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ABOUT
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PROGRAM
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PARTICIPATION
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ALUMNI
Sponsored by the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, the first seminar was held in 1982 as "a gathering of selected leaders from around the world to discuss basic trends and forces that will shape the 1980s and beyond". Fifteen countries were represented by the twenty-six participants. Speakers at that first seminar included: Zbigniew Brzezenski, C. Fred Bergsten, Jacques de Larosiere, J. William Fulbright and Madeleine Albright, to name a few.
Over the years, the seminar has brought young leaders from over 100 countries each Spring to the School of Foreign Service for a week of seminars and discussions in an informal setting. Today, we are able to accommodate about 35 participants each year and we have broadened participation by region and profession. Each year, major U.S. and international figures address a different set of timely topics. In 2003, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and 1992 GLS alum, General Peter Pace addressed the role of the American military in a new century; peace process negotiator Dennis Ross discussed the continuing crisis in the Middle East, and Latin America expert Arturo Valenzuela analyzed the impact of the IFIs on Latin America. In previous years, former United Nations official Richard Butler offered a retrospective on his experiences with UNSCOM in Iraq; Madeleine Albright shared her experiences in the Arab-Israeli peace talks and Michael Sheehan discussed international terrorism.
Topics of Past Seminars
- The U. S. and Multilateralism: Prospects for a New Era
- Globalization and the Developing World
- Alleviating the Global Refugee Crisis
- The Future of the International Monetary System
- Technology and International Business
- Is There Any Future for Trade Negotiations?
- The Global Economy
- Accountability for War Crimes
- Economics of Growth and Development
- International Threat Environment
- The United Nations and the Future of Conflict Resolution