TheMortara Center

forInternational

Studies

annual report2008–09

Edmund A. Walsh

School of Foreign Service

Georgetown University

Dear Friends of the Mortara Center:

It is my pleasure to present the fourth annual report of theMortara Center for International Studies. The Center has

enjoyed yet another active year, with panel discussions, bookpresentations, public lectures, luncheon seminars, facultydiscussions organized or co-sponsored, the highlights ofwhich are described in this report. The Center has undertakennew initiatives and expanded its already thriving facultyworking groups, which now include the Georgetown UniversityInternational Theory and Research Seminar Series, theComparative Government Field Seminar Series and theInternational Development Seminar Series along with thelong running Political Economy Seminar Series. In additionto the China Forum, the Center launched the South AsiaForum and the Khayaal Book Club.

The Center expanded its partnerships both inside and outsidethe gates of the University, and continued its cooperation withUSAID, Development Alternatives, Inc., Society for InternationalDevelopment and Vital Voices Global Partnership.

We look forward to another busy year, and a year of transitionin 2009–10 as the directorship of the Center changed. Weshall continue to work towards realizing the full visionof the Mortara Center, which includes bringing scholars tocampus to work on major international issues.

Carol LancasterDirector

From the Director

Carol Lancaster

Portrait ofMichael P. Mortara

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This past academic year has beena very active one for the Mortara

Center and also one of consolidation.The Center sponsored or co-sponsoredapproximately 90 events and saw thecreation of five new faculty workinggroups. It was the year of the finan-cial crisis and of the political elections,both of which were highlighted dur-ing many of the Center’s lectures anddiscussions. As part of the Initiativeon International Development, theCenter co-sponsored the Development (+)Seminar Series and organized paneldiscussions on biotechnology, cleantechnology, and information andcommunication technology to dis-cuss the effects these industries haveon international development. Thus,the academic year 2008–2009 was atime of continuing expansion andevolution for the Mortara Center.

Looking Back on 2008–2009

The Mortara Center redesigned itswebsite this past year. Please visit us at:

mortara.georgetown.edu.Follow us on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/MortaraCenterand join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com(Mortara Center for International Studies)Please sign up to our mailing list to receive

email invitations to our events at:http://sfs.georgetown.edu/mail/

The Mortara Building is home to the MortaraCenter for International Studies, the Center forPeace and Security Studies, and Women inInternational Security. The building featuresoffice facilities and three conference rooms withhighly advanced audio-visual technology.http://mortara.georgetown.edu

Partnerships

The Development (+) Seminar Series,co-sponsored with USAID, DevelopmentAlternatives, Inc. and the Society forInternational Development hostedthree well attended meetings, oneeach on “Biotechnology and Development”;“Beyond the Last Mile: How Informationand Communication Technology isTransforming the World” and “GoingGreen in the Developing World”. Thesethree events looked at how theseindustries are working to change thedeveloping world with their products,research, innovations and investments.Labeeb Abboud from the InternationalAIDS Vaccine Initiative, MelindaRichter from the San Jose BioCenter,Professor Helen Lee from CambridgeUniversity and David Stanton fromthe Office of HIV/AIDS at USAIDcame to talk about innovations inbiotechnology and what the futureof vaccine development holds forpeople living in developing countries.

Wayan Vota (Inveneo), MatthewTaylor (IntelCorp), Kevin Braithwaite(Aptivate and Rootspace) andCatherine Stewart (Cisco Systems)led a lively discussion about howinformation and communicationtechnology is evolving and providingbetter access to information fordeveloping countries.

Andrew Aulisi from the WorldResources Institute, Robert Frelingfrom the Solar Energy Light Fund,Christopher Flavin from World

Watch Institute, Sam Shiroff fromBosch Siemens and Griffin Thompsonfrom the US State Departmentaddressed an audience of over 200to discuss the issues of clean tech-nology, climate change and sustain-able development. Based on whattheir companies are doing, they pre-dicted that the developing worldmight be able to leapfrog developedcountries in the area of green energyand technology in the future.

The Mortara Center partnered withvarious departments and studentorganizations to bring speakers to theGeorgetown community. In the heatof the political elections, togetherwith Georgetown’s InternationalRelations Club the Center organized apanel discussion about the “Future ofUS Foreign Policy” featuring Dr. KoriSchake, Senior Policy Advisor to theMcCain Campaign, and Gayle Smith,Foreign Policy Advisor to the ObamaCampaign who answered questionsfrom an enthusiastic and politicallycharged audience in an over packedCopley Hall.

