School News AGS

On March 5th, Professor and Ambassador Wilfried Bolewski gave a talk at AGS about the current Ukrainian crisis through the lens of his dual expertise as a career diplomat and a specialist of international law. Providing a thorough legal, political, and diplomatic background to the current situation, Bolewski framed it as part of a wider Russian identity crisis, linking it to similar events in Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968) and Georgia (2008). He declared: "There can be no solution to the Ukrainian crisis against Russia, but only with Russia".

Bolewski highlighted several obstacles to the resolution of the current standoff. Not least of these, he argued, are Russia’s selective application of the principles of international law and its unilateral reinterpretation of these principles. According to this ‘Russian exceptionalism’, only limited sovereignty is granted to the countries that are under Russia’s self-proclaimed sphere of influence, and the new norm of Responsibility to Protect is extended to virtually any military intervention in favor of Russian nationals as well as ethnic Russians abroad. Bolewski believes the International Community should clearly reject, in the global public square, President Vladimir Putin's virtual and ideological stances as unilateral misinterpretations of international law.

To break out of the gridlock over Ukraine at the UN Security Council, and de-escalate its ad hoc diplomacy from confrontational to relational, Bolewski calls for ‘minilateralism’, searching for mutual interests among the countries most affected and ensuring Russia is brought to the table and not sanctioned into defiance. He recommends opening a ‘multilogue’ within a newly created Contact Group as suggested by Chancellor Merkel.

Bolewski believes that Germany could have an important role in resolving the crisis, suggesting the Merkel government is in a unique position to bring together a coalition of the influential and promote dialogue between the parties. He adds: “Former Chancellor Schröder could be mandated to preside over this form of ‘minilateralism’ and quiet diplomacy comprising representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the US, Germany, the UK, Poland, France, the EU and the IMF in order to discuss the future of Ukraine.”

A lawyer by training and career diplomat, Wilfried Bolewski is former German Ambassador to Belize, Jamaica and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and former Chief of Protocol to German Chancellors Merkel and Schröder. He is now a professor at AGS, where he teaches the courses on "International Law and Diplomacy" and on "Foreign Policy Formulation". He also teaches at Sciences Po Paris and the Free University of Berlin. Bolewski is the author of Diplomacy and International Law in Globalized Relations (Springer: Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 2007).

See Ambassador Bolewski's profile on the AGS website

See Video Interview of Ambassador Bolewski on his teaching at AGS:

The latest Wine and Cheese evening at AGS was hosted by Dr. Ruchi Anand on February 4th, on the theme: "Indian Fury Over Strip Search of Khobragade: Strained Indo-US Diplomatic Relations?" The presentation and discussion focused on the recent diplomatic standoff between the US and India over the handcuffing, strip-search and eventual departure of Devyani Khobragade.

Khobragade, 39, was the Deputy Consul General of the Consulate of India in New York City at the time she was handcuffed and arrested on December 12, 2013. The charges against her were visa fraud and compensation of her housekeeper, Sangeeta Richard, at a rate that was much below the minimum wages - and below the amount specified on the contract that Khobragade submitted for her employee's visa. All the charges together carry a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison. Dr. Anand’s presentation explored the diplomatic, personal, political, legal, diplomatic, theoretical, cultural, caste, class and humanitarian issues that arise from this scandal. She also supported her presentation with references to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunity and  the Vienna Convention on Consular Immunity (1961) as well as The Consular Notification and Access Manual published by the U.S. Department of State (2011). Quoting Carol Hanisch, she emphasized that in international relations and diplomacy, "The personal is political is international."

The topic sparked a lively debate with the audience of fifty, among which was career diplomat and AGS professor Ambassador Dominique Dreyer, who contributed his expertise to the discussion as he is the former Ambassador of Switzerland to India, Nepal and Bhutan, as well as to China, Mongolia and North Korea.

Professor Ruchi Anand, Ph.D. is an expert on international relations, gender issues and international law. Born and raised in India, she studied international relations and international law at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India before obtaining her Ph.D. from Purdue University in the United States. She has been teaching at the American Graduate School for twelve years. See her full profile here.

