Roundtables

Post-Crisis Reconstruction

Even in modern times, natural disasters and destruction from war still devastate communities. After an initial crisis, long-term reconstruction efforts are always filled with challenges. This Roundtable will examine these challenges of reconstruction and how communities rebuild their economies, politics, and livelihoods and ultimately overcome these challenges. The allocation of scarce resources in a post-crisis situation provides insight into a community’s politics and culture. Alliances are broken or forged in times of crisis, and reconstruction efforts offer opportunities for international political action to overcome the challenges of reconstruction. This Roundtable will examine the long-term psychological effects of crises and how education is influenced by reconstruction. Roundtable leader: Andrew Leistensnider.

Environment and Technology

The current generation faces the challenge of finding creative solutions that will secure a sustainable environment for future generations. To secure a sustainable environment, we need to directly address issues such as the pollution of natural resources, climate change, and nuclear waste disposal to name a few issues. We must ask who should be responsible-big companies, the general public, or the government-for environmental sustainability and critically examine current technologies that negatively impact the environmental. This Roundtable will explore how current technologies impact the environment and what innovative technologies can be used to understand and solve modern environmental problems. Roundtable leader: Danielle Wilson.

Cultural Innovation and the Arts

Cultural innovation describes the process by which existing elements of culture are changed or developed. As a result of cultural innovation, there have been a number of changes throughout time, with a number of significant changes being made in the arts (visual arts, literary arts, and performing arts). One example of cultural innovation within the arts can be seen in street art, which has often reacted to social movements. While cultural innovation is not a new process, the Cultural Innovation and the Arts Roundtable will seek to understand how technological advancements and social reform in the 20th and 21st centuries have influenced cultural innovation with respect to the arts. Roundtable leader: Stephen Zellmer.

Cooperative Security in the 21st Century

In an era of increasing economic, social, and political tensions, joint efforts between nation states are more essential than ever to establishing world peace. One such example is the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance. While alliances can create bonds between countries, it can also worsen relations between other nations not involved in the alliance. In addition, agreements made for alliances on the international level can conflict with opinions and laws of national and local governments. This Roundtable will examine the roles of cooperative security, specifically between the US and Japan, within international relations. Roundtable leader: Zac Callaghan.

Personal and National Identity

Identity, both personal and national, is changing in today's increasingly globalizing world. How individuals define national identity plays an important role in how they relate to others—both at home and abroad. In a rapidly changing world, immigration, cultural exchange, and loss of tradition are affecting national identity. The focus of this Roundtable is to investigate the ideas surrounding personal and national identity, and to determine how those viewpoints affect domestic and international relations, using American and Japanese identities as case studies. By sharing their different perspectives, students will gain new insight into their own identities and how they understand others. Roundtable leader: Kimberly Julien.

Business and Ethics in the Modern World

As the world becomes more connected, issues of business ethics become more important. For instance, given that ethical norms can vary depending on culture, is it possible for international society to develop a single set of ethical norms for the entire business community? And if so, who decides what those standards should be, and who enforces them? These problems are complicated by the fact that companies are subject to national rules and regulations but must compete in an international marketplace. This Roundtable will examine the problems, both domestic and global, facing today’s companies and what those problems mean in the context of an increasingly interdependent world. Roundtable leader: Jose Lamazares.

Human Rights and Responsibility

Some define human rights as the rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to regardless of nationality, sex, age, ethnicity, religion, language, etc. but as the world globalizes, how far does our responsibility to protect the human rights of others extend? This Roundtable will focus on addressing this question and discussing places and instances where rights have been violated. As we discuss specific places and violations we will try to understand how our systems have led to them and changes that could be implemented to protect people from all different perspectives. Roundtable leader: Rachel Horton.