Education – Page 2 – IPDGC Smart Power

We Are All Connected: International relations and political science

October 16, 2020October 16, 2020Education, Global Communication, PDx, public diplomacy

With 193 member states, the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.

The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter. This anniversary comes in a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with severe economic and social impacts. But it is also a reminder that times of struggle can become an opportunity for positive change and transformation.

The Model UN is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and its other multilateral bodies where students from high school and college perform an ambassadorial role while debating globally important topics such as climate change, gender equality, and global health.

As an undergraduate at Sam Houston State University, Texas, SMPA graduate student Victoria Makanjuola participated in the Model UN Her faculty adviser was Dr. Dennis Weng.

PDx Interviewer Victoria Makanjuola (second from left) and her team at the UN General Assembly room, 2019

For this PDx episode, Victoria talks to Dr. Weng about the Model UN experience; learning how countries interact and engage at a multilateral organization.

>Listen to the PDx interview HERE.

Dr. Weng also emphasizes the importance of political science and international relations: “it’s not just a subject…not textbook knowledge. It’s life. (These) have a direct influence on (our) daily life because we are all connected.”

To learn more about Model UN, go to https://unausa.org/model-un/

To celebrate UN Day, an annual concert is usually held in the General Assembly Hall. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert will be prerecorded and screened in the GA Hall on Thursday, October 22, 2020, at 12.00 pm EST. This will be shown on UN Web TV (webtv.un.org), the UN Channel on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

PDx is Back!

September 14, 2020September 14, 2020Africa, Education, PDx

This fall 2020 marks the 2nd anniversary of the Public Diplomacy Examined podcast. This podcast takes a look at the world of public diplomacy, professional exchanges, international education, global careers, and foreign affairs.

Head pic of graduate student Victoria Makanjuola — Victoria Makanjuola

This past summer, SMPA graduate student Victoria Makanjuola worked at the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication as the PDx assistant showrunner. Victoria took on the tasks of researching and writing, conducting interviews, and handling the technical production of the podcasts. Along the way, she had many good conversations with professors of foreign relations, exchange specialists, cultural ambassadors, leaders of non-profits, and others in this diverse field.

Victoria’s PDx internship was supported by the Walter Roberts Endowment, which provided five students with small grants to pursue internships in public diplomacy work.

First PDx interview for fall

As the 2020 fall semester inaugural podcast, PDx features Hannah Jackson, a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs who is the founder and the president of the new student organization, Young Black Professionals in International Affairs (YBPIA). Hannah is the first student to be interviewed on PDx.

PDx interviewer Victoria talks to Hannah about the mission of YBPIA:

“I am a strong believer in the affirming power of representation. Far too often, communities of color, particularly those in the black community, don’t see enough people who look like them in the careers that they aspire to. That reality is glaringly true within the field of international affairs.”

>LISTEN TO THE PDX podcast

Also, head over to the PDx page to hear other podcasts.

YBPIA has the purpose of providing a supportive and enriching environment for black students at the Elliott School of International Affairs to develop their voices in the field and encourage the development of both African and African-American studies and thought.

As part of its outreach, YBPIA will engage in professional, academic, and community events.

An upcoming event co-sponsored by YBPIA is in sports diplomacy:

“Sports, Ethics, and Black Lives Matter”; Wednesday, September 23, 2020, from 4pm – 5pm.

This is a virtual event and more information can be found HERE.

Get to know YBPIA better through their Instagram and their LinkedIn page.

100th Issue of Bruce Gregory’s Resources on Diplomacy’s Public Dimensions

March 5, 2020April 15, 2020Education, Global Communication, public diplomacy

IPDGC is proud to announce the 100th Issue of Bruce Gregory‘s collection of resources on public diplomacy (PD) and related subjects. First published in June 2002, Gregory’s list is an
annotated bibliography of readings and other materials intended for teachers, students, and PD practitioners.

Gregory taught classes on public diplomacy, media and global affairs as an adjunct professor in the Global Communication MA program, at the Elliott School of International Affairs and School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University (2002-2017). He is also the former director of IPDGC (2005-2008) and a former member of the Walter Roberts Endowment committee (2006-2018).

Read the issue #100 here.

Joseph S. Nye and Tara Sonenshine at the Walter Roberts Lecture. Photo by Sydney Elle Gray/GW Photos

Soft Power scholar Joseph Nye speaks at Walter Roberts Annual Lecture

January 31, 2020April 16, 2020Education, IPDGC, public diplomacy

On Thursday, January 30, eminent scholar of international relations and political scientist Dr. Joseph S. Nye delivered the keynote address for the 2020 Walter Roberts Annual Lecture at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Relations. Dr. Nye spoke on the topic of his latest book, “Do Morals Matter: Presidents and Foreign Policy.”

The Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication (IPDGC) Director Janet Steele had noted in her introduction, “It is highly fitting that Professor Nye be the speaker at an annual lecture series that honors the memory of Walter R. Roberts… (who) throughout his 42-year career, was dedicated to the advancement of public diplomacy.”

In addressing the audience at the Walter Roberts Lecture, Nye suggested that they consider evaluating presidential decision-making along three ethical dimensions: intentions, means, and consequences. Nye spoke on how presidents, from World War II to the current day, were not fully constrained by the structure of the system and were able to consider choices for action – or non-action.

Hard power works pretty quickly. Soft power takes a long time – Joseph S. Nye

Later in a discussion moderated by Tara Sonenshine, former Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Nye fielded a variety of questions from the audience; ranging from the current U.S. global role to Russian soft diplomacy – “there’s not much of it.”

The Walter R. Roberts Endowment, which supports the Annual Lecture, was created by the Roberts family and housed at the George Washington University, has hosted annual lectures with prominent foreign policy figures since 2011.

The video and photos of the 2020 Walter Roberts Annual Lecture is shared on the IPDGC website.