Wine and Cheese evenings have become an highlight and much looked forward event in the academic and social life of the American Graduate School in Paris. Twice every semester, the school invites a specialist to present and engage the audience in an informal discussion on a topic of international relations. Students, alumni, faculty, and other guests get together around their shared passion for international affairs - and around a gourmet buffet of French wine and cheeses!

Preparations for the event are part of the excitement. Traditionally, Jean-Pierre Lachenal, former AGS Finance Director also known by most as a fine expert on cheeses and wines, invites those interested to shop with him at the famous cheese store Barthélémy and at the just-as-famous Poilâne bakery in the 6th and 7th arrondissements of Paris, not far from the school. Below is a photo album that Nicole Varner, a student at Arcadia University currently spending a semester in Paris in the study abroad program at AGS, shared with us. It includes snapshots of the preparations as well as pictures that she took during the presentation.

If you are interested in attending future Wine and Cheese evenings at the American Graduate School in Paris, please contact us at info@ags.edu. Note that space is limited.

The new students participating in the Arcadia Study Abroad Program at the American Graduate School in Paris have started their second week of classes. There are eight students, coming from the U.S., Paraguay, and China. All are enrolled in universities in the U.S., including Denison University, St Anselm College, Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, and Arcadia University. They are spending fifteen weeks in Paris taking courses in international relations, history and law as well as French courses with the world-renowned language school Alliance Française, which is the partner institution of the American Graduate School in Paris and Arcadia University for French language courses (more information on this program.)

Students were welcomed into the program with four days of pre-semester orientation activities including a safety and security/academic orientation followed by a welcome dinner at a typical French bistro, as well as a walking tour and a visit to the Eiffel Tower and Musée du Quai Branly.

The walking tour consisted of a walk through the Latin Quarter, catching a view of the old houses of the Mouffetard Market Street and places where important writers such as Honoré de Balzac, James Joyce, Victor Hugo, George Orwell, and Ernest Hemingway, lived or set their stories. Located just next to the Eiffel Tower, the Musée du Quai Branly showcases indigenous art, civilizations and cultures of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. This orientation weekend gave students the opportunity to better acquaint themselves with each other and Paris before delving into the coursework.

During the course of the semester, students will participate in two AGS-led trips outside of Paris: a four-day cultural excursion to Nice on the beautiful Côte d'Azur in the South of France, and a two-day cultural/political visit to Strasbourg, where students will visit the Council of Europe and explore the German-influenced city. In addition, they will participate in a number of excursions embedded in the coursework throughout the semester. Dr. Yates, who teaches the core course on History, Politics, and Diplomacy of France and the European Union, explains:

"I have found that the students like getting out of the classroom to "experience" what we discuss in class. One of the trips that I offer every semester is a visit to the Roman antiquities of Paris. In Roman times this city was called 'Lutetia,' and there are several vestiges of the Empire which we can visit, including an amphitheater (where I talk about gladiators), a thermal bath, and an archaeological crypt under the pavement of the Ile-de-la-Cité (where I talk about the nautical guild that ran the docks along the Seine). What is interesting about this time period is that we have almost no written records, so most of what we know of the Gallo-Roman inhabitants is the work of modern archaeologists. This is a growing body of knowledge. Ironically, we know more about the Roman past today than at any previous time in history. And as new discoveries are made, my lectures about antiquity actually get updated. It's like Will Rogers said, 'History ain't what it used to be!'

Another trip that I really enjoy is for the class on French History, Government, and Diplomacy, when I take students up north of Paris to the Saint-Denis Basilica. There, almost all the kings and queens of France are buried, from the time of the Merovingians, through the Carolingians, Capetians, Valois and Bourbons. All in one place! For an overview of more than one thousand years of French political history, there is really nothing better than to 'experience' the physical presence, 'see' the evolving art of sepulchral tombs, and 'feel' the cold stone. I enjoy teaching the class about Napoleon while standing in front of his tomb at the Invalides, or talking about how to do reasearch while meandering down the giant halls of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, or reflecting on the role of cultural patrimony while visiting the plundered treasures of the empire that have been hoarded in the rooms of the Louvre. From my own experience of exploring other cities, I know that it takes a guide to bring the lifeless buidlings to life, to make the old stones sing. Each time I take students they ask questions that challenge me to go back and do more research, and each year I am learning more about this city where I have lived for almost twenty years. But do you know what is best about all of this? It is getting to know the students, and learning from them."

