Diplomacy Week 2024 connects Carolina students with global affairs experts, careers
October 15, 2024UNC Global Affairs
Every year, Diplomacy Week brings thought leaders in global affairs, national security and diplomacy to Carolina to engage with students. This year, the fourth Diplomacy Week took place Oct. 7-11, 2024. More than 500 students participated in lectures, panel discussions and presentations which introduced students to skills, careers and current events in foreign affairs.
“Carolina’s Diplomacy Initiative — including Diplomacy Week — introduces students to some of the world’s grand challenges,” Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Chief Global Officer Barbara Stephenson said. “As they learn about shared global challenges, they explore solutions, practicing skills like communicating persuasively, evaluating and, crucially, listening in the search for common ground.”
On Monday, Oct. 7, professionals working in the U.S. intelligence community discussed various career opportunities in national security, providing attendees with behind-the-scenes perspectives. During classroom visits, Erinn Whitaker, professor of the practice in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Curriculum in Peace, War and Defense, facilitated the conversation between students and intelligence officers. Whitaker, a former senior analyst for the CIA and U.S. Department of State who received the Faculty Award for Global Excellence in 2024, teaches courses on a range of international security and intelligence matters.
“It’s not always easy to find opportunities in North Carolina to learn about international relations,” Sydney Zolotorofe ’25 said. Zolotorofe studies global studies and attended Monday’s event on national security. She said events like those during Diplomacy Week are part of receiving a global education at Carolina.
On Tuesday, Oct. 8, the intelligence officers presented: “Why People Spy: Insights from the CIA.” In addition to sharing compelling stories of espionage, the session debunked some popular culture myths, too.
On Wednesday, Oct. 9, UNC Global Affairs hosted a panel discussion with Carolina students who participated in the Honors Seminar on Public Policy and Global Affairs and Carolina’s Washington Week through the Diplomacy Initiative. Mike Hostutler ’25 moderated the discussion, with panelists Cate Miller ’26, Sam Bohmer ’25, Addisen Heavner ’27 and Camille Forbes ’25. They talked about their experiences as Tar Heels engaging with international organizations and leaders in Washington D.C. through these two high-impact programs.
On Thursday, Oct. 10, UNC Global Affairs and the Center for European Studies (CES) hosted Walter Goetz for the semester’s third Diplomatic Discussion. Goetz is the head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington D.C., and this was his second visit to Carolina since beginning this role in 2023. Kathleen Shanahan Lindner, executive director of CES, and Christiane Lemke, emerita professor of political science and international relations, moderated the Diplomatic Discussion. They asked Goetz about this summer’s parliamentary elections, ongoing negotiations related to energy and Ukraine, why the parliament has a liaison office in Washington, D.C., and how the upcoming elections in the U.S. will influence his work.
Goetz identified numerous challenges facing Europe in 2024, but he affirmed the European Union’s commitment to a liberal, rules-based international order and a strong relationship between the U.S. and the EU.
“I found the discussion to be eye-opening and insightful about the transatlantic relationship,” said Henri Winberg ’26, a graduate student from Finland in the TransAtlantic Masters (TAM) program. “It’s an honor that a person with practical experience like Goetz, who actually works in transatlantic affairs every day, would come to Carolina to meet us in person.”
On Friday, Goetz students enrolled in courses on transatlantic security and climate change gained direct insights about European defense and climate policy from the senior EU official. Robert Jenkins, who teaches the courses and currently serves as the Diplomacy Initiative Faculty Fellow, moderated the conversation with Goetz.
That afternoon, Goetz was the featured speaker at the TAM Friday Lecture Series. After discussing several aspects of European governance, he focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Three TAM students — Said Ghneim, Miranda Tate and Connor Zamora — interviewed Goetz about the war’s implications for Europe.
“We, at the Center for European Studies, are thrilled that Dr. Goetz visited campus and was so engaged with our students,” Shanahan Lindner said. “As a designated Jean Monnet Center of Excellence by the European Commission, our goal is to do exactly this: to bring European officials, like Dr. Goetz, to campus and to foster a transatlantic dialogue about issues that we in both the U.S. and the EU face.”
UNC Global Affairs and its campus partners designed these events to connect Tar Heels with the wider world, offering meaningful opportunities to learn about and practice skills related to intelligence, diplomacy and foreign affairs. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, UNC Global Affairs will host the final Diplomatic Discussion of the semester with Stuart E. Eizenstat ’64. Eizenstat will discuss his latest book, The Art of Diplomacy, as well as several key events over the course of his distinguished career.
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