. Their school recently received a multimedia classroom from Save the Children as the government works to introduce innovative solutions to the primary education system.

Thank you to everyone who submitted photos. It truly was the most impressive group the Elliott School has ever received. And don’t forget to capture your experiences this year! We hope to see everyone at the exhibit’s opening reception on October 25, 2018.

October 2, 2018October 3, 2018

Beyond the Front Page: “Matters of State” Alumni Podcast

October 1, 2018October 3, 2018

Freeman Fellows In Asia

Last year, 19 Elliott School graduate students set off for various destinations across Asia to intern for NGOs, the U.S. Department of State, for-profit companies, social enterprise startups and humanitarian assistance organizations. All of these students had received Freeman Foundation grants that enabled their travel, supported living expenses and offered a modest stipend to finance their otherwise unpaid internships. The students applied through and received assistance from the Graduate Student Services (GSS) office throughout the application process.

Nickolas Sorensen, M.A. ’19, headed to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to work for an Australian-owned social enterprise called SHE Investments. There, he created workshops for micro-enterprises, applying for grants in order to help the businesses achieve growth and navigate the country’s bureaucracy. This is Sorensen’s fourth stint in Asia; he has previously worked in Nepal, Taiwan and India. After graduating, Nic plans to return to Asia for full-time work in humanitarian assistance.

For Breanna Bethel, M.A. ’19, Asia was a completely new experience. Having traveled extensively in Europe, she wanted to experience something less familiar and set her sights on China. She was hired by the State Department’s Shanghai office to help manage local contracts and administration for one of the largest diplomatic posts in China. Despite experiencing stronger culture shock than she had anticipated, Bethel still dramatically improved her spoken Chinese, learned the fine art of Chinese dumpling making and gave a presentation to Chinese nationals about the differences between rural and urban America. She also is eager to explore more of Asia and next hopes to travel to Japan.

The generous Freeman Foundation grants were enabled by Mansfield Freeman, a member of the original management group that started an insurance business in China at the turn of the 20th century. The fledgling business grew into the behemoth American International Group (AIG). Freeman also was a prominent scholar of Chinese philosophy and the founder of the Freeman Foundation, created to promote mutual cross-cultural understanding between Asia and the United States.

September 5, 2018September 6, 2018

How I Spent My Summer

An Interview with Margaret Meiman, ESIA BA ’20

We caught up with Elliott School junior Maggie Meiman at the start of the semester to chat about her summer internship at the Atlantic Council, a major think tank focused on strengthening the transatlantic alliance. A New Jersey native, Maggie honed her critical-thinking skills debating global issues as a member of her high-school debate team. At the Elliott School, she is a double major in international affairs and economics. When not in class or writing papers, she is often engaged in service work with members of her professional foreign-service sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon. A stipend from GW’s Knowledge in Action Career Internship Fund made it possible for Maggie to accept this prestigious internship.

Tell us a bit about your work as a summer intern at the Atlantic Council.

I worked in the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, which focuses on democratization, economic development, and disinformation within the post-Soviet space.

What issues did you work on?

My research focused heavily on Kremlin-led disinformation and misinformation in various countries, as well as the legal remedies countries use to combat them. For example, I explored how Estonia’s situation differs from scenarios in Germany and Moldova.

Why was the Atlantic Council internship a good fit for you?

The internship combined my regional interest in Europe and Eurasia with my focus on economics.

A highlight from your experience?

An off-the-record roundtable we held with the former Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Kasyanov. This event was a chance for top Russia experts in D.C. to gather for a frank conversation about the current state of affairs in Russia, with an emphasis on predictions for the future.

A key takeaway?

I expanded my horizons, literally! I learned so much about Europe and Eurasia – especially about Russia, Moldova, and Georgia – that I just declared an additional concentration in this region. And I plan to use my enhanced regional knowledge and research skills when it comes time to write a thesis next year.

A point of pride from your internship?

My piece on the long term effects of the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia was published on the Atlantic Council’s blog, the New Atlanticist.