Mark Garrison, the founding director of Brown University's Center for Foreign Policy Development, a precursor to the Watson School, passed away peacefully in Haverford, Pennsylvania, at the age of 95 on January 1, 2026.
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Art at Watson’s exhibition, “Odisha Illuminated: A Celebration of Ritual in a Modern World,” features bold, colorful textiles from the Odisha region of India. It will run through the spring 2026 semester in Stephen Robert '62 Hall.
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As the Watson Policy Mentor Network enters its third year, it has expanded to provide more one-on-one mentoring opportunities for MPA students, as the School continues to facilitate engagement between its students and highly successful public policy practitioners.
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In this invited review essay, published in International Studies Review, Jeff Colgan proposes three ordering principles as a framework for teaching and a guide for intellectual inquiry in international relations: anarchy, nature and innovation.
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A show exploring today's biggest global challenges with the world's leading experts, from the Watson School 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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#BrownCurious: Is the American Dream still alive?

John N. Friedman, the inaugural dean of the Watson School, has been working with big data for the past 15 years to figure out how children can grow up to achieve a better standard of living than their parents. He explains why opportunity has faded for Americans over time, and proposes solutions to this growing opportunity gap: policy and education reform.

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#BrownCurious is a social media series that features Brown University’s community of experts answering the world’s most searched and discussed questions.

 

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Master of Public Affairs

The Watson School is home to a rigorous Master of Public Affairs program, which prepares students to be public policy leaders, analysts and advocates in government, politics, and the nonprofit, and private sectors, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Student Experience

The Watson School houses 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.

“ My classes at Brown have expanded my perspective, pushing me to think more critically and to ask deeper, more thoughtful questions. ”

– Paige Censale Class of 2017

Centers, Initiatives and Programs

The Watson School is home to several 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