Schar News October 2020

New Partnership ‘Redefines Trade Compliance Training’ for U.S.-China Commerce; Kick-Off Event Announced

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:58:09 +0000

New Partnership ‘Redefines Trade Compliance Training’ for U.S.-China Commerce; Kick-Off Event Announced Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/10/2021 - 22:58

In This Story

Kenneth A. Reinert

Mark J. Rozell

Originally published on October 28, 2020

The Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV, global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, and Content Enablers have announced a new collaboration to redefine online trade compliance training for Chinese entities and trade practitioners engaged in international trade with the United States.

The alliance will leverage the combined capabilities of each organization to help Chinese companies and individuals satisfy their U.S. trade compliance training needs in a convenient, on-demand, and cost-efficient manner.

An introductory virtual event takes place Wednesday, October 28 at 8 a.m. EDT, featuring speakers who will address various aspects of this important international trade relationship. The event is free but registration is required.

The new collaboration combines Content Enablers' world-class function-specific trade compliance training and online learning platform with Squire Patton Boggs' legal, regulatory, and market knowledge, and the Schar School's regional expertise in the Chinese market. The courses will be available at https://china.tradecompliance.courses.

"The work of Content Enablers is close to the heart of the Master’s in International Commerce and Policy program,” said Professor of Public Policy Kenneth A. Reinert. “Content Enablers understands this and helps to support our students each year with awards. Their expanded work on China is particularly relevant to the troubled U.S.-China bilateral trade relationship. This is a great next step in the partnership between Content Enablers and the Schar School."

Recent U.S. policy reconsiderations toward China “have significantly impacted how companies around the globe operate in China, as well as how Chinese corporations manage their protocols for complying with U.S. regulations," said George Grammas, a partner in the global law practice of Squire Patton Boggs, where he chairs the firm's International Trade Practice. "This necessitates heightened due diligence which must be supported by effective compliance training."

Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School, said, "We have been collaborating with Content Enablers for over a year now in the North American market and we are very excited to expand that partnership into the Chinese market. The Schar School has a longstanding presence in China, and we are excited to help Content Enablers and Squire Patton Boggs bring these timely and important training courses to companies in the region."

Content Enablers has established the “Moving Forward Scholarship Fund” that sets aside a portion of each Schar School-certified course to benefit students.

Online course offerings through the partnership will include the following on-demand training:

Foundations of U.S. Export Compliance
Global Trade Compliance Overview
Trade Compliance for Executive Leadership
U.S. Export Controls: Advanced EAR

Trade Compliance Overview for the following job functions:

Aftersales
Human Resources
Legal
Logistics
Procurement
Research and Development
Sales and Marketing

Courses are available in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

"Because policies and regulations are evolving, it is essential for Chinese companies doing business with the U.S. to understand how to navigate the complex mosaic of U.S. export control regulations since it is critical to protecting your business," said Brad Kabanuk, president of Content Enablers. "We are very excited to be working with Squire Patton Boggs and the Schar School on this exciting and essential partnership to help Chinese companies move global trade forward compliantly and efficiently."

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Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar News October 2020

Free for lunch? Join top political experts to discuss the future of public policy

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:55:43 +0000

Free for lunch? Join top political experts to discuss the future of public policy Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/10/2021 - 22:55

In This Story

Justin Gest

Originally published on October 22, 2020

“Universities are such important gathering places and platforms for dialogue, for information sharing, for deliberation,” the Schar School of Policy and Government associate professor said. “In the pandemic context, people are craving to recreate the tight-knit community that universities offer.”

Justin Gest. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services/��AV

That’s why he created Power Lunch, a virtual event series on U.S. public policy featuring renowned political leaders, journalists and experts. The series will livestream on the Schar School’s YouTube channel on Fridays at noon from Oct. 30 to Jan. 15. Register here.

“We invited some of the most influential thought leaders and political actors in the world to discuss what the future looks like across a variety of subject matters over the next four years,” Gest said, adding that the series is designed for the interlude between Election Day and the presidential inauguration.

Panelists for the discussions moderated by Gest include former National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster, former U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus, former U.S. Senators Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), former National Intelligence Officer Spencer Boyer, and award-winning journalists from The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others.

“We’re putting into conversation people who, even though they worked on the same issue, come at it from different angles,” Gest said. “Getting to listen to how they interact with each other, where their disagreements lie, and how they view the future will be enlightening.”

“There’s never been a more critical time to discuss how the people of our nation can come together to advance national unity, mutual care and renewal of civil dialogue and engagement,” said Wendy Feliz, founding director of the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council, who will speak at Power Lunch on Nov. 6. “I’m excited to participate in a discussion about how we move our nation toward healing and common ground.”

