Professor Michael Green spoke to CNBC for an article on how trade war hostility may be keeping U.S.-China military relations in a state of friction. “Neither side is going to make a major move right now because of the basic balance of forces,” Green said.
Professor Matthew Kroenig was interviewed by Vox about his concerns for the potential for nuclear war, noting that he has witnessed growing fears firsthand. “If I had to bet at least one nuclear weapon would be used in my lifetime, my bet would be yes,” Kroenig said. The article goes on to detail where and how nuclear war could happen if it did.
An article in the Diplomatic Courier mentions that the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) published a policy brief earlier this year that outlines findings about women in deradicalization and rehabilitation.
Professor Victor Cha, D.S. Song-KF Endowed Chair in Government and International Affairs, discussed North Korea’s past, present and uncertain future at an event for the updated edition of his book The Impossible State that will be released on October 23. He focused particularly on the significance of the recent summits between the U.S. and North Korea.
Michael Hammer (SFS’85) has been appointed the U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Amina Mendez Acosta (GHD’19) reflects on her journey from a small rural village in the Philippines to a master’s program at the SFS. She explains how her experiences as a child living in relative poverty have informed her desire to work in development, focusing on financial inclusion, agriculture, and food security.
Thomas Ogden (SSP’10) has been appointed to the 2018-2019 class of White House Fellows. He will be placed at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Professor Caitlin Talmadge writes in Foreign Affairs about the growing possibility of confrontation between the U.S. and China—confrontation that could turn nuclear. “A war between the two countries remains unlikely, but the prospect of a military confrontation—resulting, for example, from a Chinese campaign against Taiwan—no longer seems as implausible as it once did,” Talmadge said.
Professor Victor Cha spoke to Business Insider about how Americans aren’t the only ones anxious about the midterm elections—North Korea is too. “[North Korean officials] are really worried that the president, coming out on the other side of this election, may not be interested in this issue anymore, may be hog-tied or hand-tied by his Congress,” Cha said.
Professor James Millward joins NPR’s Global Journalist podcast to discuss the recent Chinese practice of forcing Uighurs into “re-education” centers where “they’re forced to learn Mandarin Chinese, sing songs praising the Communist Party and encouraged to turn away from their religion.”
In this Washington Post article, Professor Jeni Klugman discusses various ways to improve women’s economic empowerment around the globe. She also touches on the current barriers to achieving this goal, which include “inadequate protections related to parental leave, gender-based violence prevention and reproductive rights.”
The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service welcomed Georgetown alumnus Michael Tyler (SFS ‘11) back to campus on October 3, 2018 for a discussion with SFS Professor Marilyn McMorrow about his experiences working for the Democratic National Committee. Within the DNC, Tyler has served as the Spokesperson and the National Press Secretary, and was recently promoted to Chief of Staff.
SFS Professor Victor Cha talked to Foreign Policy about North Koreans closely monitoring the US midterm elections, and how it will affect President Trump’s power: “[North Korean officials] are really worried that the president, coming out on the other side of this election, may not be interested in this issue anymore, may be hog-tied or hand-tied by his Congress” should the Democrats regain control of the Congress.
Melanne Verveer, executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, calls for the UN to enforce UN resolution 1325, which was adopted to acknowledge gendered violence throughout warfare, more strongly: “Sexual violence is still viewed too often as collateral of war as opposed to a strategic tool utilized by combatants to achieve their nefarious ends,” she said.
In a recent discussion on campus, Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry weighed in on the state of democracy in America, saying democracy is “in trouble” because of “an absence of leadership to hold people accountable.”
In this ThinkProgress article, Professor Oriana Skylar Mastro offers her opinion on the allegations made by Vice President Mike Pence regarding China’s meddling in upcoming elections. She said that while “some of the things that the vice president, and indeed, the president, are saying about Chinese behavior are true…some are an exaggeration, kind of conspiracy-theoryesque.” She added that this “reduces the strength of our message on things that are of actually very critical relevance.”
Regarding President Trump’s to cancel the annual $350 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency, and funding for the USAID Israeli and Palestinian coexistence program, SFS Professor Drew Christiansen, S.J. said: “There is a kind of compatibility between Netanyahu and Trump in terms of the way they approach this; they’re both bullies who believe in sticks and no carrots. This is the way Netanyahu has been moving for years, never agreeing to talks and continuing the process of expropriating Palestinian land.”
