Applications open to GW graduate students in international affairs
Walter R. Roberts
The Walter Roberts Endowment (WRE) is happy to announce that the application period is open for the student award for Public Diplomacy Studies. Final-year (spring/ summer 2024 graduation) GW Elliott School graduate student who has shown academic excellence in public diplomacy studies are encouraged to apply.
Since 2011, the Endowment has annually a GW student with this award which is announced at the receives Elliott School’s Commencement ceremony and also come with a cash prize.
Note: Applicants must be enrolled as full-time final year (spring/ summer 2024 graduation) students in graduate programs at the Elliott School of International Affairs.
The deadline for submission for the Student Award is Wednesday, April 6 by 11:59 pm EST
The supporting documents for your application should be uploaded on this form.
Your resume
A 500-word essay on their goals for pursuing further studies or careers based on their courses in public diplomacy or global communications.
*A one-page letter of support from a professor – to be emailed separately to ipdgc@gwu.edu
Dear Friend, The Walter Roberts Endowment was established by Dr. Walter R. Roberts and his family with the goal to educate students, recognize leadership, disseminate best practices and to promote appreciation of the importance of public diplomacy.
Thanks to the generous support of donors like you, the Endowment has supported dozens of students seeking careers in public diplomacy and has assisted in funding related activities and outreach of the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication (IPDGC) at the George Washington University (GW).
Every year, we host the Walter Roberts Annual Lecture featuring renowned leaders in public diplomacy, global media and communications, and international affairs. Last year, our speaker was Jodie Ginsberg of the Committee to Protect Journalists speaking on the challenges faced by international media.
The Endowment also funds IPDGC’s Award for Congressional Leadership in Public Diplomacy, which honors members of Congress who have been consistently supportive of public diplomacy in their careers. Last year’s recipient was Sen. James Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In addition to the award, a grant is given to a public diplomacy nonprofit in the recipient’s constituency. Global Ties Idaho was able to create a public diplomacy program to further mutual understanding between Idahoans and international visitors from Latin American countries.
Some new initiatives such as the IPDGC Graduate Fellow and a recent Cultural Diplomacy Workshop, teaching GW students the mechanics of cultural programming, have also received support from the Endowment.
As the year ends, we hope to count on your assistance so that the Endowment and IPDGC can continue with our events, programs and support of undergraduate and graduate students pursuing public diplomacy studies at GW. This was especially important during the pandemic, but moving forward, these funds have also benefited students from diverse socio-economic and international backgrounds.
The success of our work continues with Your Donation Now to the Endowment.
Patricia Kabra Walter R. Roberts Endowment Advisory Committee Chair
Dr. William Youmans Director of IPDGC and Associate Professor, School of Media and Public Affairs
Global Ties Idaho promotes mutual understanding between Idahoans and visitors from across the globe
By Yvonne Oh, IPDGC Program Coordinator
In May this year, IPDGC and the Walter Roberts Endowment recognized Idaho Senator James Risch for his contributions to U.S. global engagement. As part of that recognition, nonprofit Global Ties Idaho was awarded a small grant of $5000 to organize public diplomacy programs that serve the Idahoan community.
Recently, Global Ties Idaho participated in the Idaho State Museum Hispanic Heritage Day celebration, ¡Fiesta! The museum event was a celebration of Idaho’s Hispanic heritage and diverse cultures that featured music, art, food, and performances.
Global Ties Idaho organized a booth to introduce participants in a U.S. State Department International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) who were from Latin America. Maya Duratovic, a member of the board, said that “while Idahoans are familiar with Hispanic Mexican culture, this was an opportunity to meet people from other countries in Latin America – El Salvador, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Guatemala”.
The IVLP participants were law enforcement professionals visiting the U.S. to learn about Community Policing and were in Boise for a week.
From left: Jaime Enrique Carballo Castro (El Salvador), Capt. Francisco Perea Fuentes (Panama), Maya Duratovic (Global Ties Idaho), Patricia Fernanda Feijoo Gallo (Ecuador), Ariel Fabrizio Ojeda Aguilera (Paraguay), Carole Schroeder (Global Ties Idaho), Jorge Luis Cartejena Nunez (Honduras)
By creating this opportunity at the museum, over 1000 visitors were able to meet the IVLP participants and learn more about their country’s diverse cultures, people, and histories.
IPDGC has been able to support nonprofits in other states in creating programs for their community; thanks in part to their Congressional representative’s understanding of U.S. public diplomacy and efforts to support that engagement. Read more about past programs supported by these microgrants.
A workshop on building cultural diplomacy programs
By Yvonne Oh, IPDGC Program Coordinator
In mid-September, IPDGC kicked off its workshop on cultural diplomacy programming “Connecting Cultures: Cultural Diplomacy and Engagement Workshop”, collaborating with the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. The workshop was conceived with the two-pronged purpose of broadening awareness about cultural diplomacy, and encouraging GW students to consider how their fields of study can be part of U.S. global engagement.
On Friday, September 29, the in-person session was held at a beautiful at the Flagg Building, home to the Corcoran School (originally the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1869). John and Amr led discussions with GW student participants about navigating foreign environments, the importance of sustainable programming, and exploring different avenues for funding.
