story by Monmouth College student and radio station intern Taylor Ginther
On Wednesday night, Monmouth College held a discussion as part of its “Great Decisions” series, an event that promotes discussion on various aspects of foreign policy. Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, Jessica Vivian, shared with WRAM radio the topics of discussion from this week’s talk that centered around industrial policy, trade relations, and how it affects globalization. Vivian shared, “For the last 50 years, there’s been a consensus in the United States agreeing that globalization is the way forward”, as it allows free trade, access to cheaper goods, and less conflict globally from which we all benefit from. “We’ve seen an explosion of globalization, but, we are starting to see a little bit of a retreat from that on both sides” – events like the 2008 recession and the loss of manufacturing jobs have sparked a debate regarding if the US should retreat from globalization.”
About Professor Jessica Vivian (courtesy of the Monmouth College website):
After college I spent two years working in public health as a volunteer for the US Peace Corps in the island nation of Kiribati, followed by a year of backpacking through China, South and Southeast Asia, and Europe. I spent the next year working for a refugee relief program in Sudan before returning to the United States to begin my graduate studies in City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, focusing on economic development.
I began work for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva after I received my Master’s degree, and over the next seven years combined work and travel with the UN with research for my Ph.D., finishing with a year in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe studying local non-governmental organizations and their work in drought and famine relief. After several more years working as a consultant for the United Nations, I began teaching economics and political science courses in a state prison in Illinois. From there I moved to the Political Science department at Monmouth College, where I have been since 2014.
