News Archive

Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs underwent a leadership change for the first time in eight years on July 1, 2024.

The Watson Institute has an exciting lineup of engaging events planned for the fall semester, offering diverse perspectives on critical issues.

Brown University’s Master of Public Affairs Program recently welcomed its latest class to its rigorous one-year program. The new students bring their diverse life experiences and interests to a vibrant and dynamic learning community, where they will apply their learning to address pressing societal challenges, preparing them to be global leaders in public affairs.

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.

At this year's Master of Public Affairs Policy in Action Symposium, graduating MPA students presented on a wide range of policy issues from a variety of perspectives, in each case informed by the hands-on experience they gained working with an external organization.

With their terms ending, five Watson postdoctoral fellows and one postdoctoral research associate look to continue their academic careers armed with new skills acquired in the Watson Institute's unique and robust intellectual environment.

At the end of his eighth and final year as the Howard R. Swearer Director of the Thomas J. Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Edward Steinfeld reflected on the institute's growth as it prepares for the launch of Brown University's new School of International and Public Affairs.

In a testament to her unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student well-being, Susan Moffitt, professor of political science and international and public affairs and director of academic programs for the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs, was selected for the 2024 Faculty Award for Advising and Mentoring.

Over winter break, ten Brown students learned the ins and outs of journalism focused on global issues and the nuances of international reporting in an evolving media landscape at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a prestigious Washington, D.C. think tank. In one week, they learned more than they could have imagined.

The Watson Institute awarded Birkelund funds to five faculty research projects during the 2023 - 2024 academic year. Projects ranged from studying civilian-military coordination during the pandemic to creating a study group between Brown students and faculty, and quilombola communities in Brazil.

The Watson Institute's Graduate Program in Development (GPD) brings together Brown University scholars from a range of departments to think together around questions of development in ways that build on but move beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The Watson Institute's Diversity and Inclusion Plan committee funded three faculty members in their efforts to create a greater focus on diversity and inclusion in the institute's teaching and learning.

Three Watson Master of Public Affairs students and one alumna were named finalists for the prestigious Presidential Management Fellows class of 2024. They are now eligible to apply for positions as fellows in the federal workforce where they hope to make an impact on a variety of public policy issues.

The Watson Institute will develop a new Equity in Policy Scholars program to increase diversity in Brown's Master of Public Affairs program and, in turn, public policy circles in general. It will also ensure that Watson remains a competitive destination for outstanding future global leaders.

Watson Policy Labs, a new initiative of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, will enhance the link between teaching, research and public outreach by addressing specific policy issues through a combination of faculty research, student training, research-based courses and public outreach.

After a semester of intensive research, students in Professor John Eason's senior seminar offered the city of Blythe, California advice on how to best navigate a looming prison closure.

The Watson Institute, its centers, institutes and programs have a dynamic roster of thought-provoking events planned for the spring 2024 semester.

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.

This fall the Watson Institute hosted a unique study group in collaboration with Brown's Undocumented, First-Generation College, and Low-Income Student Center (U-FLi). The study group, which was open to all students, focused on skill-building and leadership development for first-generation, low-income and undocumented students.

2023 was an exciting year at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs with the Institute welcoming its largest-ever cohort of military fellows, celebrating 10 years of the China Initiative and welcoming new leaders. This year’s top 10 stories from the Watson Institute appear below.

China Initiative postdoctoral fellow Na Fu is documenting the political, social and personal costs of the shift from mass production to mass customization in the Pearl River Delta region of China.

Eight Watson Institute Master of Public Affairs students were named Director's Fellows in September. Fellows spent the fall semester working on projects in faculty-led research groups at Watson and in Watson centers.

A number of Watson faculty published books in 2023 on a wide range of topics from domestic violence laws, immigration, school reform, and political backlash in the United States to the sociology of development, the holocaust, and the politics of Brazillian crime film. Explore books published by Watson faculty in 2023 below.

China Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow Shanni Zhao is researching how rapid economic, political and societal changes have impacted dating practices and marriage in contemporary China.