In this Washington Post article, Professor Abraham Newman discusses the recent news that the Chinese military has compromised the motherboards of servers used by Apple, a bank and various government contractors. Newman also explores how global supply chains create significant economic interdependence, and how this interdependence can be weaponized, using these vulnerabilities and choke points for strategic advantage.
The SFS has updated its core curriculum as part of the centennial celebrations to include a mandatory class that links the world of international affairs with scientific study and investigation.
Edward Bennett Lawson (SFS’24, MSFS’25) was a World War I veteran who attended Georgetown as one of the first students of the SFS. He had a full career, traveling all over the world for various diplomatic posts, ultimately becoming a US Ambassador, first to Iceland, then to Israel, until his retirement.
In this Financial Times piece, Professor Michael Green warns that while Chinese espionage through avenues such as students and professors may be a problem, it is important not to the “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Green added that “the overwhelming majority of Chinese students studying in the US become bridges not threats.”
Dr. Marc Busch was quoted by Vox regarding the circumstances in which the USMCA deal came to be–the threat of tariffs from President Trump. Trump enthusiastically thanked tariffs after the deal was struck. Busch believes that this tactic will not hold out in the long run: “With that genie out of the bottle, we’re screwed. Now every country is going to learn from this. The problem with this Trump demonstration is that everyone was watching. If we can do it, they can too.”
Michael McKenna (MSFS’10) has been named the new president of Tabor Community Services, Inc. Prior to this, he was the chief impact/operations officer of Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, and before that, the Director of the Women, Infants, and Children Program. He was also the assistant director of poverty concerns and faith connections at the Center for Community Service and Justice of Loyola University Maryland.
On September 28, 2018, Georgetown University welcomed the Foreign Minister of Japan, Taro Kono (SFS’86), who gave a lecture as part of the Lloyd George Centennial Lectures on the Future of Globalization. Minister Kono touched on Japan’s relations throughout the world, as well as his experiences as a student at Georgetown.
On September 18, 2018, President Trump attended a summit with South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, and North Korean president, Kim Jong Un. SFS Professor Michael Green analyzed the outcome of the summit and concluded that the US is left with “five hard decisions” regarding declarations, joint exercises, the Kaesong Industrial Complex, sanctions, and President Trump himself.
In this interview with Bloomberg, Professor Medeiros predicts that the positive outcomes from trade negotiations with South Korea, Japan, and, most notably, Canada and Mexico will give President Trump “confidence that he can withstand making a quick deal with the Chinese.”
Dr. Brad Stapleton (SFS’01, SSP’03) examines the potential impacts of Trump’s reimposition of sanctions on Iran, following his decision to withdraw from the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. These sanctions, during the Obama administration, got Iran to the negotiating table, but Stapleton believes it won’t be as effective the second time around because the Trump administration’s high demands, and Iran’s hesitation to work on any deals with the US.
As NAFTA deadlines were approaching, the US and Canada still did not have positions on the agreement. Congress was prepared to put pressure on Canada to align with the US with threats of tariffs, though Busch stated that “Canada does have the upper hand right now”. He also pointed out that Canada was not rushing to meet the deadline because they want to plan out “a deal that works for Canada”. Ultimately, the US and Canada won’t lose anything if they miss deadlines, though they’ll need to continue negotiations.
In an op-ed for The Hill, SFS Professor Oriana Mastros analyzes one of President Trump’s speech before the UN General Assembly last week, specifically what she calls his “doctrine of patriotism” as a method for national security strategy. Ultimately, the president’s new strategy puts the US in a “power competition” with Russia and China. Additionally, the prevalence of patriotism in this strategy makes partnerships and alliances with America less attractive to other countries.
University alumna Rose Gottemoeller, the highest ranking civilian woman in NATO’s history and a steadfast champion for gender equality, received the International Trailblazer Award from the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS). Gottemoeller, NATO’s deputy secretary general, received a bachelor’s degree in languages and linguistics from Georgetown in 1975. She was honored in Brussels before an audience of NATO permanent representatives, European Union officials, Georgetown alumni, friends and media.
