Faculty expressed excitement for interdisciplinary programs and joint hiring opportunities expected to come with the establishment of the new School of International and Public Affairs at Brown.
The transition from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs to a separate school was first approved by the faculty and the Corporation last spring. It is set to open July 1. The school is “absolutely on track” with this timeline, according to Wendy Schiller, the interim director of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
Preparations for the new school are focused on establishing “connective tissue,” Schiller said.
Many aspects of the current Watson Institute are "siloed,” she explained. “They operate in their own sphere, and they don’t necessarily come together as a unified school.”