The Elliott School launched the first edition of Experts Weigh In early last year in the research section of the school’s website. The first installment drew on faculty expertise to discuss the various socio-political and economic aspects of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Northern Syria.
In the latest installment of Experts Weigh In, COVID-19 is the focus. You can read faculty opinions on topics ranging from regional responses to the global crisis to how the coronavirus is exposing the limits of Pan-European solidarity to how trade restrictions may lead to a permanent lack of trust with our trading partners as a result of the virus. Read more here.
William Taylor, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 and as the chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev from June 2019 to January 2020, was awarded the Elliott School Leadership and Ethics Award for his commitment to ethical leadership in the field of international affairs at an event held at the Elliott School in February.
During his remarks, Taylor reminisced about his decision to accept the position of chargé d’affaires after the abrupt departure of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. He recalled discussing the position with his mentor, who advised him that, “if your country calls upon you, and you think you can be effective, then you have a duty to go.” Taylor emphasized that the key words to him were if you think you can be effective. Following a phone call to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who assured him that he had the full backing of the U.S. government behind him, he agreed to accept the position.
Taylor’s message to the audience in regards to Ukraine policy was that the United States has an obligation to “support Ukraine because it is on the front line of our freedom.” In other words, he went on to explain, support for the independence of Ukraine provides a bulwark against the manipulation of Russia into areas of mutual interest including election interference and energy policy. In these areas, he explained, Ukraine and the US are natural allies and can provide mutual benefit to each other.
Taylor also recorded an interview for the Elliott School’s student run podcast, Foreign Affairs Inbox, which dropped on March 30. Visit the podcast website to listen to the interview as well as other episodes.
My family is doing well in China. When COVID-19 broke out there in January and February, my city was locked down because it is near Wuhan, which is the most disastrous place. Like other people, my family had stayed at home for two months, and the only chance to go out was grocery shopping. However, there was a shortage of masks in China at one time, so I ordered some masks and shipped them from the US to China. It took around one month to get there! All in all, fortunately, as the regulation of locking down is removed currently, everything is normal back there, and my family did well throughout the entire outbreak.
When you were in the US, how have you been staying in touch with friends and family?
I often called my family to check if they were doing well, if there was something new, or if they needed anything that I could help with. I could stay in touch with my friends in China by chatting with them online and through social media. I knew staying at home for two months must be a hard thing for them, so I often talked with them to cheer them up. I would tell them what the situation in the US was, how’s my school life, and so on.
How have on-line classes been?
My on-line classes have been good so far. Except there are some glitches for one of my classes and the professor needs to cancel tomorrow’s class because she hasn’t found a solution to fix it yet. Other than that, on-line classes are great. I feel I can focus on the lecture more in some classes because I used to sit in the back of the classroom and the whiteboard was too small so that I couldn’t read words clearly. Now I can catch up with the professor better. And in one of my other classes, my professor invited a guest speaker. There was echo from my professor’s computer, so the guest just turned off the professor’s microphone, which was so funny because the professor could make facial expressions.
What have you been eating? Has your diet changed? Are you cooking more in the residence hall?
I went grocery shopping once a week. My diet basically stayed the same, because I used to cook in the dorm before. However, sometimes I don’t have any idea what to cook; my mind is completely blank. Sometimes the purpose of cooking is not to make it taste delicious; rather, it is to make me alive.
What is your favorite quarantine activity?
During this time, it gives me more time to watch movies and read books that I missed before. Also, I do some workout and yoga on my yoga mat. Besides my normal workout, I love to do some stretching poses. They really help me relax my body, because I hardly walk in the room.
What do you think will be better or permanently different once this over?
From my personal perspective, life will be normal and stay the same as it was before this happened. But I believe people will pay more attention to their personal health, because this thing really teaches people a lesson about that. So basically I think things will get better!
Can you provide little biographical information about yourself?
I was born in Chongqing, China. I have lived in the US for two years. I went to GW because it is a community where people connect closely and can feel a sense of belonging. Also, it is located in Washington, DC, which I believe is a comfortable place for living. I have a part-time job at the Elliott School of International Affairs in the Public Affairs department on campus. I love my work because it helps me get to know more people, improves my abilities in things like photography and video editing, and I learn more new things that I never knew before. My favorite thing about college in the US is that I can have a flexible schedule every week. In my high school back in China, I had a full study schedule every week and it always stayed the same. I used to go to class at 7:30 a.m. and end classes at 10:00 p.m. It is totally different in college in the US, because I can have spare time in the gym, club, and for other activities. Both ways work for me. What I would like to say is that living in another country and experiencing a different lifestyle is attractive to me, because I want my life to be varied and meaningful!
Editors Note: Willow is now safely back in China and in quarantine before she can rejoin her family. Until then, she continues to work remotely for the Public Affairs Department of the Elliott School of International Affairs.
The Elliott School launched the first edition of Experts Weigh In early last year in the research section of the school’s website. The first installment drew on faculty expertise to discuss the various socio-political and economic aspects of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Northern Syria. 
