faculty – Elliott360

September 27, 2022October 31, 2022

GW Professor in the Spotlight IERES Director Marlene Laurelle Draws Attention to Ukraine

In a recently published New York Times op-ed, Dr. Marlene Laruelle explores the brewing domestic political crisis in Russia and describes a country starkly divided. “In the wake of a stunning counteroffensive in which Ukrainian forces reclaimed over 1,000 miles of territory, Russia is uneasy,” says Laruelle.

Marlene Laruelle, Ph.D., is a Research Professor of International Affairs and the Director of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) within the Elliott School of International Affairs. The Institute’s primary mission is to “promote and support the study of Europe and Eurasia through research, courses, events, and publications.”

Dr. Laruelle’s research focuses on illiberalism, the transnational far-right, and the Russian ideological landscape. She is the author of Is Russia Fascist? Unraveling Propaganda East and West where she explores accusations of fascism toward Russia and expertly examines the Russian domestic scene and the Kremlin’s foreign policy rationales.

“Among citizens, interest in the war and the accompanying rally-around-the-flag effect are waning,” Dr. Laruelle notes. Protests against Putin’s 300,000 troop mobilization have engulfed parts of Moscow, St. Petersburg and 36 other cities, resulting in the arrests of over 1,300 on Wednesday night. This year alone, nearly 4 million citizens have fled Russia, including up to 15,000 millionaires.

Since the war began in February, 2022, the media has sought out the institute and Dr. Laurelle to provide expert analysis of the conflict. On March 1, Dr. Laurelle was one of five panelists that included former Ambassador and Elliott alumnus, Kurt Volker, in an event titled “Conflict in Ukraine” a mere six days after Russia attacked that country.

In mid-March, IERES, PONARS Eurasia, and the Petrach Program on Ukraine hosted Ukrainathon, a 24-hour “marathon” online event on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The program featured continuous 15-minute talks from more than 90 international experts to provide comprehensive insight into the war from multiple angles.

Recently, GW alumna, Jenna Segal, B.A. ‘98 and her husband Paul wanted to assist Ukrainains in need. Working with Elliott School Dean, Alyssa Ayreas, and Dr. Laurelle, the Segals’ established a Fund for Scholars Affected by the War in Ukraine and is run by the IERES and headquartered at the Elliott School.

According to the report in GW Today, The Segals’ gift will support scholars based in Ukraine or who were forced to flee the country. Each semester for five years, the Elliott School will welcome three visiting fellows to campus, with compensation commensurate with their experience. GW President Mark S. Wrighton said, “The establishment of this fund at the George Washington University will undoubtedly further the Elliott School of International Affairs’ important global reach and impact.”

October 30, 2020February 1, 2021

An Arctic Ally in the Nation’s Capital

For a campus built upon land once known as a malaria-infected industrial hub, it may come as a surprise that the Elliott School and GW are collaborating on no fewer than ten research grants related to the Arctic region. Dr. Robert Orttung and his colleagues are guiding projects examining topics as diverse as gender equality in the Arctic, the connection between Arctic wildfires and disease at high latitudes, the evolution of traditional Arctic communities under the stress of climate change, the opportunities and challenges for Arctic tourism, and long term data gathering and analysis of the Arctic permafrost. The Elliott School Arctic team includes Marlene Laruelle, Nikolay Shiklomanov, Dmitry Streletskiy, Vera Kuklina, and Marya Rozanova.

According to Orttung, “the Elliott School has been successful in getting these grants because of our ability to work across campus with colleagues in a wide range of disciplines. Funders like the National Science Foundation are now encouraging the establishment of large multidisciplinary teams to tackle complex problems like those found in the Arctic. Collaboration is essential in bringing together a wide range of different types of knowledge, including natural science, engineering, and social science. The key is to be able to collect and analyze large amounts of quantitative and qualitative data.”

Elliott School alumni have been getting involved in the Arctic region as well. James DeHart, MA ’91, was recently appointed U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region for the State Department. DeHart is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, holds the rank of Minister Counselor and brings with him 28 years of significant experience in regional security, civilian-military cooperation, and international negotiations. He most recently served as Senior Advisor for Security Negotiations and Agreements where he led the negotiation of the status of forces, defense cooperation, and burden-sharing agreements worldwide.

According to DeHart, “the logic behind the new position of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region is to protect U.S. interests through a balanced approach to the region, giving attention to security, sustainable economic growth, and continued cooperation among Arctic States to strengthen the rules-based order. As a result of dramatic environmental changes, the Arctic region is becoming more accessible to actors old and new. Russia and China are increasingly active, generating new risks in this era of great power competition. My job is to advise the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of State, ensure we are well coordinated within the State Department, and work across the U.S. Government to align resources with our policy goals. I also work closely with governments in the region, as well as relevant organizations and local communities, to try to maintain the Arctic as an area of low tension and high standards so that it develops in a way that’s supportive of our interests and those who live there. Our office is very small – sparsely populated, like the Arctic! – so we are plenty busy.”

It’s becoming more evident that future practitioners of international affairs will have to be well versed in questions of the environment and sustainability. The climate change affecting all of us is now most visible in the Arctic, where temperatures are rising faster than other parts of the planet. GW’s and the Elliott School’s faculty, students, and alumni are at the forefront, addressing these important issues, not only for the United States, but for the world.

April 2, 2020April 2, 2020

Experts Weigh In: COVID-19

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.

April 2, 2020April 7, 2020

Amb. William Taylor Receives Award for Leadership and Ethics

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.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/foreign-affairs-inbox/id1450190773

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.