How are the lessons of history linked to current events in your program? 

History—or interpretations thereof—is regularly in the headlines. Just as the Black Lives Matter movement of recent years in the US and elsewhere has made clear that centuries old history can still impact the present, there are many ways that history and the lessons people draw from it (or the narratives global leaders legislate about it) matter in our world now. World leaders and private citizens alike feel compelled to vocalize their views on history, and in the case of some world leaders they have even created historical commissions and backed legislation that prescribes certain historical narratives. Students need to be prepared to assess the validity and motivation behind historical claims made at home and around the world, and we at the Elliott School of International Affairs are dedicated to providing our students with the necessary skills to do this.  

Understanding the role of history in international affairs and how leaders seek to manipulate historical narratives are key parts of critical thinking for future leaders. We train the next generation to ask essential questions about historical claims and about what politicians and others may call “lessons of history.” Whose lessons? How do historical narratives relate to power structures in various countries? What evidence is given when historical claims are made? How can you fact check the evidence given? All students in our MA program in International Affairs are required to take History 6030, a course that examines the uses and abuses of history in international affairs. Professors from the History Department teach sections of the class, as does the official Historian of the United States at the Department of State.  

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, China’s President Xi Jinping, former president Donald Trump, and many others have attempted to control views of the past, all in an effort to preserve or bolster their own power in the present. Indeed, Putin has insisted that Russian and Ukrainian history is the same and that Ukraine has no separate history. He has gone to war in part to try to force his view on the Ukrainians.  

Elliott School students have the option of taking courses on the Cold War and on the history of the Soviet Union, courses that are now essential background to understanding Putin’s war on Ukraine—both to highlight the similarities to these earlier periods but also some key differences. In addition, students benefit from the close ties Elliott School faculty have to the Wilson Center’s History and Public Policy Program and to the National Security Archive (located at GW), both of which of which have large collections of primary source documents related to the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. Through courses, seminars, guest lectures, and conferences, we also help train graduate students to conduct their own archival research on contemporary history.  

In all of these ways, Elliott School students have multiple options to enable them to make sense of the ongoing “history wars” in the US and around the world. 

Why did you choose the Elliott School? 

I chose the Elliott School because of the school’s location in Washington, DC, the flexibility of the International Development Studies (IDS) program, and its emphasis on putting theory to practice. I researched many international development and international education programs and found that they were too narrowly focused, so that studying one field would mean forfeiting focus on the other. The IDS program allowed me to actually be balanced in my studies of both. I was able to have a substantial amount of courses in international education while also maintaining the core knowledge and background needed in the international development field. Under the umbrella of the George Washington University (GW), I was also eligible to apply for the GW UNESCO Fellows Program in International Education for Development, the GW UNESCO Chair is one of only three designated chairs in a U.S. school. 

The Elliott School is also walking distance to many international and development organizations, such as the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the Asian Development Bank, the Organization of American States, and the U.S. Department of State. This meant I engaged with these institutions’ networks because they regularly visited the school or were guest faculty for my classes. I also volunteered and attended many development summits and conferences hosted throughout the year by these organizations. 

Were there elements of the IDS program that were attractive to a student seeking flexibility, like yourself? 

Above all, I was interested in the IDS program’s emphasis on putting theory to practice, which was largely conveyed in its final capstone project. Coming straight into a graduate program from undergraduate studies, I didn’t have a lot of work experience in the international development field. So I was interested in getting as much hands-on experience as possible to bolster both my confidence and knowledge in the field. The capstone project gave students funding to partner with an international development organization to conduct research on a particular area of development work in the respective country of implementation. No other program I researched provided this level of insight, experience, and networking opportunities in the field of international development. The Elliott School was an easy decision to make after I realized this.  

As a mixed African-American woman coming from a historically Black college and university—or HBCU—it was not only important that the coursework bring value to my professional career but that the institution also recognizes and celebrates the added value that I bring to it. I attended during a tumultuous time, especially following the 2016 presidential election in the United States, where incidents of hate crimes were popping up everywhere around the city. I remember feeling anxious but reassured after the school administration quickly spoke out and underscored its appreciation of the student body’s diversity. I also remember classmates and professors initiating tough discussions on discrimination, racism, and neocolonialism and its effect on development projects. 

Against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, I sat at graduation, feeling I didn’t just purchase the name of the university on my degree but also an experience that amplified my voice and merit alongside my classmates and professors. 

Why did you choose the Elliott School?

