SIA professor to speak in Philadelphia on future of American foreign policy

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State School of International Affairs is joining forces with the Penn State Center in Philadelphia to examine the future of American foreign policy in the wake of the 2016 presidential election.

On Nov. 16 at the Penn State Center in Philadelphia, Professor of International Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Jett will deliver an address titled “U.S. Foreign Policy in the New Administration: Where Will We Go from Here?” drawing on his decades of experience as a foreign service officer and scholar of global affairs. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin with a meet-and-greet at 5:00 p.m. at the Penn State Center at 675 Sansom St. Jett will begin his talk at 5:30 p.m., and the event will end at 7:00 p.m.

RSVP

Jett will examine questions of foreign policy that have been prevalent throughout the presidential election, including the American response to ISIS, the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis, American relations with Russia and the Middle East, as well as numerous other foreign policy issues the next administration will have to contend with. The talk will also consider the implications for foreign policy of the results of the election.

Jett is a former U.S. ambassador to Mozambique and Peru whose career as a U.S. Foreign Service officer spanned 28 years and three continents, with assignments in Argentina, Israel, Liberia and Malawi. Jett worked as a special assistant to the president and senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council during the Clinton administration, and has also worked as the diplomat in residence at the Carter Center in Atlanta and as the dean of the International Center at the University of Florida.

Jett’s areas of expertise include international relations, foreign aid administration, and American foreign policy. In addition to extensive commentary for newspapers including the New York Times and Washington Post, Jett has also authored several books, including Why American Foreign Policy Fails: Unsafe at Home and Despised Abroad, published in 2008, and American Ambassadors: The Past, Present, and Future of America's Diplomats, published in 2014.

The Penn State Center Philadelphia is located adjacent to Philadelphia’s historic district and Independence Hall. The Center is the connection point between Penn State University and the communities, staff, students and organizations the Center works with every day in Philadelphia.

The Global Philadelphia Association and the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia are also partners for this event. Global Philadelphia is a member-governed nonprofit organization that aims to enhance the Philadelphia region’s global profile, promote the development of an international consciousness in the region, and facilitate international activity among organizations and people in and around Philadelphia. The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to informing and engaging people of all ages on matters of national and international significance that provides its members and the greater Philadelphia community with access to influential figures in the global arena as well as opportunities to visit fascinating destinations through its unique travel program.

To attend, please RSVP.

For additional information, please contact Heidi Chau at the Penn State Center Philadelphia at 215-471-2300.