On December 17, the American Graduate School in Paris staff, faculty, students and alumni held a celebration in the honor of Muriel Claudel, registrar and student services officer, who is retiring after over a decade of service at AGS. Muriel has helped every single student who enrolled in the school through the processes associated with their visa, residence permit, health insurance, government aid for housing, internship applications, work permits, and other types of assistance provided by AGS to students moving to Paris from around the world to attend its programs. Called by many "the Goddess of French administration", Muriel Claudel knew every single rule, detail and trick associated with the arcane procedures and showed endless patience navigating through the meanders of the French administration.

Muriel Claudel joined the American Graduate School in Paris staff in September 2003. She found in AGS a multicultural working environment allowing her to fulfill her international aspirations after having lived in various countries including Iran, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. At the time Muriel was hired, AGS was just approaching its second decade of existence since it had been founded in 1994, and the school was still a small crew of enthusiastic professors in a single office, with a strong vision of academic excellence. Muriel has seen it grow into the well-established institution it is today, and has witnessed the start and emergence of the partnership with Arcadia University which now lies at the core of AGS's activities. Nikki Christensen, President of Arcadia University, and Lorna Stern, Vice-President and Executive Director of The College of Global Studies at Arcadia, joined the occasion to share the tribute paid to Muriel.

(See photo - left to right: Eileen Servidio, President of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at AGS, Lorna Stern, Arcadia University's Vice-President and Executive Director of The College of Global Studies, Muriel Claudel, Jennifer Wright, Study Abroad Programs Coordinator at AGS, Alexis Delabre, Chairman of the Board of AGS, Nikki Christensen, President of Arcadia University)

As she addressed the students and alumni, Muriel Claudel said "I love differences, and I have enjoyed working with every one of you as you are all different and unique." We wish Muriel the best as she is starting this new chapter in her life, and we feel confident that she will find new ways to express the openness and thirst for diversity that made her years at AGS such a perfect match.

AGS is committed to maintaining the high level of student services after Muriel's departure and has hired James Ocran, from Ghana, who graduated from the school last June with a Master's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy.

A delegation of eight American Graduate School in Paris students participated in the 19th Cambridge International Model United Nations conference (CUIMUN), in Cambridge, UK, November 29th to December 2nd. The AGS delegation represented Brazil, Portugal, Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo on seven different UN committees: the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security (DISEC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Historical Committee, the European Council, and the African Union.

This year for the first time, the AGS delegation was composed of both graduate and undergraduate students as three students from the United States spending their semester in Paris through Arcadia/AGS study abroad semester program joined the MUN graduate team: Daniela Baeza (Eckerd College, FL), Chelsea Cashwell (Campbell University, NC), and Tailleu Paquette (Arcadia University, PA) participated alongside International Relations Master's candidates Rebecca Apperson (Class of 2015), Ebi Botei (Class of 2014), Christine Brownfield (Class of 2014), Tim Francis (Class of 2014), and JoAnne Loiodice (Class of 2014), thus making the most of the International Relations specialization of the school and benefitting from the experience of their graduate fellows.

“It was empowering to have put forth so much effort in researching my topic and being able to proudly represent my country (Brazil) at MUN,” Tailleu Paquette said.

In preparation for this conference, the AGS Model United Nations team met each week since September under the supervision and coordination of Head Delegate Christine Brownfield. They performed debating, training on speech writing and public speaking, and extensive research on the countries they were assigned as well as on the UN structure and policy making. This allowed the AGS delegation to truly embody the policymakers of the countries they represented and be fully prepared as they competed with more than 400 students from universities around the world, including the MIT and Columbia University (US), Oxford and Cambridge Universities (UK), the University of Utrecht (Netherlands), Ecole Polytechnique (France), Peking University (China), and Delhi University (India), among many others.

