Dear Friends of ISD,
The need for thoughtful, informed diplomacy and educated and skilled practitioners has never been so clear. The world is in the process of restructuring itself – redefining identity, good governance, economic relations, security, rights and obligations, and even the meaning of citizen and nation-state. Driven by forces beyond the control of any one person, political entity, or economic actor and fueled by intrusive technology that can overwhelm with data pollution and warring visions of reality, the boundaries between domestic concerns and international demands continue to blur.
ISD’s mission to enhance and expand the understanding and appreciation of diplomacy as a national policy tool, and to educate the next generation of policymakers and global citizens has also never been as clear. In our way, we hope to move the needle ever so much and have shaped our programs and our aspirations to address these challenges. Over the summer, the ISD team has
recognized the critical role of a free media in constructive policy debates by selecting Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic for the 2016 Weintal Prize for Diplomatic Reporting, with the award dinner set for October 20th.
launched this fall a two-year series of working groups on The New Global Commons, bringing together leading academics, members of the think tank community, and policy practitioners. The first of these – fall 2016 – will look at the effects of environmental change on human mobility, and the global policy implications.
geared up for another year with new associates and fellows from across the policymaking spectrum to research emerging problems and teach at SFS.
welcomed eight new student research fellows.
organized another iteration of the flagship Georgetown Leadership Seminar and its first cousin, the new Georgetown Diplomacy and Development Academy, set to launch January 2017.
with the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation, vastly expanded and aggressively marketed our diplomacy case studies library for the benefit of students and instructors of policy worldwide.
It looks to be a very busy year. Each of these initiatives is described in detail below and we invite you to dive deeper into each.
And, finally, ISD will launch a major fund-raising campaign this fall, in coordination with the School of Foreign Service centennial campaign, and we invite the Friends of ISD, you, to join us in this effort. If you would like to support ISD’s work, please contact us directly or click on this link.
We will keep you posted throughout the year of events and other developments and welcome your comments and suggestions.
Barbara K. Bodine
2016 Edward Weintal Prize for Diplomatic Reporting
Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic will be honored at a dinner on October 20th. Created to honor the legacy of Edward “Teddy” Weintal and to recognize excellence in diplomatic reporting, the prize has been awarded for over 40 years to journalists from around the world. Goldberg will be honored for his exceptional long-form work over the decades, most notably “The Obama Doctrine” in the April 2016 issue of The Atlantic. The talk will also be available on our website shortly after the event.
Diplomacy and Human Rights with Luis Almagro, OAS Secretary General
Monday, September 19th | 4:30 – 5:30 pm | Copley Formal Lounge
ISD and Freedom House cordially invite you to a public keynote address and moderated discussion on September 19th on diplomacy and human rights featuring Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, and winner of the 2016 Mark Palmer Prize, presented by Freedom House to a diplomat who helps advance democracy and human rights internationally. The discussion will focus on how diplomats and civil society can work together to counter a record ten-year decline in freedom globally, with a particular focus on the false narrative that diplomats are forced to choose between ensuring security and promoting human rights. RSVP >>>
ISD’s New Associates and Fellows
Ambassador Richard B. NorlandUS State Department Senior Fellow
Ambassador Richard B. Norland will continue for a second year as ISD State Department Senior Fellow. This spring, Dick taught a capstone class focused on the New Silk Road and Eurasian stability. Dick has served as a career diplomat for the past 35 years, with a focus on Eurasia (Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia), conflict resolution (Northern Ireland, regional conflicts in the former USSR, Afghanistan), and the Arctic. Most recently he served as US Ambassador to Georgia. He has also served as US Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Deputy Chief of Mission in Afghanistan and Latvia, International Affairs Advisor/Deputy Commandant at the National War College, and Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council.
Steven KeatingU.S. Intelligence Community National Security Law Fellow
Steven Keating comes to ISD from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency where he has served since 2003, currently as Assistant General Counsel specializing in intelligence oversight. From 1995-2003, Steve was in private practice focused on the areas of contract law, criminal law, and maritime law. He has also served as Captain in the US Navy Reserve.
Katharine NanavattyDean and Virginia Rusk Fellow, US State Department
Katharine Nanavatty joined the US Foreign Service in 2005, and has served in Dar es Salam, Johannesburg, and the South and Central Asia Bureau, among other posts. In her most recent assignment in Kuala Lumpur, Kate worked on US-Malaysia maritime cooperation, including a training program for the Malaysian Coast Guard. As Burma Desk Officer in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2010-2012, she worked on US strategies to normalize relations with Burma, and played a lead role on the team responsible for planning Secretary Clinton’s 2011 visit to Burma, the highest-level US engagement in Burma for more than 50 years.
Raj WadhwaniDean and Virginia Rusk Fellow, US State Department
Raj Wadhwani joins ISD from the US Consulate General in Mumbai, where he served as Political and Economic Section Chief, responsible for reporting on economic reform, business, finance, human rights, religious freedom, women’s issues, and party politics. Some of Raj’s other US Foreign Service assignments were in Baghdad, where he served as Deputy Spokesman/Information Officer; in Washington as Desk Officer for Economic Affairs in the Office of Iranian Affairs; as Political Officer and Vice Consul in Amman; as Vice Consul in the US Embassy in Riyadh; and as Provincial Action Officer on the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Baghdad.