I chose the Elliott School because of the school’s location in Washington, DC, the flexibility of the International Development Studies (IDS) program, and its emphasis on putting theory to practice. I researched many international development and international education programs and found that they were too narrowly focused, so that studying one field would mean forfeiting focus on the other. The IDS program allowed me to actually be balanced in my studies of both. I was able to have a substantial amount of courses in international education while also maintaining the core knowledge and background needed in the international development field. Under the umbrella of the George Washington University (GW), I was also eligible to apply for the GW UNESCO Fellows Program in International Education for Development, the GW UNESCO Chair is one of only three designated chairs in a U.S. school.

The Elliott School is also walking distance to many international and development organizations, such as the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the Asian Development Bank, the Organization of American States, and the U.S. Department of State. This meant I engaged with these institutions’ networks because they regularly visited the school or were guest faculty for my classes. I also volunteered and attended many development summits and conferences hosted throughout the year by these organizations.

Were there elements of the IDS program that were attractive to a student seeking flexibility, like yourself?

Above all, I was interested in the IDS program’s emphasis on putting theory to practice, which was largely conveyed in its final capstone project. Coming straight into a graduate program from undergraduate studies, I didn’t have a lot of work experience in the international development field. So I was interested in getting as much hands-on experience as possible to bolster both my confidence and knowledge in the field. The capstone project gave students funding to partner with an international development organization to conduct research on a particular area of development work in the respective country of implementation. No other program I researched provided this level of insight, experience, and networking opportunities in the field of international development. The Elliott School was an easy decision to make after I realized this.

As a mixed African-American woman coming from a historically Black college and university—or HBCU—it was not only important that the coursework bring value to my professional career but that the institution also recognizes and celebrates the added value that I bring to it. I attended during a tumultuous time, especially following the 2016 presidential election in the United States, where incidents of hate crimes were popping up everywhere around the city. I remember feeling anxious but reassured after the school administration quickly spoke out and underscored its appreciation of the student body’s diversity. I also remember classmates and professors initiating tough discussions on discrimination, racism, and neocolonialism and its effect on development projects.

Against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, I sat at graduation, feeling I didn’t just purchase the name of the university on my degree but also an experience that amplified my voice and merit alongside my classmates and professors.

How does the study of gender come into the study of international affairs?

Gender is increasingly recognized as a critical concept in fully understanding processes of globalization, international development, humanitarian crises, violent extremism, war, and peace-building. Gender is central to how societies are structured and the roles and responsibilities of women and men, as well as the valuing of girls and boys and how they are positioned within the family, community, and broader society. These demarcations of power lead to the creation of social and gender norms, such as the expectations that women will become mothers, caretakers, and peacemakers and that boys will become fathers, leaders, and soldiers. Worldwide, efforts by armed groups to undermine women’s rights, including the sexual enslavement of women and girls, is a common thread running throughout global conflicts and terrorism. Other global issues include the persistent gender gap in girls’ completion of education; the acute impact of climate change on female smallholder farmers; and the need for women’s equal participation in peace processes. To understand issues of conflict and peace, we need to analyze them from a gender perspective as well as through an intersectionality lens. We need all genders in this conversation to shift our understandings to create just and peaceful societies.

What are some of the most topical gender related issues you or your students are doing research on?

The subject of gender in international affairs and its intersections with race, religion, age, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, and class is a highly complex and sensitive topic. Elliott School graduate students specializing in gender are typically majoring in one of three programs: International Development Studies, Masters in International Affairs, or Masters in Policy and Practice. Students researching a global gender policy capstone cover a wide variety of topics revealing discriminatory gender norms and hierarchical orders of masculinities, femininities, and sexualities. Students are given free rein to follow their specific areas of interest, which are wide ranging. Their research is key to supporting the development of new policies aimed at transforming the gender inequalities that are an integral driver of violence and conflict. Countries that have higher levels of gender equality are more stable, secure, and prosperous. The greater the equality between women and men in a country or region, the less war prone it is.

Do you see some big inflection points in the study of gender and security policy issues in the near future?

Since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000 and its eight sister resolutions making up the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, there has been a rapidly growing interest in the transformative potential of viewing security policy issues through a gender lens. While initially the focus of the agenda was on women and girls, there is now a growing interest in men and boys. The #MeToo movement has opened up space for new discourses on eliminating gender-based violence and has encouraged more men to become vocal and visible in their support for gender equality issues. In response to this growing area of interest, we will be launching a new course on masculinities and international affairs soon.