As the financial crisis was unfoldingthe Center joined forces with theMcDonough School of Business’ (MSB)Capital Market Research Center andinvited Steven Kamin and DaleHenderson from the Federal ReserveBoard. Together with MSB ProfessorReena Aggarwal, they explained thereasons behind the crisis and whatthey saw as possible consequencesand pathways to a recovery.

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Major Activities — Highlights

MSB Professor ReenaAggarwal talking aboutthe financial crisis.

Wayan Vota, SeniorDirector of Partnershipsat Inveneo talkingabout how informationand communicationtechnology is trans-forming the world.

Two of the 2009 Vital Voices GlobalLeadership Award Honorees attendeda discussion at the Center.Chouchou Namegabe Nabintu fromThe Democratic Republic of Congospoke about her role in changingthe lives of women in that war torncountry through her radio broad-cast programs, and Somaly Mamfrom Cambodia explained how sheis saving young women from sexslavery, having escaped from suchslavery herself.

As Georgetown hosted the DohaDebates on “Middle East Peace – TheRoad Ahead”, the Center, togetherwith SFS-Qatar, and the Center forPeace and Security Studies (CPASS)organized a luncheon debatebetween Tim Sebastian from theBBC and Professor Daniel Bymandirector of CPASS, as a brief pre-view of the issues touched uponduring the televised debate laterthe same night.

The Mortara Center continued to co-host activities with the Alumni andFriends of the London School ofEconomics. These events are open toGeorgetown students and faculty.This year they included presenta-tions by Jeremy Haft who spokeabout the “Myth of the China Century,”Dr. Stanley Kober and Dr. RichardWeitz, discussing the future forNATO after the Russo-Georgian con-flict, and Robert D. Vickers, whoelaborated on US policy towardsLatin America.

Faculty Working Groups

The Center expanded its activitiessignificantly in this area during thepast year. The working group onPolitical Economy, led by ProfessorMarc Busch, continued to meetthroughout the year. Co-sponsored bythe Department of Government, theGeorgetown University InternationalTheory and Research Seminar Series(GUITARS), led by Professor KathleenMcNamara, and the ComparativeGovernment Field Seminar Series,organized by Professor Harley Balzer,held seminars for faculty and stu-dents on many interesting and timelyissues. Some of the highlights fromthe GUITARS Series included a dis-cussion by Erica Chenoweth fromWesleyan University (“Why CivilResistance Works”); Colin Kahl fromGeorgetown University (“A Theory ofVictory, Norms, the US Military andthe Evolution of Counterinsurgencyin Iraq”); Daniel Deudney from JohnsHopkins University (“BoundingPower”); Abraham Newman fromGeorgetown University (“Preachingand Teaching: TransgovernmentalNetworks and the Global Quest AgainstInsider Trading”); and Allen Stamfrom the University of Michigan(“Understanding the 1994 RwandaGenocide”). The ComparativeGovernment Series featured ChappellLawson fromMIT (“Image, Institutions,and Electability: Finding from Studiesof Candidate Appearance in Braziland Mexico”); Andrew Nathan fromColumbia University (“The NewChinese Authoritarianism in

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Somaly Mam, 2009Vital Voices GlobalLeadership AwardRecipient.

During the meeting ofthe Political EconomyFaculty Group. ProfessorMatthew Kroenig fromthe Department ofGovernment.

Discussion with Allen Stam duringour GUITARS Seminar Series.

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Comparative Perspective”); Julia Lynchfrom the University of Pennsylvania(“The Politics of Geographic HealthInequalities in Europe”); and BethSimmons from Harvard University(“Mobilizing for Rights: InternationalLaw in Domestic Politics”). In part-nership with the Georgetown PublicPolicy Institute the Center launchedthe International DevelopmentSeries under the leadership ofProfessors Jennifer Tobin and JamesHabyarimana, who invited ProfessorAna de la O, from Yale University, todiscuss her research on how povertyrelief funds affect electoral behavior.

