In the past few weeks, there’s been a change in the Oval Office (you might have heard). The role of the United States on the global stage will almost certainly change under the Trump Administration, but how so?
That’s a question to be answered week after week at Monmouth College during the 45th Annual Great Decisions series on foreign affairs, an initiative of the Foreign Policy Association. The series is sponsored on campus by the college’s Center for Civic and Social Change and the political science department.
Founded in 1918, the Foreign Policy Association was created as a way to “really encourage engagement by Americans in our foreign affairs and foreign policy, and to make sure that there’s great public education regarding those issues,” said Nelson.
The series will open with political science professor Jessica Vivian discussing the topic “U.S. Foreign Policy at a Crossroads” on Feb. 12. With one exception, all of the Great Decisions discussions will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in Room 276 of the Center for Science and Business. They are free and open to the public.
“Our subjects deal with different parts of the world and engage fields ranging from anthropology and environmental studies to economics,” said Vivian’s political science colleague Mike Nelson, who organizes Great Decisions on campus. “One of my favorite aspects of this series is that we always have a diverse audience.”
The format usually involves a 30-minute presentation followed by 40 minutes or so of what Nelson called “lively discussion.”
Other Great Decisions discussions on Wednesdays at Monmouth College:
Feb. 19: “The U.S., Europe and NATO,” Mike Nelson.
Feb. 26: “The U.S. and the Middle East,” anthropology professor Petra Kuppinger.
March 19: “U.S.-China Relations,” John Glasgow, a local expert on China.
March 26: “U.S. Leadership in the Global Economy,” economics professor Brian Park.
April 2: “The U.S. and Latin America,” history professor Amy de Farias and Spanish and Latin American studies professor Sabino Luevano-Ortega.
The final event of the series is a special Earth Day discussion about climate on Tuesday, April 22, led by Nelson in the same space at the same time.
More information on Great Decisions is available from Nelson at mbnelson@monmouthcollege.edu.
***Courtesy of Barry McNamara, Monmouth College***