Shon McCormickUS Army War College Fellow
Colonel Shon McCormick comes to ISD from the National Security Council, where he served as Director of Defense Policy and Strategy, with an emphasis on security sector assistance policy and global defense strategy. From 1994-2006, he served in various US Army command and staff positions in the United States and Korea, and later was deployed to Afghanistan. An Army Strategist, Shon spent two years on the Army Staff at the Pentagon, where he worked on force planning and Army strategy and policy.
Matt MetzelUS Army War College Fellow
Lt. Colonel Matthew Metzel currently serves as a Senior Strategic Planner in the Strategy Integration Directorate, Office of the Chief, Army Reserve. Matt enlisted in the US Army in 1993, was selected as an Officer Candidate, and then deployed his platoon to Bosnia in 1996 in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. He left the military in 1997 to work as a probation officer. In 2001, he was mobilized to support Operation Noble Eagle, then joined the Active Guard and Reserve program in 2002. In 2007 he deployed to Iraq with the 535th Military Police Battalion.
Andrew J. SteffenSenior National Defense Fellow, US Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew J. Steffen was the Commander of the 30th Intelligence Squadron, where he led over 360 intelligence operators producing imagery, signals and multi-source intelligence collection, exploitation, analysis and reporting for areas across the globe. He is a career intelligence officer who has served in numerous tactical and strategic roles and has deployed in support of operations in the Middle East, Europe and Pacific regions. He was also selected for the prestigious and combat-focused Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands Program, where he deployed to Pakistan for a year. In his last staff job, Andrew served as the national Intelligence Community’s Program Manager for Pakistan.
Sungsoo ChoiAffiliate Research Scholar,Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea
Mr. Choi graduated from Seoul National University in 1991 and studied international economics from 1994 to 1996 at the University of Michigan where he obtained his MA degree. Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991, he has worked at the Korean Embassies in Wellington, Tehran and Kiev, and the Permanent Mission to the UN in New York and the Permanent Delegation to OECD in Paris. In Seoul, he worked for inter-Korean policy, Middle East and African affairs, international economic cooperation and development cooperation. He was Director of Development Cooperation Division and Director of Africa Division.
ISD Support to Students
The ISD certificate in diplomatic studies was awarded this spring to 23 SFS graduates, the first cohort of graduate students in the program. The class of 2017 cohort has over 30 students. Based on the level of interest from students and support from faculty, the certificate will be available to undergraduate BSFS students this fall. This program is designed not only for those seeking careers in diplomacy, but those whose career choices demand an understanding of the formulation and implementation of foreign policy.
ISD has also selected eight students as research fellows for the 2016-2017 academic year, listed below with their research topics and advisers.
Mid-Career Education – Georgetown Leadership Seminar and Georgetown Diplomacy and Development Academy
Under the leadership of Director of Studies James Seevers, we are assembling another strong Georgetown Leadership Seminar class for October 2016. Confirmed participants include Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Counternarcotics, members of parliament from Denmark and the Maldives, and a Kurdish journalist from Iraq. Speakers will include Secretary Chuck Hagel, Ambassador Tom Pickering, and SFS Dean Joel Hellman. Building on the GLS model, we are also planning the first week-long Georgetown Diplomacy and Development Academy for launch in 2017. This new executive education program will draw on top SFS faculty and other Washington experts to help diplomats, development officials, and their private and non-profit sector partners better understand the formulation and implementation of foreign policy.
Diplomacy Case Studies Library
Kelly McFarland, Director of Programs and Research, along with ISD Editor Vanessa Lide, has launched an ambitious effort to significantly expand and enhance the ISD signature diplomacy case studies library. Currently, nearly 30 new cases are in various stages of development and many should be online by the end of the academic year. Topics and themes to be added include:
The Arab Spring, written by ambassadors to Tunis, Cairo, and Damascus
The role of special envoys and special representatives in high-stakes conflicts
Women, peace, and security – Northern Ireland, Guatemala, Kenya, and the Philippines
Development and diplomacy, including global health policy, e.g., Ebola, Zika, and polio efforts
US-Iraqi negotiations on Status of Forces in 2008
This expansion of offerings has been paired with an equally ambitious marketing effort, including Kelly’s personal participation in a number of key academic conferences, including one for Advanced Placement teachers at the high school level, a heretofore untapped market for ISD.
The New Global Commons Working Group Series
This series will focus on some of the key challenges that the world’s policymakers will need to address within the next decade. Neither peripheral nor transitory, but often lacking the immediacy of crisis, these are known issues that will only grow in complexity and severity with time. These medium-term, under-the-radar challenges and opportunities are unlikely to gain the recognition and policymaker interest they warrant until the moment has passed for creative initiative. Most, if not all, cannot and will not be resolved in the short term but the steps required to begin to address these problems need to be undertaken sooner, rather than later.
Themes under “The New Global Commons” include the impact of globalization beyond the marketplace, the disruption of technology, and the realities of climate change that individually and collectively will reshape political, economic, and social patterns not seen since the start of the Industrial Revolution. This fall’s working group will explore the nexus between environmental changes and human security, specifically focusing on climate change and its impact on human mobility.