"At CUIMUN there were delegates who flew in ranging from the US to the Philippines."Christine Brownfield said. "I'm always amazed and inspired to be surrounded by so many intelligent and hard-working students from all over the world. It was my first time participating on a Historical Committee, but as an IR student who has heard plenty about the Peace of Westphalia, getting a chance to delve into the topic and rewrite history somewhat was a wonderful experience."

This is the fifth conference in which the AGS Model United Nations team has participated since the program was started in 2012. The next conferences in the team's projects are the World MUN in Belgium, the LIMUN in London, and the PIMUN in Paris.

More photos:

(Photos: Courtesy of CUIMUN)

On November 22, Christine Knudsen of UNICEF was at the American Graduate School in Paris to participate in the NGO Management class where she discussed the subject of the cluster approach, the transformative agenda, and their impact on UN/NGO relations. As the Chief of the Inter-Agency and Humanitarian Partnerships at the Office for Emergency Programmes at UNICEF in Geneva, Ms. Knudsen was able to bring to the AGS in Paris students first-hand expertise on these questions in the field of humanitarian aid.

Ms. Knudsen emphasized the effects of urbanization on the frequency and consequences of disasters as well as on the organization and rendering of aid in those heavily populated area. She explained that this changing situation and the need to better respond to the needs of internally displaced persons have led to the development of the cluster approach, where groups of humanitarian organizations work together to address emergencies with a need-based, rather than capacity-driven, humanitarian response. This approach brings together international organizations, national and local authorities, and civil society. Christine Knudsen remarked: "Keep in mind that the cluster coordination is not the goal. It is a proxy for a better response and better results."

After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in French Literature at La Sorbonne University in Paris and a Master's in International Relations and Affairs from Johns Hopkins University's SAIS, Christine Knudsen worked for the NGO Save the Children before joining the United Nations as a Senior Protection Officer. Since 2009, she has been working as Humanitarian Partnership Manager in the Office of Emergency Programmes at UNICEF in Geneva. In this capacity, she negotiates and builds common policies and positions on key humanitarian issues, with the UN, the Red Cross, and the NGO community, and strengthens bilateral operations with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the World Food Program (WFP). She manages stand-by emergency deployments with over twenty private sector, governmental and civil society organizations.

Mathew Wood, Master's candidate in the International Relations and Diplomacy program at AGS in Paris, says: "Christine Knudsen's lecture was fascinating! Being able to dialogue with practitioners who are currently working in the field really makes a difference. Ms. Knudsen was able to offer insights into the current events that had never before considered. After hearing her speak, I have changed the way I think about NGOs and humanitarian aid today."

This guest lecture was an initiative of Solène Edouard, one of three professors on the team teaching the Certificate program in NGO Management at AGS in Paris along with Jean-Marie Fardeau, France Director of Human Rights Watch, and Ruchi Anand, Professor at AGS in Paris. More information on this program here.

The latest edition of the American Graduate School in Paris Wine and Cheese evenings, held on November 26th, had Dr. Mariam Habibi as the evening's guest speaker. A specialist of Middle Eastern history and politics, Professor Habibi led a discussion on the question: "Should Iran Have a Nuclear Program?" following the recent signature of the Geneva Interim Agreement on November 24th, where Iran and six major world leaders agreed to a halt or back scaling of Iran's nuclear activities in turn for temporary relief from economic sanctions that have been imposed on the country.

In her presentation, Professor Habibi shared her expertise for a better understanding of the cultural and domestic political context in which Iran operates. She provided a concise historical background to the nuclear program of Iran, from the early days under the Shah when Western powers actually provided Tehran with the know-how in the 1950s and 1960s, to the watershed Iranian Revolution which brought an end to Western cooperation in the nuclear field in 1979, through the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s when Baghdad's reckless attempt to develop nuclear weapons of mass destruction demonstrated to Tehran an urgent need for its own nuclear deterrence, to technology transfer from Pakistan in the 1990s, up until the present crisis in the post 9/11 era.

Professor Douglas Yates says: "Professor Habibi presented a fascinating talk in an area of central concern to the international community. She provided invaluable insight and was able to engage the audience in an informed and constructive debate."

