School News AGS

In December the American Graduate School in Paris's research center saw the release of its first book : Crimes Against Women (Nova Publishers, USA), a collective work edited by AGS professor David Wingeate Pike, with a foreword by Bangladeshi author and Human Rights advocate Taslima Nasrin.

Crimes Against Women presents a survey of acts of violence, past and present, that women have endured throughout the world, and calls upon governments, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs to address this issue. The book is organized around a three-fold focus : examining gender-related crimes rooted in concept and law, those deriving from religion, customs and traditions, and those perpetrated in times of conflict. The twenty-eight articles take a broad variety of approaches, ranging from the philosophical and legalistic to the narrative reporting of contributors working in the field.

Crimes Against Women is the first published project of the research center of AGS, which focuses on International Conflict/Crime and subsequent governmental action. The center is co-directed by the president of the school of International Relations at AGS Eileen Servidio, who initiated this project and wrote the chapter entitled « Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Armed Conflict : Legal Aspects », and Professor Pike who edited the book and wrote its preface and introduction as well as the article on « Imperial Japan and its ‘Comfort Women’ ».

The author of the foreword Taslima Nasrin has fought for the past two decades against the oppression and discrimination of women in traditions, religions, customs and cultures in Bangladesh and other countries. A medical doctor by training, she has written a dozen poetry books, novels, essays and memoirs. She had to flee Bangladesh in 1994 and has lived in exile since then, defending human rights and women’s rights through her writings and public speeches. She has received a number of awards and prizes including the Ananda Literary Award in India, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament, and the Human Rights Award from the Government of France.

Other contributors to the book are very diverse in their origins and expericences: they range in profession from academics, diplomats and lawyers to journalists, artists, and leaders of non-governmental organizations. They include four of the American Graduate School in Paris’s faculty / advisory board members : in addition to the contributions of Professors Servidio and Pike, Sir Christopher MacRae wrote « Forced Marriage as a Foreign Policy Issue in the United Kingdom », and Professor Ruchi Anand wrote the chapters : « The Human Rights Design: A Critique of ‘Universality’ in a Patriarchal World » and « Dowries in India ».

The painting on the cover of the book was done by the British figurative painter Charlotte Lyon.

See book description on Nova Publishers' website

Rebecca Gaghen from the International Energy Agency came to AGS on December 3 as a guest speaker to talk about the mission, challenges and inner workings of IEA.

The International Energy Agency was established in 1974. Its mission to ensure international energy security, encourage economic growth and promote environmental protection through the joint efforts its 28 member governments in sharing energy information, co-ordinating energy policies and co-operating in the development of rational energy programs. Its members are also committed to taking joint measures to meet oil supply emergencies.

Mrs. Gaghen has worked with the IEA since 2001. She is head of the Communication and Information Office of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris. In this capacity, she oversees the research and reference center as well as IEA publications, press relations and online communications. Before being named to this position in January 2006, Ms. Gaghen was Special Advisor to the Executive Director of the IEA.

From August 1998 to January 2001, Ms. Gaghen was Deputy Chief of Staff for International Affairs to U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. Previous to her appointment to the Energy Department, Ms. Gaghen served as a Foreign Service Officer, specializing in economic issues, at the U.S. Department of State. Her diplomatic postings included the United Nations, where she was assigned to cover Security Council issues, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Ms. Gaghen holds a B.A. in International Relations/Government (cum laude) from Harvard University and an M.A. in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

AGS students Shauneen Grout, Nora Hartmann and Evan Musolino (class of 2011) jointly comment: "Rebecca Gaghen was extremely instructive about the various work that the IEA does, especially with regard to the ongoing threat of coal mining countries who are putting the environment in grave danger when they sell it to countries who burn it without consequence. She also touched on the perception of the IEA as a "rich states club". She was informative and frank about the role of the IEA and its continuously evolving mandate."

Amnesty International France Vice-President and former Chairman Francis Perrin was a guest speaker at AGS on November 26, in Professor Anand's class on International Organizations. He talked to the students about AIF's action on French domestic human rights issues, especially related to refugees and migrants, as well as about its action towards other countries.

Francis Perrin has been with Amnesty International France since 1976. His did his studies in economics and political science at the Pierre Mendès France University in Grenoble, France, where he now is an Associate Professor, teaching a course on NGOs. He is the representative of AIF within the French platform of Publish What You Pay, an international coalition which promotes more transparency in the extractive industries, and the Editorial Manager of a Paris-based oil and gas publication focused on the Middle East and Africa. He teaches courses at the Paris-based Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques (IRIS) on energy security and the European Union’s energy policy.

