The launch of the Thomas J. Watson Jr. School of International and Public Affairs at Brown University comes at a pivotal moment for the University, the nation, and the world. Brown's new policy school will feature an expanded faculty, a vibrant network of policy practitioners, leading educational programs, and a growing number of research centers and initiatives that foster globally-focused research and support extensive programming.
Drawing faculty from across the University, the school will embrace a wide range of ideas, perspectives and experiences, underscoring its commitment to openness and diversity of ideas to advance knowledge and understanding. The University will celebrate the launch of the school with a year-long series of events highlighting the school’s research and teaching strengths, exciting announcements and strategic growth opportunities beginning this fall.
The transition from institute to school culminates a multi-year process building on more than a decade of growth within Brown's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. The Watson School will serve as home to a robust Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program, a thriving undergraduate concentration in international and public affairs, a Military Fellows program, programs for Ph.D. students across the university, and a postdoctoral program. Through rigorous scholarship that crosses traditional academic boundaries, the school will be driven by the conviction that policy-focused learning experiences and informed policy research solutions can change systems and societies for the better.
As he begins his tenure as inaugural dean, John N. Friedman shared the new Watson School's objectives for the coming year and beyond.
Before joining Brown's faculty in 2015, Friedman served as an assistant professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and also worked in the National Economic Council of the Obama White House. Friedman said his background as both an academic and policy practitioner will inform his leadership of the Watson School. "I always think about one with a bit of the other in the back of my mind," he said. "I think about research not just in terms of what will lead to articles in top journals, but how it can contribute to shifting our understanding of what works best in the world and ultimately help those who are in charge of making those decisions."
At the same time, Friedman stressed that "There is also an essential role for individuals who have thought deeply about these problems from an academic perspective." The combination of on-the-ground experience with academic rigor," he said, "is what will make the Watson School a truly exciting place for both faculty and students."
Friedman said he was drawn to the opportunity to lead the new Watson School by what he characterizes as its "enormous potential." "The Watson Institute already consists of a tremendous group of scholars, practitioners and students," he said. "Our centers and initiatives pull people together in creative ways that drive innovative work and public engagement."
During his time at the Institute, Friedman has been deeply impressed with the Watson community. "Watson's mission is to promote a just and peaceful world through research, teaching and public engagement," said Friedman. "Whenever I'm at the Institute," he said, "I see a deep commitment within our community to pursuing scholarship in a way that makes an impact on the world."
Friedman said he also sees untapped potential at the University beyond Watson. "Many top-notch scholars not currently affiliated with Watson are working on issues relevant to international and public affairs at units across Brown," he said. "From history to computer science, and across each of the other schools, many faculty members are doing phenomenal work that's deeply relevant to international and public affairs, but who aren't yet affiliated with Watson." Friedman added, "Building broader links across campus will allow the new Watson School to benefit from this great breadth of expertise across campus and to recruit fantastic new scholars in partnership with those units."
Friedman said the school will see "significant growth" in both faculty size and the scope of subject matter covered over the next five years." The school will include a broader set of scholars than the Watson Institute currently has," said Friedman. "I would like to see increased breadth in terms of disciplinary backgrounds and methodologies, as well as a greater variety of issues covered, especially those that are becoming increasingly important across the globe." Friedman cited international trade and technology as two critical topics that will see increased focus at the school.
"It is essential to consider how rapidly changing technology is affecting society," said Friedman."Artificial intelligence (AI) is the prime example that's on everyone's mind, and it affects international and public affairs in numerous ways. AI is not just the subject of important discussions around government support or regulation; it's transforming the way governments interact with their citizens, the types of social and economic challenges that government policy must address, and the way wars are fought," he said.
Friedman added, "Technology is also a critical part of addressing global challenges, such as climate change, so creating a structure where scholars engage across traditional boundaries is something I hope will lead to a significant advantage for Watson."
Friedman stressed the importance of bringing together a wide range of ideas, perspectives and experiences to advance knowledge and understanding in international and public affairs. "The secret sauce to make all of this work together," said Friedman, "is Brown's deep-seated tradition of interdisciplinary collaboration. I think this is especially crucial in international and public affairs, as well as policy-oriented research, where the most significant innovations often come from new combinations of disparate ideas."
According to Friedman, the school's growth and the expanding breadth of subject matter will lead to a natural evolution in the school's academic programs, especially with regard to the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program. "These two priorities are interconnected, and we have a rare opportunity to consider how the faculty and the master's program can grow in tandem, allowing us to explore new structures and areas for inclusion in the master's program," he said.
"The strength of our academic programs flows from our faculty and our engagement with the outside world," said Friedman. "As we grow the school, this will offer students a broader set of opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom. Doing this strategically, so that new faculty complement our existing strengths, is what will lead to strong growth," he said.
The new Watson School will also provide students with increased opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning. According to Friedman, this naturally lends itself to an interdisciplinary approach. "When I teach at Watson, I always say that we didn't have statistics meetings or economics meetings at the White House — we just had policy meetings," he said. "We had to pull everything together, whether it was economics, statistics, politics, community engagement, or legislative affairs."
Hands-on learning experiences, Friedman believes, are a critical tool in helping students synthesize the disparate subjects they learn in classes. "I believe this integrated approach, especially in our master's program, will give our students the tools, domain-specific knowledge, and experience needed to get exciting jobs coming out of our program and launch themselves into careers in international and public affairs," he said.