David Blanding, who earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Brown University, returned to the University a year ago as an associate professor of the practice of international and public affairs. This year, he steps into a new role as director of Watson's Master of Public Affairs program.

In a new paper, a team of researchers led by members of the Watson Institute's Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies found that civil society organizations in the Global South played a critical role in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entering its second decade, the Watson Institute's China Initiative seeks to understand China's rapid transformation from a variety of perspectives.

This year six Watson research proposals were awarded a total of $121,486 in Birkelund Funds. The funds are used to support faculty research — especially in the early stages — and to encourage student engagement in research.

There will be a variety of events across the Brown community addressing the current situation in Israel and Gaza.

Anya Bassett joined the faculty of the Watson Institute this fall as faculty director of the International and Public Affairs (IAPA) concentration and director of undergraduate teaching and learning.

A new Watson Institute initiative will provide Brown Masters of Public Affairs students and International and Public Affairs concentrators with additional opportunities to make valuable connections and receive career advice from distinguished Watson senior fellows.

The Watson Institute, its centers, institutes and programs have a dynamic roster of thought-provoking events planned for the fall 2023 semester.

The Watson Institute recently welcomed a new cohort to its Military Fellows Program for the 2023-2024 academic year. The six new fellows will spend the next year immersed in Watson's scholarly community, engaging with students and faculty, taking classes, giving special lectures, attending seminars and conducting research.

The fall of 2023 will bring renowned human rights lawyer Malika Saada Saar and former U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin to the Watson Institute as senior fellows who will lead student study groups, along with an array of practitioners who will focus on issues relevant to first-generation and low-income college students.

A new Art at Watson exhibition, "Andrew Nixon: Inventions and Discoveries," opens September 4, 2023, on the first floor of Stephen Robert '62 Hall at 280 Brook Street. An artist talk will be followed by a reception on September 26, 2023, in room 101 of 280 Brook Street at 5:00 p.m.

The start of Brown's new fiscal year on July 1, 2023, brought a number of leadership changes to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and its centers.

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. 

Entering its fourth year, the Climate Solutions Lab has an ambitious plan to expand on its mission to create and distribute solution-oriented climate knowledge at Brown and across the world.

Brown University hosted its inaugural Warrior-Scholar Project Humanities Academic Boot Camp at Watson from June 17-24 with the aid of three Watson-affiliated faculty. The rigorous week-long program is designed to ease the transition between military and academic life for U.S. veterans and active service members.

A team of researchers led by Brown University Associate Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs Rob Blair studied a crime intervention in Cali, Colombia, and found little evidence to support the idea that military policing reduces crime.

The Watson Institute announced its undergraduate awards. The awards recognize academic excellence and provide funding for student research.

Many 2023 graduates of the Watson Institute's Master of Public Affairs program have already accepted jobs in government, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits and industry where they can use their public policy expertise in impactful and fulfilling careers.

Lyn Crost Professor of Social Sciences, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Sociology Patrick Heller received the Graduate School’s Faculty Award for Advising and Mentoring at the University Awards Ceremony on May 1, 2023.

Disbursements from the Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence will strengthen libraries at nine PPSD high schools and enable local middle schoolers to decide how their school spends $100,000.

Undergraduate Research and Teaching Awards (UTRAs) support Brown students collaborating with Brown faculty on research projects and are integral to research being conducted at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.

As Brown celebrates its 255th Commencement, Kathryn Thompson and Hamidou Sylla will address their peers in separate Ph.D. and master’s ceremonies on College Hill on Sunday, May 28.

This year's outgoing Watson Military Fellows cohort reflects on their experience at Brown.

Watson Senior Fellow and former U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin recently hosted Gen. Paul Nakasone, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, for a "fireside chat" on cybersecurity. 

Co-authored by researchers at Brown and Providence’s Refugee Dream Center, the report includes passages from 32 interviews with Afghan refugees and offers eight recommendations for leaders involved in resettlement.