On November 11-12, students in the Arcadia study abroad program at AGS went on a trip to Brussels as part of their out-of-the-classroom study of the European Union. Along with AGS staff members Jennifer Wright and Matthew Delabre, they visited the European Parlliament where they met with Member of the European Parliament Kartika Liotard who talked about the inner workings of the Parliament and her personal experience as an MEP. They were given a guided insider's tour of the Parliament including parts that are usually not accessible to public visitors.

Students walked through the streets of Brussels, and saw the Place du Jeu de Balle, the Marolles district, the famous Manneken-pis statue and its less famous female equivalent Janneken-pis. They also had a chance to enjoy a typical Belgian meal in an Art Nouveau brasserie from the early 1900s, and tasted the renowned French Fries (actually a Belgian invention) from "Chez Antoine".

More about the study abroad programs at AGS

AGS's latest Wine and Cheese evening was held around the theme: "Tocqueville, Islam, and Democracy." AGS students, alumni, faculty, staff and guests debated in an informal atmostphere about the compatibility between Islam and democracy, in light of Tocqueville's work on Islam and on the separation of Church and State. The discussion was lead by Professor Alan Kahan, who published extensively on Alexis de Tocqueville, including a book released last January in the series "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" by UK publisher Continuum (more information here).

"It was very interesting to discuss the views of a thinker from two centuries ago on a subject that is so relevant today" says Master's in International Relations and Diplomacy student Omar Shamiya, class of 2011.

French economist Vanessa Strauss-Kahn is teaching the course on Managerial Economics in the Master Executive Master's in Finance program on November 12-21. The modular format of the EMSF program at AGS features one course every month taught by a different professor from AGS's partner institution Baruch College at the City University of New York.

Professor Strauss-Kahn, who holds a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University, has been teaching in the Baruch International programs in Singapore and in Paris. Her areas of expertise include International Economics, Multinational Corporations, International Trade and Economic Geography. She is Associate Professor at the American Graduate School in Paris and at Baruch College in New York as well as at ESCP-Europe in France. Since 2006 she has also been a research affiliate at the International Trade Program at the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in the U.K.. Previously she worked for INSEAD, the World Bank in Washington, DC, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Program in the United States. See Professor's Strauss Kahn's profile

“Professor Strauss-Kahn has been a tremendous benefit to this executive program and to our students. She has a very high level of expertise, an engaging way of teaching, and a passion for it all,“ says Professor Fatemi, President of the School of Business and Economics at AGS.

The module on Managerial Economics applies basic economic concepts to the complex decision-making processes of the firm. Professor Strauss-Kahn comments: “It is always a pleasure to teach in this EMSF program. The course is quite demanding, students are motivated and classroom interaction is great. They work hard and learn a lot of economics over a short period of time. It is a very rewarding teaching experience.”

More information on the Executive Master of Science in Finance at AGS

The Director of the Human Rights Watch Paris Office Jean-Marie Fardeau was at AGS on November 19 to give a talk and answer students' questions in Professor Anand's International Organizations class. Mr. Fardeau presented the role and mission of HRW as one of the world's leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. He gave detailed explanations of the actions that HRW carries out, the way it calls international attention to where human rights are violated, the obstacles it has to overcome in order to accomplish this mission, and its most recent success stories.

M.A. in International Relations student Nora Hartmann, class of 2011, comments "It was amazing to have a director from such an important organization come and answer our questions. He said that he was interested in having us ask all we wanted on every aspect of HRW. We were able to get very thorough first-hand information."

Catherine Doody from the World Bank was a guest speaker in Professor Anand's International Organizations class on November 5. Ms. Doody is Communications Associate of the World Bank. She talked about the mission of the World Bank as a source of technical and financial assistance for developing countries, presenting the different ways in which the organization seeks to accomplish its mission through its various operations - loans, fund generation, grants, analysis and advising services, and capacity building.

More about the World Bank

As part of the AGS's efforts to provide its students and graduates with career support and counseling, two workshops will be offered this semester. They will be conducted by AGS alumna Christy Davis, who has extensive experience in the headhunting sector.

A CV Workshop, scheduled on Wednesday October 20th, aimed at assisting students and graduates with the writing and presentation of their CVs and cover letters.

An Interview Workshop, scheduled on Wednesday November 17th, designed to provide tips and assistance in preparing for job interviews.

The first AGS "Wine and Cheese" evening of the Fall Semester was held on September 29 around the theme of the war in Afghanistan. The evening's discussion was animated by AGS Associate Professor Anton Koslov.

The AGS "Wine and Cheese" evenings bring students, faculty, staff and guests together in a convivial atmosphere for an informal discussion around a topic of international affairs. The evening usually starts with an expert description of the cheeses and wines offered, and goes on with the moderating professor starting off the discussion and inviting everyone to participate.

If you are interested in joining us for one of our Wine and Cheese evenings, please feel free to contact Matthew Delabre at matthew.delabre@ags.edu.