Community Conversations

On September 12th, 2023, Director Mai’a Cross and Professor Julie Garey met with the foreign policy delegation of WorldBoston to Dr. Cross’s work on U.S. foreign policy, with particular emphasis on the Russo-Ukrainian War. As part of their International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project, entitled “U.S. Foreign Policy Decision Making”, the 16 delegates and their 3 liaisons came to Boston to explore and understand the various components and actors of U.S. foreign policy.

The groups specific project objectives were to:

• Examine the process and key players in formulating, articulating and implementing foreign policy in the U.S. federal system;
• Review U.S. foreign policy priorities and trends in U.S. international relations;
• Explore the domestic political and economic forces that influence U.S. foreign policy decisions; and
• Discuss how social media is transforming the practice and formation of foreign policy.

On May 9th, 2023 the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures met with delegates from WorldBoston to discuss the current state of American foreign policy from an academic perspective. WorldBoston became interested in how the Center enriches and supports scholarship to promote international cooperation, and how one can bridge theory and practice in such an area. WorldBoston is centered around its mission to foster engagement in international affairs and cooperation with people of all nations through their Global Engagement and Citizen Diplomacy Programs, as well as networking and community events. One of these programs is the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), which has been part of the State Department’s premier professional exchange program for over 80 years.

This specific delegation is titled “U.S. Foreign Policy and Decision Making”, a multi-regional project sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The delegation will be traveling all around the U.S. from the end of April to May, with Boston as their second stop. Each city focuses on varying themes within their central topic of American foreign policy. Boston’s specific theme is academic perspectives on the foreign policy process, and the impact of new and emerging factors on foreign policy.