California Seminar on Foreign Policy
and International Affairs

     The Student Working Group of the California Seminar was an interdisciplinary group of students, think tank personnel, other experts and faculty which met four to six times per year to discuss student research papers on issues relating to arms control, disarmament, defense, and foreign policy -- areas where science and politics intersect. Support for this intercollegiate collaboration stopped in the wake of the Cold War's end. Recent international developments, however, strongly suggest that it is once again time to give highest priority to this set of explosive issues. Physicists, chemists, and biologists all have critical contributions to make to a public dialog also involving economists, historians, politicians and public policy personnel.

     Conversations with other institutions of higher education in Southern California have indicated strong and universal interest in resuming this conversation here at Occidental. We anticipate that 35-40 students, representing an even split between science and non-science disciplines, would participate in six meetings held over a two year period. Student papers would be the conversational focal point of each session, with one topic being the focus of each meeting for students and expert participants.

Conferences

     The 1999-2000 series for the California Seminar began on Nov. 9, 1999 with a talk by The Honorable John Hirsch, Vice President of the International Peace Academy and former U. S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone. Dr. Hirsch spoke on "Deadly African Conflicts" to an audience of students and faculty from a number of southern California colleges and universities. Dr. Larry Caldwell announced plans to continue the Seminar with additional speakers and with presentations by students on their research. Click here for a photo album of the seminar.

Undergraduate Research Center 1600 Campus Rd. Los Angeles, CA. 90041 (323) 259-1414