Power Lunches will cover topics from climate change to economic and immigration policy to international relations. The series is open to the public, but has a unique benefit for students.

“Students are in a formative period in their personal development; they’re developing their perspective on the world, but also thinking hard about the impact that they want to make,” Gest said. “By having a diversity of speakers, students will get a taste of the diversity of opinions and roles in the public sphere so they can develop their own goals for how they see themselves fitting into these worlds once they graduate.”

“My hope,” Feliz said, “is that everyone who listens in walks away with renewed hope that we can move our nation to a place where we can all be our unique selves and build a deeper understanding and respect for those who aren’t exactly like us.”

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Schar News October 2020

Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Awards $450,000 to Schar School for New National Security Scholarships

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:51:37 +0000

Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Awards $450,000 to Schar School for New National Security Scholarships Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/10/2021 - 22:51

In This Story

Mark J. Rozell

Michael V. Hayden

Originally published on October 19, 2020

The highly ranked security studies programs at the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV have received a $450,000 gift from the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. The programs will use $250,000 for scholarships for eligible master’s students entering the Schar School in Spring 2021.

The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Scholarship is intended to develop and prepare future national security professionals and leaders who will study in one of the Schar School’s four security-oriented master’s programs: Master’s in International Security, Master’s in Biodefense, Master’s in Public Policy with an emphasis in National Security and Public Policy, and Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

The scholarships range from $3,000 to $30,000 and will be distributed over the first three semesters of the degree program.

“The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation gift makes it possible for many students to attend our high-ranked security studies programs and prepare for careers in intelligence and security policy,” said Schar School Dean Mark J. Rozell. “We are grateful for this new partnership that will advance our shared goal of educating and training future policy professionals in these fields.”

Distinguished Visiting Professor and former Director of the CIA and NSA Michael V. Hayden said of the gift, “There has never been a time when the national security threats facing our nation have been as diverse. The Schar School is growing to meet those challenges, be they from peer rivals, persistent terrorist threats, or the consequences of technological developments.

“This scholarship fund will enhance the Schar School’s already stellar reputation in attracting a strong and diverse pool of graduate student candidates who will serve as our next generation of hands-on, solutions-driven national security leaders,” added Hayden, the founder of the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security at the Schar School.

The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation’s mission is to “promote national security, entrepreneurship, and enhance quality of life by supporting education and global understanding.”

"We are delighted to support students to attend a top-tier policy and government school which prepares them to be outstanding professionals who will serve in the national security arena,” said foundation Chief Executive Officer Abby Spencer Moffat in announcing the award.

To be considered for the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Scholarship, applications for the eligible degrees must be received by the November 15 priority application deadline. Learn more about the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Scholarship and how to apply.

Former deputy director of the FBI Andrew McCabe, who is now a Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Schar School’s national security program, will greet prospective students during a virtual Master’s and Certificate Open House on November 12 at 6:30 p.m. EST. The open house is free to attend but registration is required.

ABOUT THE SCHAR SCHOOL
The Schar School of Policy and Government is one of the 10 schools and colleges of ��AV, with approximately 2,000 students, 90 full-time faculty members, and 23 degree and certificate programs offered on Mason’s campuses in Fairfax and Arlington, Va. Among the degree programs are government and international affairs, public policy, public administration, political science, international security, and international commerce and policy. The Schar School prepares undergraduate and graduate students to be leaders and managers who solve problems and advance the public good in all sectors and levels of government—in the United States and throughout the world.

For more, contact Communications Manager Buzz McClain at bmcclai2@gmu.edu.

A dynamic education for an evolving world.

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Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar News October 2020

Panel: The Changing Landscape of U.S. International Alliances

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:49:03 +0000

Panel: The Changing Landscape of U.S. International Alliances Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/10/2021 - 22:49

In This Story

Mark J. Rozell

Colin Dueck

Screenshot by Mason Goad/Schar School of Policy and Government

Originally published on October 15, 2020

The Schar School of Policy and Government’s Center for Security Policy Studies hosted its second symposium, this one focusing on international alliances and whether or not they are adapting to 21^st century requirements.

After his welcoming remarks, Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School, turned the floor over to Schar School Professor Colin Dueck, a lecturer on grand strategy who moderated the discussion. Panelists included former Ambassador Douglas Lute, who served as NATO ambassador and deputy national security advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan under presidents Bush and Obama; Yuki Tatsumi, senior fellow at think tank the Stimson Center; and Soyoung Kwon, director of Security Policy Studies-Korea at the Schar School.

