School News AGS

Undergraduate students who wish to spend a semester studying in Paris and transfer the credits earned to their home university can now choose to come to AGSIRD either in the summer, in the fall or in the spring.

The inaugural spring session just ended and students who took part in it received their certificate of study.

The program is ran in partnership with Arcadia University's Center for Education Abroad and consists of courses in the French language and courses in international relations, focusing on the politics, history and culture of Europe. The coursework was complemented by several field trips and visits. The next sessions will be in the summer, starting May 28, and in the Fall, starting August 27. More information here.

One of the highlights of the program this year was a trip to Brussels where students were given a private tour of the European Parliament with AGSIRD professor Dr. Steve McGiffen, a former environmental advisor to several members of the EU parliament.

Kristina Thomsen, one of the participants, says: "Support from the staff was great. I felt there was always someone there if we had a problem." Another student in the program, Jennifer Simmons comments: "I learned a lot. I don't feel afraid of grad school any more".

At the International Studies Association conference held in New York City on 15-18 February 2009, Laura-Lee Smith (class of 2009) presented her thesis entitled "Why have U.S. economic sanctions been largely ineffective in deterring Iranian nuclear ambitions?"

The fifteen-minute presentation was a precursor to her academic defense in the upcoming months.

"ISA was an incredible experience for me. I was able to present my thesis to experts with a panel of Ph.D. students for feedback and criticism. Inclusion in one of the largest and well-respected conferences in political science was an opportunity to represent AGSIRD to the fullest. The presence of my academic advisor Dr. Ruchi Anand and fellow student Jenica Jones gave me confidence during the most nerve-racking moments. Overall, the conference was a success - I received encouraging remarks and suggestions for how to sharpen my topic which I will include in my final thesis presentation."

The following guest speakers have recently participated in Dr. Anand's International Organizations class :

• On December 5th, Francis Perrin, member of the board and ex-president Amnesty International France which was established in 1971, 10 years after Amnesty International was founded in London.

• On November 28th, Jean-Marie Fardeau, director of the Paris office of Human Rights Watch.

• October 24th, Clinton Robinson from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), where he co-chairs the UNESCO-NGO Collective Consultation on Literacy and Education for All.

• On October 17th, Rebecca Gaghan from the International Energy Agency (IEA), where she is Special Advisor to the Executive Director.

• On October 10th, John West, Head of Public Affairs Division at OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and OECD Forum Director, also a professor at AGS.

On November 17th, AGS students attended a discussion with former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on the theme 'Africa, the New Frontier'. This was part of a series called 'Forum for New Diplomacy' organized by the Académie Diplomatique Internationale in partnership with the International Herald Tribune. The purpose of these discussions is to explore the emerging dynamics shaping our world today with leading figures in international affairs as well as senior editors and columnists from the IHT and The New York Times.

Read the IHT article on the 17th on November debate with Kofi Annan

On November 5th, Human Rights Watch, the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy, and the Center for Economic Penal Law are co-holding a conference on the theme: 'Implementation of Universal Human Rights Standards through Incentive Measures and Financial, Commercial and Penal Sanctions; Impact on Companies'.

All proceeds of the conference go to Human Rights Watch, an independent, nongovernmental organization, dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.

The Center for Economic Penal Law (Centre de Droit Pénal Economique) at the University of Cergy-Pontoise (a partner of AGS) brings together academics and professionals on common research projects in the field of economic and financial criminality.

Christiane Peuker (M.A., 2008) is interning at the Political Service of the German Embassy in Paris where she writes reports and participates in official meetings. "This gives me a chance to see what a diplomat's life is like. It is very interesting. I was at the National Assembly when the vote on the prolongation of French troops in Afghanistan took place. " says Christiane.

Alan Riding will run a writing workshop at AGS on September 22nd, 2008. A writer and journalist, Alan Riding wrote for 30 years for the New York Times, where he was most recently a European cultural correspondant based in Paris. He now free-lances at the NYT and writes full-time. Alan Riding also sits on the advisory board of the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy.

More information on Alan Riding here.

Two AGSers have been interning at UNESCO in Paris in the summer and the fall of 2008.

Regina Coar (M.A., 2008) is working in the Executive Office of the Culture Sector. Her day to day tasks include editing English speeches, brochures & other documents for publication. She also has long-term projects, including drafting a foreword from the Director General of UNESCO for a book about the Alps.

Zhanna Radkovska joined the Education and Literacy department where she has been participating in the organization of the "International Literacy Day". This event takes place every year at UNESCO to encourage initiatives in Literacy with a focus on a different theme each time. The theme for this year (September 8th, 2008) is "Literacy and Health", with a roundtable followed by an award ceremony whereby non-governmental organizations from various countries (Brazil, South Africa, Ethiopia and Zambia) will be granted awards for their programs in that domain.

AGS's partner Arcadia University celebrated the 60^th anniversary of its study abroad programs with a week-long trip to Paris and the launch of a new summer program with AGS on July 7th.

Arcadia University has a strong tradition for international education. Study abroad experiences start as soon as the freshman year for Arcadia students. Additionally, every year, over 3,000 students from all over the United States go to Arcadia's Center for Education Abroad to study in one of its 100 programs abroad.

From July 1st to July 7th, a group of Arcadia students, alumni, faculty, and staff took a series of bicycle tours in and around Paris, museum visits and cultural exploration, recreating the spirit of the first Arcadia study abroad adventure in the summer of 1948 - a bicycle trip across post-war Europe.

The week ended with a reception celebrating the launch of Arcadia's new summer program with AGS and their partner institution Alliance Française. James Bullock, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs (Information and Cultural Affairs) at the Embassy of the United States of America in Paris and Co-President of the Fulbright Commission in France, served as the event's keynote speaker.

The yearly graduation ceremony took place on June 5th at the French Senate. In his commencement address, European Deputy and former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard emphasized the relevance of what is taught at AGSIRD to respond to the problems of the world today and find peaceful solutions to the new post 9/11 security issues.