Programs & Publications
Faculty Working Groups
In the fall of 2006, the Mortara Center began to sponsor faculty working groups on International Trade, and Culture and Politics. These sessions has brought together Georgetown faculty members and invited guests from across various disciplines to share ideas, and collaborate on research.
Culture and World Politics Workshop: The Workshop provides a setting for graduate students and faculty to present and discuss ongoing work related to the role of culture in international relations and comparative politics.
International Trade Working Group: The Workshop seeks to bring together Georgetown Faculty from across various disciplines to discuss the most important trade issues of the day.
Lecture and Seminar Series
The Mortara Center sponsors several lecture series on contemporary issues in international affairs.
Goldman Sachs Distinguished Lecture Series
The Goldman Sachs Distinguished Lecture is made possible through the generosity of Goldman Sachs in memory of Mr. Michael P. Mortara. The lecture is held annually for students, faculty, and visiting dignitaries, and features an internationally-recognized scholar or government official. Past speakers have included Lawrence Summers, Samuel Huntington, John Ruggie, and Robert Rubin. This past year, the lecture was provided by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the President of Liberia and the first woman president of an African country. She spoke about the extraordinary opportunities and challenges confronting her country as it rebuilds its economy and society after years of civil war and instability.
Distinguished Lecture in Diplomatic History
This event brings a prominent contemporary historian to Georgetown to present his/her ideas on an aspect of recent history related to international relations. The inaugural lecture was given by Yale University Historian, John Lewis Gaddis on February 1st, 2006. Last year's lecture was presented by Paul Kennedy of Yale University. His topic was "The Past, Present and Future of the United Nations" which was based on his recent book, The Parliament of Man. In 2008, Professor Niall Ferguson from Harvard University addressed Georgetown students and faculty about "The Problem of Conjecture: American Strategy after the Bush Doctrine."
Distinguished Lecture in International Economics
This lecture will bring to campus a well known scholar of economics as applied to an international issue. Nobel Prize winning economist Douglass North gave the inaugural lecture in 2006. Last year's lecture was given by Professor Dani Rodrik, who spoke on "Is Globalization Compatible with Democracy?"
Research Seminars
Mortara Center research seminars bring outside speakers, faculty, and graduate students together to present and discuss their research. Recent lectures have included talks by Georgetown Professors Victor Cha, director of Asian Studies, Barak Hoffman, director of the Center for Democracy and Civil Society, Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy and former Administrator of USAID Andrew Natsios, and Carol Lancaster, director of the Mortara Center for International Studies.
Emerging Issues Panels
These panels address issues just beyond the policy horizon, but little examined by scholars as of yet. The first panel, co-sponsored with CPASS and the Georgetown Medical School, took place in fall, 2005. The panel examined the public health, economic, and security implications of an Avian Flu Pandemic.
Faculty Book Events
The Mortara Center sponsors book launch events featuring panel discussions of new Georgetown Faculty publications, which highlight the important work being done at Georgetown. The Mortara Center recently sponsored book launches for Professor Madeleine Albright's "Memo to the President Elect", Assistant Professor David Edelstein's "Occupational Hazards: Success and Failure in Military Occupation", Distinguished Practitioner in National Security Policy Professor Douglas Feith's "War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism".
Monthly Graduate Student Seminar Series
The Mortara Center sponsors seminars in which current Georgetown graduate students present their on-going research to peers and faculty members. These seminars provide students with the opportunity to receive constructive criticism and improve their research, while further strengthening the center's relationship with students.
Ad-Hoc Seminars on Prominent Issues
The Mortara Center sponsors discussions of prominent international issues as they occur.
Faculty and Student Proposed Activities
The Mortara Center is open to receiving ideas from faculty and students for new activities. The center can help finance and organize such activities. Please contact mortaracenter@georgetown.edu with new event proposals.
Mortara Center Visiting Researcher Program
The Mortara Center for International Studies on the campus of Georgetown University offers qualified candidates the opportunity to become Mortara Associates for a period of up to one year. A Mortara Associate will be an established professional - either a scholar or a scholar / practitioner - undertaking research on a topic of international significance that combines theory and practice and is rigorous and scholarly in orientation.
A Mortara Associate will be invited to activities of the Mortara Center and have access to the university Library. (Unfortunately, the Mortara Center cannot at this time offer office space, staff assistance or financial support.) In exchange, the Associate will provide an agreed service to the Mortara Center, including the submission of a working paper to be posted on the Mortara Center website, chairing a not-for-credit seminar series, organizing a seminar presentation, panel or conference open to Georgetown students and faculty (and of potential interest to them) or other possible services as appropriate.
Applications for a Mortara Associateship will be considered on a rolling basis. For more information, please contact mortaracenter@georgetown.edu.
Annual Lepgold Book Prize
The Georgetown University Book Prize honors Joseph S. Lepgold, the Georgetown University Government and School of Foreign Service professor who died in a tragic hotel fire in Paris in December 2001. The prize honors exceptional contributions to the study of international relations. The Mortara Center is pleased to announce that Robert Kagan received last year's prize for his work, "Dangerous Nation: America's Foreign Policy from Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century".
Past winners have included:
- Michael McFaul and James Goldgeier, Power and Purpose: US Policy Towards Russia after the Cold War.
- Samantha Power, A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
- John J. Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
- John Mueller, The Remnants of War
- Jack Snyder and Edward Mansfield, Electing to Fight
Publishers interested in nominating a book for the 2008 Book Prize can contact Aliz Agoston at mortaracenter@georgetown.edu for further information.
A Big Bag of Change: Undergraduate Global Development Grant Competition
Announcing A Big Bag of Change: Georgetown University Global Development Undergraduate Grant Competition
Are you an undergraduate with an original and innovative idea for how to support global development? Have you always wanted to start your own Venture (organization) to implement your idea? If so, then Georgetown University, in partnership with Youth Venture, wants to help by providing a student initiative with:
* Up to $1,000 to launch your NEW organization or initiative in
support of global development; and
* Exclusive access to helpful resources and tools in cooperation
with Youth Venture.
Students may email MDGs@georgetown.edu to request a copy of the eligibility requirements and an application.