Regional Forums

The South Asia Forum joined theexisting China Forum this yeargathering faculty and students fromacross the Georgetown Universitycommunity, including the School ofForeign Service, the College of Artsand Sciences, the McDonough Schoolof Business, the Medical School, andthe Law Center to share research onSouth Asia. The Forum, led byProfessors Shareen Joshi and AparnaVaidik, met several times and includedpresentations by Rajeev Bhargava(What the World Can Learn from India’sTraditions), and a panel discussion on“Making Sense of the Mumbai Attacks”after the tragic terrorist events, fea-turing Georgetown Professors BruceHoffman, Shareen Joshi and TristanMabry, who analized from the per-spective of economics and politicsthe possible explanations and under-lying conditions that led to the

attacks. Professor Asoka Bandaragespoke about the “Separatist Conflictin Sri Lanka”; and Professor P. R.Kumaraswamy discussed the com-plexities of India’s relationship withIran and Israel. This Forum alsolaunched the Khayaal Book Club andhosted lively and well-attended dis-cussions on contemporary literaryworks of art from the region, includ-ing White Tiger by Aravind Adiga,Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiriand Mohsin Hamid’s The ReluctantFundamentalist. The creation of thisForum reflected the evolving role ofthe Mortara Center as a focal point foruniversity-wide activities of commoninterest to students and faculty.

In relation to China, the Centerco-sponsored several events. OrvilleShell and Joanna Lewis came to cam-pus for a conversation about climatechange and the future of US-ChinaRelations. Paul Cohen, from WellesleyCollege, gave a lecture on “Speakingto History: A lecture on China” andAmbassador Sung Kim came to talkabout the “Six Party Talks”. Theseevents were co-sponsored with theAsian Studies Program. The Centerhosted two visiting associates, LuJianhua, a professor from theInstitute for International StrategicStudies at the Central CommitteeParty School in Beijing, China, andChen Qiqing, an associate professorin the Department of Economicsat the Central Party School. LuJianhua’s research interests includethe world economy, theories and

Several regionalforums were presentedto the public.

Panel discussion on“Making Sense of theMumbai Attacks”.

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practice of corporations and sustain-able development. Chen Qiqing’sresearch interests focus on thefinancial reform of China, interna-tional regulatory cooperation andsecurity markets. The MortaraCenter also hosted a delegation fromFudan University.

Annual Speeches

The Center continued its traditionalactivities. The annual GoldmanSachs lecture was given by SenatorRussell Feingold of Wisconsin on“Promoting Democracy, Development andDiplomacy – US Interests and Values.”Senator Feingold spoke about theimportance of the rule of law indiplomacy, development assistanceand the need to strengthen proce-dures and institutions that underpinfairness, human dignity and eco-nomic opportunity. Senator Feingoldsaid “what I do wish to put forwardtoday is a specific challenge to thosewho will take charge of our diplo-matic and development assistanceprograms in a new administration.That challenge is: to produce andimplement, as a cornerstone andpriority of our diplomacy and foreignassistance — and as a reflection ofour most fundamental nationalvalues — a more meaningful androbust strategy to support others toachieve real self governanceanchored by the rule of law.”

This year’s Distinguished Lecture inModern International History saw awelcome return to campus by

Professor Paul Kennedy of YaleUniversity who spoke on his work inprogress — History from the Middle:How the Second World War Was Won.

A number of Georgetown’s own facultygave a variety of timely presentationsthis past year, including Victor Chaon “What’s Up with Kim Jong Il”, RobertLieber on “Why the Declinists are WrongAgain”, Anthony Lake on “Global HardTimes and Domestic Politics”, CharlesKupchan on “The Autonomy Principle”,and Andrew Natsios on “US Policy onSudan: The Current Debate”.

Book Discussions

The Mortara Center hosted ten booklaunches that included Georgetownfaculty authors and several authorsfrom outside the University. MortaraDistinguished professor and former

Professor Paul Kennedyfrom Yale University pre-sented the DistinguishedAnnual Lecture inInternational History.

Andrew Natsios gavea presentation on“US Policy on Sudan:The Current Debate”.

The annual Goldman Sachs lecture was givenby Senator Russell Feingold.

Anthony Lake gave apresentation on“Global Hard Times andDomestic Politics”.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albrightpresented her book, Memo to thePresident just in time for the electionin 2008 to a lively audience inGaston Hall. Georgetown ProvostJames O’Donnell described his book,The Ruin of the Roman Empire to aluncheon seminar, noting that thereare some lessons in his work for theworld of today. Andrew Bacevichspoke about his book, The End ofAmerican Exceptionalism at a seminarco-hosted by the Tocqueville Forum,and Jacqueline Novogratz, the CEO ofthe Acumen Fund, described herbook, The Blue Sweater (about develop-ment in poor countries and the roleof the private sector and privateentrepreneurs) at a lively afternoondiscussion, co-sponsored byShoreBank (a micro-enterprise lend-ing bank headquartered in Chicago).