“NATO strikes me as incredibly resilient,” said Lute. “I don’t know too many institutions at the 70-year mark, or maybe even individuals at the 70-year mark, who can’t use a bit of refreshing or reinvigoration. But the pattern over NATO’s 70-year history is that over and again it has been amazingly adaptive and resilient.”

But could the institution withstand a transfer of leadership to Europe?

“The European defense industry, which would build such European capability [to have a Europe-led NATO], is lagging behind by at least a generation from American defense capability,” said Lute. “There’s no quick substitute for the hard American military power that is in NATO.”

As for alliances on the other side of the world, “the Japanese elite really [don’t] see any alternative to anchor their national security policies other than this close alliance with the United States,” said Tatsumi. “These elites continue to have a very high level of confidence in the very institutionalized ways in which this alliance has been managed by government officials on both sides of the Pacific. Their confidence in those institutions is very high, but at the same time, after experiencing the four years of the Trump administration and a lot of unpredictability, it is definitely raising questions in some peoples’ minds.”

In regards to South Korea-United States relations, Kwon said, “In general, the progressive government would favor improving inter-Korean relations and have some form of ‘anti-U.S. sentiment,’ whereas the conservatives are pro-U.S. and anti-North Korea.”

“It has been 67 years since Korea, and the U.S. signed the mutual defense treaty. It has been very steady,” said Kwon, “It has been a lynchpin for security, stability, and prosperity of the East Asian region and peninsula.”

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Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar News October 2020

Meet the Directors: Schar School Student Podcast—Toddcast—Returns to the Airwaves

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:46:38 +0000

Meet the Directors: Schar School Student Podcast—Toddcast—Returns to the Airwaves Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/10/2021 - 22:46

Imani Muguku: ‘…[T]o be able to provide anyone with even a moment of reflection I think is the most powerful way that I can be a force for good.’

Originally published on October 14, 2020

The Toddcast is on the air! The Schar School Undergraduate Student Organization (USO) has resumed recording and posting a weekly podcast—the Toddcast—that brings students to the microphone to discuss a wide range of topics that impact their lives. We spoke with the co-directors, Bachelor’s in Government and International Politics majors Imani Muguku, a junior from Dallas living in Kenya, and senior Mariam Abdellatif, originally from Cairo, about what to expect. New episodes are posted.

What are the origins of this podcast?
The creator of the podcast is Teddy Porter, who was the previous vice president of the Schar USO. He laid a lot of the foundation work for the podcast. The first couple of years of the Toddcast was filled with a lot of laying down the initial groundwork, but in this last semester, we’ve been able to find our stride in creating and posting.

Who is Todd?
The story goes that Teddy and his roommate had a toad called Todd, so they just named the podcast after him! We kept the name to honor Teddy and the effort he put into creating the Toddcast.

How long are the shows and what are the topics? Who chooses the topics?
The episodes are typically an average of 10 to 20 minutes depending on the topics. We choose the topics every week based on current events, topics we’re interested in, and sometimes suggestions from other Schar USO members.

Can other students participate?
Yes! We’ve had other students be involved with the Toddcast in the past and we would love to include more students on the episodes. If people have suggestions of topics that they would like to hear, or if they would like to be in a podcast, the comment section of our videos is the best place to let us know.

Mariam Abdellatif: ‘I often felt excluded and that my perspective, or the perspectives of anyone like me, were not welcome or appreciated.’

How often will new episodes be posted and where can listeners find them?
New episodes are posted on Youtube (The Toddcast Schar USO) every Monday at 5 p.m. We always notify the other Schar USO members in the Group Me and on the newsletter—good reasons to join. If anyone is interested in having access to either, they can email our Secretary of SUSO, Caitlin Kojola (ckojola@masonlive.gmu.edu). We also post on our social media @schar_uso on Instagram and Twitter.

Where are they recorded? Who produces, edits, etc.?
All of our current episodes are recorded on Zoom. We had microphones and a sound mixer at the school, but with the coronavirus outbreak we haven’t been able to use our equipment. Since we are the only two working on the Toddcast, we split our tasks evenly and alternate who picks the topic and does the research each week. Mariam edits and uploads the episodes and Imani does the final quality check to make sure everything is sounding great and we didn’t miss anything.

Why is all this effort important?
Mariam: For me, this podcast is the reason why I joined the Schar USO initially. I remember when the former president of the organization came by my class and was talking about the creation of a podcast. I was immediately hooked. I listen to an average of four or five podcasts a day so I felt more than ready to take on this new exciting project.

