Giorgi Soselia

Why Diversity Matters in International Affairs Education

“Why Diversity Matters in International Affairs Education” is an article by Clara Koppel, Jamil Bigio and
Miguel Centeno that speaks about problems of racism and inequality in the U.S. The authors presents the
link of these problems to the teaching of international relations and try to show what kind of challenges
are facing toward discipline and raising attention to racism and inequality issues in the U.S. is the main way
to solve these problems.

The authors recall the killing of George Floyd as an indicator that shows U.S. disinclination to struggle
against racism and issues of identity and inequality. According to the I.R. school, main twenty-one-century
challenges are expanding globalization, deep-rooted conflicts and climate changes. According to this list of
challenges isn’t complete and can’t equip I.R. students to face such important problems as inequity and
racism and they're also actual challenges to the whole world.

For the United States, it also makes serious problems that the country doesn’t support diversity and
inclusion enough. The social background becomes increasingly polarized in the country so Russia used this
situation and contribute to political disagreement in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. These
circumstances were also used by Iran and China and they did it successfully. The authors conclude that
problems of inequity create serious problems in national security.

Then the authors touch on the educational structures and emphasis that faculties of public administration
and international affairs have problems of diversity especially in deanship where only less than 20% are
female or people of colour.

Although the positive tendencies are noticeable too. We meet examples of network of school of public
policy, affairs and administration which try to magnify diversity and inclusion. Other universities in the U.S.
followed its path. Even more, they try to share their experience with the other schools.

But these steps won’t be successful if the system doesn’t change more deeply. Reforms should influence
the curricula. The students should be introduced to diversity’s impacts on international affairs also they
should know these domestic problems which were caused by the negligence of diversity and inclusion in
the U.S.

Schools should create an inclusive environment for students and also focus on their legacies of racism
inequality and marginalization. The authors put the example of Princeton university where trustees decide
to remove Woodrow Wilson's name from residential college and international affairs schools because he
was considered a racist.

In conclusion, the authors think that the U.S. has serious problems connected to inequality and racism in
society. So these problems create vulnerabilities for the country so it must change and the first point
where the changes have to start are educational institutions.