Georgetown students, faculty andstaff also had a chance to learnabout The World Bank and the New USAdministration by Professor KatherineMarshall, about Negotiation and theGlobal Information Economy by ProfessorJP Singh, and about New Industriesfrom New Places: The Emergence ofHardware and Software Industries inChina and India by Professor StanleyNollen and Neil Gregory.

Illuminati Dinners andFaculty Lunches

There were two dinner events formasters’ degree students includingone with former President of Poland,Alexander Kwasniewski, and another

one with former Prime Minister ofSpain, Jose Maria Aznar. The Centerorganized a welcome lunch for(former) Senator Chuck Hagel, onthe occasion of his joining theSchool of Foreign Service faculty.

Conferences

The Mortara Center co-sponsored aconference on Non-GovernmentalDiplomacy with InterAction,Coordination Sud and the Embassyof France for faculty and studentsof Georgetown and the Washingtondevelopment community. HenriRouille d’Orfeuil, the author of animportant work on NGO diplomacy,The Role of NGOs in the Public Debateand International Relations, was amajor speaker.

Lepgold Book Prize

This year’s Lepgold BookPrize was awarded toProfessor NinaTannenwald for her bookentitled The Nuclear Taboo:The United States and theNon-Use of Nuclear WeaponsSince 1945. ProfessorTannenwald, Associate Professor ofInternational Relations at BrownUniversity, challenged conventionalconceptions of deterrence andoffered a compelling argument onthe moral bases of nuclear restraintas well as an important insight intohow nuclear war can be avoided inthe future.

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Madeleine Albrightpresented her book,Memo to the President.

Illuminati Dinner withformer President ofPoland, Alexander

Kwasniewski.

Professor JP Singhdiscusses Negotiationand the GlobalInformation Economy.

The coming year will be one oftransitions for the Mortara

Center. Professor Carol Lancaster, theDirector for the past four years hasmoved on to become Interim Deanof the School of Foreign Service.Professor Kathleen McNamara(Department of Government andSFS) will become the Director of theCenter in January 2010. Meanwhile,Professor John McNeill (Departmentof History and SFS) will be interimDirector from July to December 2009.

The Center is now well established atthe University and beyond as a placeof intellectual exchange on a widerange of topics related to interna-tional studies and a focal point for

bringing prominent experts of interestto the entire University community tocampus for events. With its capablestaff, Aliz Agoston and Adam Olszowka,it is set to have a dynamic future andcontinue to make a major contribu-tion to the faculty, staff and studentsof the University and the intellectualcommunity beyond its gates.

Looking Towards the Future

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Summing Up

As Robert Gallucci, former Dean of theSchool of Foreign Service, remarked:

“The mission of the Mortara Center is

to provide a venue for, and to pro-

mote, scholarly discourse on a broad

range of policy and intellectual issues

in the area of international studies.

As a relatively new center in a newly

renovated building, it has already

established a reputation for doing

just that through an extraordinary

program of events, symposiums,

conferences, and speeches involving

senior policy makers and cutting-edge

academics from within the Georgetown community, the Washington

area, and the world at large. The Mortara Center has enriched the intel-

lectual life for students and faculty on campus, as well as for the broader

community outside the university through its outreach activities. Over

time, we can expect the center to become an important source of ideas

and critical analysis on such issues as international security, international

development, globalization, the role of religion in society, the impact of

democratization on regional development and security, matters of gover-

nance in the international community, and the importance of trends.”

It is towards these goals that the Mortara Center will continue its work.

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT,Mortara DistinguishedProfessor in the Practiceof Diplomacy

CAROL LANCASTER,Director

ALIZ AGOSTON,Assistant Director

ADAM OLSZOWKA,Program Assistant

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Advisory CommitteeMadeleine AlbrightJeffrey AndersonAnthony ArendThomas BanchoffAndrew BennettMarc BuschDaniel BymanVictor ChaRobert CumbyCarl DahlmanDavid EdelsteinRobert GallucciBarak HoffmanCharles King

John KlineCharles KupchanAnthony LakeCarol LancasterJohn LanganRobert LieberSusan MartinKathleen McNamaraJohn McNeillTheodore MoranPaula NewbergDaniel NexonGeorge ShambaughKatrin Sieg

Mortara Center for International StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign ServiceGeorgetown University3600 N Street, NWWashington, DC 20057

Phone: 202-687-6514Fax: 202-687-9135mortara.georgetown.edumortaracenter@georgetown.edu

Mortara Center for International StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

Georgetown University3600 N Street, NW

Washington, DC 20057

Phone: 202-687-6514Fax: 202-687-9135

mortara.georgetown.edu