May 2012

A Message from the Dean

This May, more than 800 students walked across the stage at the Commencement Celebration of GW's Elliott School of International Affairs. Our newest graduates are joining a vast network of more than 19,000 Elliott School alumni and more than 250,000 GW alumni around the world.

I am often asked what makes the Elliott School special. Our location is unique, of course. We are situated in the heart of Washington, DC, in the midst of U.S. policymakers, the international diplomatic community, leading think tanks, and some of the world's most important international organizations. Our location is a powerful intellectual and institutional asset that enriches everything we do. But fundamentally, the Elliott School is special not just because of where we are, but because of who we are. The Elliott School is a remarkable community of people - scholars, students, alumni, and staff who are exceptionally dedicated to the study of global issues and to making our world a better place.

The results are remarkable. For example, the Elliott School's Undergraduate Scholars spent the Spring semester undertaking individual research projects on subjects ranging from sustainable urban development to female suicide bombers. Graduate students in our International Development Studies program spent their Spring break working on capstone projects in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

In addition to our excellent undergraduate and graduate programs, the Elliott School sponsors more than 250 special events per year, bringing renowned scholars, policymakers, diplomats, journalists, and other experts to GW to interact with students and faculty. In April alone, we hosted 50 events, on topics ranging from nuclear stability to climate change to development in Africa.

We are committed to sharing our extraordinary on-campus resources with members of our community who live across the United States and around the world. The Elliott School's Web Video Initiative, which we launched in 2009, now offers more than 200 videos on our website, including full-length coverage of special events, highlight clips, and faculty interviews. This is a tremendous resource for our extended academic community - whether you live in New York or New Delhi. Elliott School videos have now been viewed in 138 countries - more than 70% of the member-states of the United Nations! The Elliott School really is engaging the world.

Looking ahead, the Elliott School is taking steps to enhance our academic excellence and extend our institutional reach. One of our most distinguished alumni, Dr. David Nadler, has pledged $1 million to support our programs on leadership and governance. This extraordinary gift will enable the Elliott School to expand our teaching, research, and policy engagement initiatives in these key areas in the years ahead. Dr. Nadler, who is also the Chair of the Elliott School's Board of Advisors and a member of the GW Board of Trustees, has described the Elliott School as "one of the crown jewels of the university." I have to agree with this assessment.

GW's Elliott School of International Affairs is on a powerful trajectory. If you have suggestions for improving our academic programs, launching new initiatives, and serving the members of our remarkable community, please let us know. We have a lot of good ideas, but we don't have a monopoly on good ideas!

Sincerely,  

Michael E. Brown
Dean
Elliott School of International Affairs
The George Washington University