More importantly though, one of the major reasons why it was vital, in my opinion, for us to create this podcast because there is a need to introduce a different perspective on topics that are currently in the news cycle. Along with Teddy, we were a team made up entirely of people of color. This might not seem significant to most people, but as a woman of color in politics, I have sat in many classrooms surrounded by a majority of white men. I often felt excluded and that my perspective, or the perspectives of anyone like me, were not welcome or appreciated. I was often steamrolled, ignored, and called a “pain in the ass” by one professor just because I presented an opinion that contradicted his. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common, not just at Mason, but in various places all across the U.S.

We also hope to educate people on current events, introducing the facts first, followed by our personal opinions, in the hopes that listeners will come to their own conclusions in the end. This podcast is not meant to convince anyone of anything—we believe in everyone’s right to their own beliefs and opinions. However, we do want to present arguments or perspectives that maybe some people have never heard before; what they make of it is up to them.

Imani: The podcast was also the main reason why I joined the Schar USO as well. At the time I was going through a period where almost all of the news I was consuming was through podcasts. Hearing that I could be a part of the same forum that was part of my new routine was serendipitously good timing. Now as a co-director of the podcast, in an election year no less, I find the task of disseminating information to university students that much more exciting and important.

Creating a space to talk about things that are important to our demographic, that are also steeped in the news that are affecting all of our lives, is a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. It is one that I do with passion, because these issues matter.

My hope is that we can become a part of people’s routines. That they can join in on our conversations, and as a group we can examine our opinions. We stand at a very crucial and divisive time in history. The stories that we document are meant to start more conversations, past the end of our podcast, with friends, family, and those we interact with daily. These issues are bigger than us and in that way we act as vessels for a more informed, more understanding student body.

My main goal is to do good with the things that I have. I think to be able to provide anyone with even a moment of reflection is the most powerful way that I can be a force for good.

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Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar News October 2020

Sample Class: U.S. Democracy Health Check – 2020 Elections, Voting, and Beyond

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:42:40 +0000

Sample Class: U.S. Democracy Health Check – 2020 Elections, Voting, and Beyond Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/10/2021 - 22:42

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Originally published on October 9, 2020

Basic civics education is important to us at the Schar School of Policy and Government, which is why Associate Professor Jennifer Victor recently hosted a sample class for prospective students on the U.S. democratic process, the 2020 elections, and the future of the American republic. Victor, who studies American elections, campaign finance, and many more areas of U.S. politics, brought a wealth of knowledge along to her session.

Victor’s lecture covered fundamental political science theories related to the election and voting processes, and applied them to the realities of the 2020 election. By the end of the session, those in attendance left with a new framework to be participant observers and knowledgeable members for future American political events.

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Schar News October 2020

Study: What Slows Down Innovation in Government Technology?

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:29:27 +0000

Study: What Slows Down Innovation in Government Technology? Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/10/2021 - 22:29

Alan Shark: ‘The research project was as much a journey as it was an important study…’

Alan Shark, an associate professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government, has research interests uncommon in political science, but by no means unimportant. Technology leadership in government, IT governance, and cybersecurity policy are some of his key research areas. Shark is also the executive director of the Public Technology Institute, or PTI, a non-profit organization providing outreach and consultancy to technology executives in local governments.

Shark recently completed a research project titled, “Innovation and Emerging Technologies in Government: Keys to Success,” which was published by IBM’s Center for the Business of Government as a special report. Shark interviewed nine government technology executives to reveal how innovations come about in government, and what inhibits that process. New technologies include blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, among others.

“The research project was as much a journey as it was an important study,” Shark said. “There were many twists and turns in learning from each subject which led me to others I had never heard of. The most surprising aspect of the research was the absolute dedication towards public service of each of the nine profiles.

“While each was uniquely different, they shared some key common characteristics, such as entrepreneurship, collaborative mindset, adaptive mastery of emerging technologies, and imaginative leadership.” Those characteristics, Shark said, are the true keys to innovative success.

“Despite all the hostility and hyper-partisanship that exists today,” Shark observed, “it is good to know that beneath the political layer there exists a group of highly resourceful and dedicated individuals that focus on serving the public and has spanned many administrations over the years.”

The study will be useful in removing some barriers now that obstructions have been confirmed.

“The obstacles to implementing technological innovation in government often have less to do with hardware and software than people and processes,” wrote Daniel Chenok, executive director of IBM’s Center for the Business of Government, in the study’s forward.

“We hope the interviewees’ stories about using technology in their organizations to improve the lives of Americans provides a useful blueprint, helping innovators and their teams across government to learn about and apply emerging technologies in ways that drive mission success,” Chenok said.

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Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar News October 2020