The Associated Colleges of the Midwest and Chicago Council on Global Affairs have joined together to curate and host a yearlong series on Foreign Policy in Practice.
Together, the ACM and CCGA will host three virtual, interactive discussions during the 2021-2022 academic year for ACM faculty, students, and staff interested in foreign policy issues and their connection to the Midwest. Additionally, each event will include a session for students to network with speakers and attendees, with the goal of helping students translate their academic and professional interests into career opportunities in the world of foreign policy.
“This is a unique opportunity for our colleges to collectively engage with the premier, nonpartisan global affairs organization in America’s heartland.”
– Zach Messitte, Chair of the ACM Board of Directors
“The Associated Colleges of the Midwest is honored to work with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to bring the Foreign Policy in Practice Series to our community,” said Zach Messitte, President of Ripon College and Chair of the ACM Board of Directors. “This is a unique opportunity for our colleges to collectively engage with the premier, nonpartisan global affairs organization in America’s heartland.”
“As the Chicago Council on Global Affairs looks to reach new audiences and cultivate an interest in foreign policy careers in the Midwest, we are thrilled to partner with the ACM,” said Elizabeth Shackelford, senior fellow on foreign policy at CCGA. “Foreign policy has implications well beyond Washington DC, and we look forward to meeting with the ACM community to discuss the issues as they relate to the Midwest.”
“Foreign policy has implications well beyond Washington DC, and we look forward to meeting with the ACM community to discuss the issues as they relate to the Midwest.”
– Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
The first session, “Public Opinion and Foreign Policy – Does It Matter, and If So, How?” is scheduled for October 27 and will consider how the opinions of everyday Americans factor into foreign policy decision making in light of the Biden administration’s championing of a “foreign policy for the middle class.” Speakers include Shackelford as well as Dina Smeltz, senior fellow on public opinion and foreign policy for CCGA and lead for the annual survey of American attitudes towards foreign policy, and James N. Druckman, the Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science and Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University.
A Faculty Advisory Group of political science and international relations faculty at ACM colleges helped shape the concept of the partnership and series. The group continues to provide feedback on topics of interest to students on their campus and will help select the topics for the winter and spring sessions.
“The partnership with CCGA advances the ACM’s mission and guiding principles on several important dimensions,” said Sonya Malunda, President of the ACM. “By creating a collaborative program that encourages excellence in teaching and learning, while also strengthening the connection between inquiry and practice, the Foreign Policy in Practice Series provides a platform for exchanging ideas and a pathway to new academic and career opportunities.”
About the Associated Colleges of the Midwest
The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) is an incubator and catalyst for relevant programming that advances the academic and professional success of faculty, students, and staff at its 14 liberal arts member campuses. The member colleges launched the ACM in 1958, building on a long-established tradition of athletic competition dating back to the 1920s. Today, the ACM enriches residential liberal arts education and strengthens members through collaboration and joint initiatives that would not be possible independently.
About the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight on critical global issues, advances policy solutions, and fosters dialogue about what is happening in the world and why it matters to people in Chicago, the United States, and around the globe.
