The Institute for Diplomacy and Strategic Initiatives at St. Mary’s University

Vision 2012
The creation of The St. Mary’s University Institute for Diplomacy, Strategic and International Studies is in keeping with University President Cotrell's Vision 2012 which challenges the University to “Develop and pursue research in graduate disciplines that contributes to new knowledge, represents applied scholarship and is responsive to local, regional, and global needs.”

The “Institute” recalls the tradition begun at St. Mary’s in 1953 under the direction of Professors Ludwig Mai and Kenneth Carey who took it upon themselves to organize speakers and events to educate students and the local community on issues of global importance.

The “Institute” today will serve to rekindle that same spirit as a facility to educate the whole person in international issues, create connections between global and local communities, develop professional competencies and focus on the skills required to build community.

Mission
The Institute seeks the promotion of the practical study of international relations in the areas of diplomacy, national security and intelligence studies, conflict resolution, developmental and area studies. This mission will be carried out through the creation and management of intellectual exchanges, research efforts, community outreach, colloquia, publications, and applied language training and area studies. The Mission goals will be infused and directed through the traditions and values imbued through the Marianist charism and those that have guided St. Mary’s University for more than 150 years.

Historical Background
In the fall of 1953, Professors Ludwig Mai and Kenneth Carey supervised a two-hour elective course within the newly-created bachelor's degree in international relations. The course featured guest speakers every Friday evening over the course of a semester. By October 1953, Professors Mai and Carey requested that the "International Relations Institute" become a permanent entity on St. Mary's University campus. The course offered through the "Institute" became the University's primary lecture series that featured learned and professional speakers in a broad array of area studies and international relations.

The current Institute for Diplomacy, Stategic and International Studies focuses its activities in a programmatic direction rather than academic. The Institute is an independent entity dedicated to the creation and development of programs in support of graduate and professional studies leading to certification, community outreach and educational programs, and assisting graduate students and faculty in the pursuit of research opportunities.

Current Program Activity

In Spring 2008, the Institute initiated a series of First Monday Dialogues. Once a month these informal dialogues bring together faculty and students for discussion of a current national or world event/crisis/issue relating to the broad area of international relations. The spring series began with a talk on "Cuba in Transition" (post-Fidel) given by Dr. Gerald Poyo of the St. Mary's University History Department. The second Dialogue topic addressed the issues of an independent Kosovo presented jointly by Dr. Celine Jacquemin and Edis Mekic. The spring series concluded with "Pumping for Dollars: Rising Gas Prices vs. The Falling Dollar" presented by Dana Holden from Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company.

The Fall 2008 series began in September with "Sandinista Stories: Tales from Nicaragua" - a student-led discussion of conditions in Nicaragua as observed by some of those who participated in the 2008 Summer Study Tour to that country. October's dialogue "Bailouts and Buyouts:  What's Next" was led by Dr. Steven Nivin on the economic effects both locally and internationally. Lt. General (Ret.) Ricardo S. Sanchez discussed his views in "The Road Ahead in Iraq" in early November. To finish out the dialogue series for the 2008 Fall Semester, Ms. Gillian Sorensen, former Assistant Secretary to the United Nations and current Senior Advisor at the United Nations Foundation, gave a lecture on "The US and UN in the 21st Century." This latter event was co-hosted with Americans for Informed Democracy.

We are looking forward to an exciting Spring 2009 with fresh topics and dynamic speakers.