The Elliott School of International Affairs plans to launch a new research center this fall that will encourage scholarly work as part of the school’s graduate program for security policy.
Elliott School Associate Dean Douglas Shaw said the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies will support research projects and delve into “policy-relevant” questions regarding war, peace and conflict. Shaw hopes to launch the institute Oct. 22, with a new Web site and an event keynoted by a high-profile speaker.
Charles Glaser, the director of the Institute, believes the program will increase interaction between GW faculty and with outside experts.
“There are a lot of people at GW who focus on national security, so one goal is to intensify the intellectual community among the people who are already here,” Glaser, who also serves as a professor of political science and international affairs, said.
The Institute plans to host high-visibility speakers and events – like the Security Policy Forum hosted annually in the fall – with a focus on issues of national security.
The Elliott School also recently announced a new Web video-streaming program for high-profile events.
“My own ambition would be to have an intellectual community that extends beyond GW into the national security community and the professional, real world community,” Glaser said.
A particular focus of the institute will be on issues of nuclear weapons policy, proliferation and disarmament, in which Shaw and Glaser both specialize. Energy and security will also be a topic of research, particularly the energy needs of China and the United States.
Glaser believes the institute will take about a year to find its footing and establish a solid foundation in the international affairs world. Acquiring funds and space from the Elliott School will determine the program’s growth, he said.
Shaw said the institute will become a “flagship program” for the Elliott School.
“Energy, security, poverty are all issues of great importance that we will be able to study and work on; this will allow us to help people around the world.”
