This preview has been provided by Alison Vandenburgh, Communications Director at The Walsh Exchange.
All across the nation, international relations experts and enthusiasts alike gather to discuss the world’s events, past, present, and yet to come. You may be cast as the prime minister of France, or as a representative from a lesser known African republic. Whatever the role, Model UN students take on the world’s toughest problems and come up with some surprising, unique results. And behind these real-world applications is groundbreaking research, whether it is on international relations theory, how international institutions shape today’s society, or enlightening comparisons between two seemingly disparate locales. The top delegates participating in conferences publicized by this site are also some of the stars of the government or international affairs departments at their respective universities, and writing some of the most promising theses.
But, while success in assemblies or committees is widely recognized, this other, more academic side has been left isolated or even unrecognized. Until now. For the first time ever, we are creating a forum for the top students to showcase their work. We are pleased to introduce the Walsh Exchange, an undergraduate international relations research conference being inaugurated this April at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Focusing on the three broad themes of international institutions, international politics and security, and area studies, the Walsh Exchange will help top students in IR gain greater exposure for their research as well as the experience of presenting in a formal conference setting. Organized like an academic research conference, participants will present their papers and receive feedback from Georgetown’s renowned faculty and from other conference participants. Outside of paper presentations we will also host a keynote lecture and a reception where participants will interact with each other and network with DC area thought leaders.
With its position at Georgetown University, the home of the America’s first foreign service school and a university renowned for its international focus, the Walsh Exchange aspires to inspire new dialogue amongst top IR undergrads and show the world of international relations what the next generation of IR scholars is passionate about. If meeting the best of your peers, presenting and publishing your research, and learning from top IR theorists and practitioners appeals to you, apply now.
To learn more about the Walsh Exchange, and to see our official call for papers, visit us at www.walshex.org
