Our main theme for Fall 2022 was post-crisis reconstruction, development, and diplomacy and our speakers examined democratic decision-making in Northern Ireland (Dr. Jamie Pow), tensions and security challenges in the Middle East (Ambassador Dennis Ross), post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan (Honorable James Creighton). In Spring 2023, we focused on human rights and food, water, and energy security, as our guests discussed the challenges to human rights (Kenneth Roth and Dr. Jonathan Fanton), the initiative to create an international anti-corruption court (Dr. Jonathan Fanton and Judge Mark Wolf), and water security (Farwa Aamer). We co-hosted a Food Security Summit with participants from the World Food Program-USA, the Lowcountry Food Bank, Congressional Hunger Center, and US Department of Agriculture. The Summit was an excellent opportunity for our students to learn about food security as both a global and local challenge.
In partnership with the College of Charleston Libraries, we continued building the EWI Oral History Project and as of today, our collection includes 58 interviews, most of which are available online with transcripts, index, and tags.
Throughout the year, the students from Global Ambassadors Program have been learning about the challenges and opportunities of foreign service and the work of international service organizations. We traveled to Washington DC for a field trip in March 2023 and visited think-tanks and international service organizations. We recruited a new cohort of nine students for the 2023-2024 academic year.
In Fall 2022, we hosted Mroz Institute Visiting Fellow Caroline Croft for a comprehensive 10-day visit. Ms. Croft, a foreign service officer, engaged her network and organized hybrid sessions with RFK Human Rights, Congresswomen Jane Harman, and Ambassador Deborah McCarthy. These high-impact guest talks were complemented with a workshop on foreign service careers and a dinner-seminar on the power of diplomatic protocol.
The spirit and values of EWI inspire the programs of the Mroz Institute as we transform today’s students into tomorrow’s global leaders. Our work and programming hinges on support from the EWI family, friends, and alumni and we appreciate your help, emails, visits, encouragement, and contributions. We appreciate the EWI Board Members and the Bennett Family for their continued support. We are grateful for the support from the offices of President Andrew Hsu and Provost Suzanne Austin, and we thank our colleagues at the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs for their help. Special thanks for Dean Tim Johnson whose vision and careful planning helped create the Mroz Institute. We encourage you to participate through oral histories, joining us for future speakers in person or virtually, and as always we welcome your input. Enjoy this overview of the Mroz Institute’s programming from the 2022-2023 academic year.
Enjoy this 2022-2023 Annual Report with an overview of the Mroz Institute’s programs during the 2022-2023 academic year and check out our list of upcoming events in Fall 2023.