In different sessions of the workshop, participants met with cultural specialists who Zoomed in to share their expertise in cultural programming – dancers, singers, filmmakers, and other creative talents from all over the globe. They also met with former U.S. diplomats who encouraged their efforts as part of U.S. engagement and shared tips on funding and building networks.
At the end of the workshop. participants will present their proposals for a cultural program using the ideas and guidance from the sessions.
Dean Alyssa Ayres, dean of the Elliott School, dropped in for a quick visit and expressed her enthusiasm for the workshop; sharing how cultural diplomacy programs dovetail well with international development work.
The Walter Roberts Endowment has provided support to the “Connecting Cultures: Cultural Diplomacy and Engagement Workshop”.
For more about cultural programming and American Voices, listen to John Ferguson on Public Diplomacy Examined (PDx). IPDGC summer intern Adeniyi Funsho interviewed John in 2021 – PDX podcast: Connecting Cultures through Performance
With reporting from Alexis Posel, IPDGC communications assistant.
IPDGC honors Idaho senator for his support of American global engagement
IPDGC Director Dr. William Youmans presents Sen. James Risch with the 2023 Walter Roberts Award for Congressional Leadership in Public Diplomacy. Mrs. Vicki Risch is on the left. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Joy Holder)
WASHINGTON (April 19, 2023) – The Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication at the George Washington University, together with the Walter Roberts Endowment, has given U.S. Senator James Risch
(R-Idaho) the 2023 Walter Roberts Award for Congressional Leadership in Public Diplomacy. The award was given in recognition for Sen. Risch’s role in protecting the security and interests of the American people and continuing to advance U.S. prosperity and leadership around the world. Sen. Risch is the ranking member and lead Republican of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Sen. Risch in his remarks notes, “As ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I understand the impact that diplomacy can have on the many challenges that exist around the globe. The United States is looked to for leadership on the world stage, and in many cases, our diplomatic tools are the best way to ensure an outcome that benefits the U.S. I am honored to receive this recognition.”
The 2023 Walter Roberts Award recognizes Risch’s efforts to promote U.S. public diplomacy, namely by holding hearings on the role of public diplomacy in countering authoritarianism and helping get language to support public diplomacy in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“This award celebrates the Senator’s leadership in advancing ideals shared by Walter Roberts, who dedicated his career to the promotion of public diplomacy and international broadcasting,” says Dr. William Youmans, Director of the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication.
Speaking on behalf of the Endowment, Dr. William Roberts– eldest son of Walter Roberts – thanked Risch for his service and encouraged him to keep up the work on “current and future public diplomacy initiatives as you seek novel and innovative ways to connect with a diversity of people both locally and around the world”.
Sen. Risch ensured the passage of the State Authorization Act, which makes significant investments key to advancing U.S. national security and foreign affairs, including modernizing the State Department’s diplomatic corps and strengthening diverse recruitment and retention efforts. Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden nominated Sen.
Risch for Congressional Representative of the United States to the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, a testament to his commitment to diplomacy.
The Institute also announced a grant of $5,000 from the Walter Roberts Endowment to the non-profit organization Global Ties Idaho for a public diplomacy program that serves its community.
From Boise, Global Ties Idaho Executive Director Carol Schroeder sent along congratulatory remarks, “Global Ties Idaho is appreciative of Sen. Risch’s long and distinguished political career in Idaho. Many of us consider him a close friend… (and) are delighted that he has been recognized. We extend our hearty congratulations to our good Senator.”
The Walter Roberts Award for Congressional Leadership in Public Diplomacy was created for recognizing congressional leaders for their work to support the important work of public diplomacy as well as to shed light on something that is invisible to many Americans, but crucial to U.S. interests.
The Institute of Public Diplomacy and Global Communication is generously supported by the Walter Roberts Endowment. Established in 2005 by Dr. Walter R. Roberts, former associate director of the U.S. Information Agency and distinguished figure in U.S. public diplomacy, the endowment supports activities, programming, and scholarship for the study of public diplomacy at the George Washington University.
At IPDGC’s 2022 Walter R. Roberts Lecture, Jodie Ginsberg president of the Committee to Protect Journalists confirmed that journalists all over the world continue to work under threat of being jailed, harmed, or even killed.
Ginsberg’s presentation was on “Defending Press Freedom: Protecting Journalists Around the World” at the George Washington University.
Ginsberg took on the leadership role in April 2022, after years of experience as a journalist and media advocate. CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. The organization works to defend the rights of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres introduced Ginsberg while the Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs, Silvio Waisbord, moderated the discussion.
IPDGC Director William Youmans welcomed all to the event, noting that the lecture is a tribute to Walter R. Roberts for whom “media and the free flow of ideas were central to his career.”
The Walter R. Roberts Endowment seeks to inspire public diplomacy best practices around the world. Its goal is to expand the universe of public diplomacy practitioners through activities which blend theory and practice, enable dialogue among people from different backgrounds and institutions, and increase awareness of the importance of public diplomacy.
