In July, Brown University's new school of international and public affairs will welcome its first cohort of Ph.D. Fellows in an expanded program. Watson is now accepting pre-dissertation and dissertation fellowship applications from Ph.D. students who are working on development, governance and security-related topics in its five core departments.
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"Looming in the Shadows of Lodz," a new exhibition by photographer Leslie Starobin, opens at 280 Brook St. on February 13. Sponsored by Art at Watson, the show features Starobin's photographs from a "roots journey" to Poland. Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, "Looming in the Shadows of Lodz" illustrates how traumatic memories are passed down through generations.
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These not-for-credit study groups provide an opportunity for students to delve deeply into topics and apply theory and research to real world challenges. Enrollment in each group is limited to 25 students.
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News from Watson

Medicaid at 60

A special issue of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law was edited by Eric Patashnik and examines the past, present and future of Medicaid as it reaches its sixtieth year, featuring papers originally presented at a Watson conference in 2023.
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A show exploring today's biggest global challenges with the world's leading experts, from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
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The Rhodes Center Podcast, hosted by Mark Blyth, features conversations with some of the most thought-provoking figures in international finance and economics. Mark and Brendan talk with scholars, policy makers, and finance experts about some of today's most pressing economic issues, and about how those issues affect our daily lives.
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Academic Programs

Watson is home to a thriving undergraduate concentration, International and Public Affairs, as well as a highly rigorous and intensive 12-month Master of Public Affairs program. At the PhD level, the Watson Institute’s Graduate Program in Development provides training and research funding to Brown University doctoral students focused on issues of development in the Global South and beyond.

Student Experience

The Watson Institute houses several undergraduate and graduate programs that take an interdisciplinary, comparative approach to policy-relevant learning in the social sciences. Our programs are designed to inspire today's engaged scholars and creative thinkers to become tomorrow's leaders in international and public affairs.

“ I appreciate how multidisciplinary IAPA is — I've taken classes in anthropology, urban studies, economics and philosophy. They have all contributed to my concentration and my wider view of the world. ”

– Charles Alaimo IAPA Class of 2025

Centers, Initiatives and Programs

The Watson Institute is proud to house 11 region or topic-focused centers, initiatives and projects that are dedicated to research, teaching and outreach. These entities also serve as conveners, sponsoring informative events that inspire dialogue among scholars, students and the public.

learn more about our centers