Drake University is gearing up to host the first annual Nelson Undergraduate Conference on Global Affairs. The conference, organized by the Roland and Mary Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, will feature high-quality undergraduate research related to international and global topics. The event will bring together undergraduate students from Drake and other schools across the Midwest.
Todd Sechser, assistant professor of politics at the University of Virginia, will deliver the keynote address for the conference on Friday, April 11. His address, “Crisis Bargaining and Nuclear Blackmail: Should We Be Afraid of an Iranian Bomb?” will start at 7:30 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 101. The keynote address is free and open to the public.
Sechser is a 1999 Drake University graduate, where he majored in politics, economics, and international relations. He has held research fellowships at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (Stanford), the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (Harvard), and the Olin Institute for Strategic Studies (Harvard). In 2011-12 he was a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Sechser’s research interests include: military coercion, reputations in international relations, the strategic effects of nuclear weapons, and the sources and consequences of military doctrine.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in a pre-conference workshop on “Global Citizen Diplomacy”, organized by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, which will be held on Friday, April 11 from 1–5 p.m. in Cowles Library, Room 201.
On Saturday, April 12, students will present research papers on various topics in global affairs ranging from football hooliganism in Russia to efforts to preserve Tai Dam culture here in Iowa. The conference will conclude with a luncheon presentation by Drake Diplomat-in-Residence Jerry Gallucci, who will speak about U.S. policy toward Ukraine. Saturday activities will be held in Medbury Lounge.
The keynote address is free and open to the public, but the additional conference sessions are limited to students, faculty, and staff of Drake University and the other participating universities. Visit https://wwww.drake.edu/cgc/nelsoninstitute/undergraduateconferenceonglobalaffairs/ to see a complete list of conference sessions.
Registration for the conference is required. Visit https://drake.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bHOQztOGgKIV1Vr to register.
About the Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs
The Roland and Mary Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs
Roland and Mary Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs provides in-depth international knowledge and experiences for select students who wish to pursue careers in international public affairs.