April First Monday Forum - Trends in International Relations Studies: Opportunities for Public Diplomacy
Join us on April 6 at noon to discuss trends in International Relations curricula and the resulting challenges and opportunities for public diplomacy and diplomacy studies.
This hybrid event features a virtual panel of three Deans whose schools are members of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs [APSIA]. David Van Slyke, Dean of Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University; Frederick "Fritz" Mayer, Dean of the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs at the University of Denver; and Shlomi Dinar, Dean of the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University. PDCA Co-President Vivian Walker, Ph.D., will offer opening remarks and moderate the panel.
After the panel, PDCA will host for our in-person audience an off-the-record conversation with Rachel Sullivan Robinson, Interim Dean of American University’s School of International Service, and Alyssa Ayres, Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs, local APSIA schools. The discussion will be facilitated by a member of PDCA’s Academic Study Committee.
This event focuses on the definitional work needed to advance joint scholarship in international relations and public diplomacy. We envision discussion on public diplomacy’s fit within university departments and programs.
Continuing dialogue at this year’s International Studies Association Annual Convention, we expect the program will increase awareness of public diplomacy practice and scholarship among APSIA’s members, and surface opportunities for collaborative research and co-teaching in response to the 2025 national security strategy and contemporary geopolitics.
The event will take place at noon at GWU's Elliott School (1957 E Street, NW, Room 505, Washington, D.C. 20052). For those who arrive before 11:40 a.m., a light lunch will be provided.
The April 6 program is cosponsored by PDCA, the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, and the GWU Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication.
To register to attend in-person, click here. (Please note that the in-person meeting will last until 1:30 p.m.)
To register to watch the Forum via Zoom, click here. (The Zoom meeting will end at 1:00 p.m.)
Frederick "Fritz" Mayer is Dean of the Korbel School, a position he has held since 2019. During his tenure, Dean Mayer has prioritized education and engaged scholarship to address the world’s most pressing challenges, elevating the Korbel School to be ranked 12th globally among graduate programs in international affairs. He has led the development of several key initiatives, including the master’s program in Global Environmental Sustainability and the launch of the Scrivner Institute of Public Policy. In collaboration with faculty, staff, and students, Dean Mayer is now leading the formation of "Korbel 2030," a strategic vision designed to solidify the Korbel School’s role as a leader in solutions-oriented research and education for the next generation of global leaders. Full bio: https://korbel.du.edu/directory/frederick-fritz-mayer/
David M. Van Slyke is Dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy, and co-directs the school’s National Security Studies program. Prior to becoming dean on July 1, 2016, Van Slyke was associate dean and chair of Maxwell’s Public Administration and International Affairs Department. He is a tenured, full professor at the Maxwell School and a two-time recipient of the Birkhead-Burkhead Award and Professorship for Teaching Excellence. A leading international expert on public-private partnerships, policy implementation, and public-sector contracting and contract management, Dean Van Slyke is a member of the Defense Business Board (2020, 2021-2025), and a former director (2016- 2021) and fellow (2010-present) of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). Full bio: https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/directory/david-m-van-slyke
Shlomi Dinar is Dean of the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs and a Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University. Prior to becoming Dean, he was Associate Director for Academics and then Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Innovation. Dean Dinar’s research interests lie at the intersection of international environmental politics, national security, and negotiation. Among his professional accomplishments, Dean Dinar has been part of several collaborative consultancy projects for the World Bank that included team members from the United States, Spain, and Israel. Dinar is on the editorial board of International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law, and Economics. In 2018, he sat on the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Selection Committee. Dinar was also an Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and a Pemberton Fellow in the Institute of Advanced Study at Durham University, United Kingdom. Full bio: https://sipa.fiu.edu/people/administration/profiles/shlomi-dinar.html