Professor Mariam Habibi teaches at the American Graduate School as well as at New York University in Paris and in the study abroad programs of USC, American University in Washington DC, and University of California in Paris. After having completed a joint degree in Economics and Politics at Lancaster University, UK and an M.A. in Contemporary European History at the Unversity of London, she obtained her doctorate from Sciences Po (Institut d'Etudes Politiques) in Paris. Her areas of expertise include Middle Eastern history, politics and diplomacy with an emphasis on Iran; European Union politics; and Twentieth Century French history with an emphasis on topics such as immigration, colonialism, and Islam. She is the author of L'Interface France-Iran 1907-1938. Une Diplomatie Voilée Paris, L'Harmattan 2004 (The Franco-Iranian Interface 1907-1938. A Veiled Diplomacy).

For more information on the AGS in Paris Wine and Cheese evenings and if you wish to attend a future edition, please contact info@ags.edu.

More photos:

On Sunday, December 1st, AGS students, alumni and friends gathered in the Vitry-sur-Seine Stadium near Paris for a special soccer game organized to raise funds for the upcoming AGS in Paris Graduate Student Conference. In a joyful atmosphere, the conference organizers collected 415 Euros - and cheerful support from all the participants and attendants.

This fundraiser was an initiative of four students in the Master of International Relations and Diplomacy program at AGS in Paris, all members of the Conference Committee: Daria Korkoshko, Kesi Lumumba, and Allison Wilson, as well as Conference Student Director Stefan De Las, who also played in the game. It was organized in collaboration with C.A. Vitry Football Club. This expands the already strong circle of support around the AGS in Paris conference, which also includes partnerships with Fondation Alliance Française, the World Cultures Institute, and Banque Populaire Rives de Paris.

The AGS in Paris 9th Annual Conference will take place in Paris on April 17-18, 2014, on the theme of Cyber-Developments in International Relations. More information on the conference

American Graduate School in Paris Alumnus H. Will Bashor (Ph.D. in International Relations and Diplomacy, 2000), recently published his latest book, Marie Antoinette's Head: The Royal Hairdresser, the Queen and the Revolution (New York: Lyons Press 2013). A biography of Leonard Autie, this book traces his rise from his humble origins as a country barber in Southern France to his prominent role as premier hairdresser and confidente to the the French Queen Marie-Antoinette. The book was designated as a "Must-read" by the New York Post and awarded the Adele Mellen Prize for Distinguished Scholarship.

David Wingeate Pike, professor at the American Graduate School in Paris, writes: "For this book I have nothing but praise. The book is so well researched, so well written, so totally readable that it will appeal to a very wide public....” 

Will Bashor is currently a professor of Global Issues at Franklin University. An expert on French history, he is a member of the Society for French Historical Studies and recently presented at their annual meeting (2013) in Cambridge, sponsored by Harvard University. His previous publications include The Moon Treaty Paradox (Bloomington, Xlibris 2004), which is based on his American Graduate School in Paris Ph.D. dissertation.

Twenty-two American Graduate School in Paris students travelled to Porto, Portugal for a four-day visit on the 3-6 November, 2013. The visit was organized by the school's Graduate Student Association. This brought together students from the International Relations and Diplomacy Master's and International MBA programs at AGS in Paris.

This trip was a good way to complement and enhance the international experience provided by AGS in Paris. Gathered in small groups, students explored the sites, culture and cuisine of Portugal. Some students enjoyed a Porto wine tasting session in the Douro Valley; others visited the beach at Matosinhos, immediately north of the official City of Porto boundary; another group toured Estadio do Dragao, the official football stadium of F.C. Porto, while another one went to visit the nearby city of Guimaraes and its medieval castles and fortress ruins.

This trip was also a good way for students to get to know each other better and develop the life-long friendships formed during the program.

The AGS Graduate Student Association organizes a similar trip every year to a different place, taking advantage of Paris location of the school which provides a perfect platform for travel across Europe. Previous years' trips included Oslo, Norway, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Berlin, Germany.

Katherine Parsons, Co-president of the AGS in Paris Graduate Student Association, epitomized the majority sentiment, stating that “Porto was such a great escape. The relaxed vibe of the city was a nice contrast to Paris, and we really got to see a new side to our classmates outside of an academic setting. It was a blast!”

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