Diplomacy Studies

Overview of Diplomacy Studies at UCF

Diplomacy Studies at UCF consists of the Diplomacy Program, which is headed by Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas; a Diplomacy Certificate (Undergraduate) that comes under the Department of Political Science in the College of Sciences; and co-curricular activities, which are university-wide and organized primarily by the Global Perspectives Office in cooperation with the Political Science Department, the Global Connections Foundation and other partners. In 2010-2011, the co-curricular activities will include presentations on international issues such as human trafficking, contemporary Islam and a host of other timely foreign affairs topics.

Diplomacy Program

Senegalese kora player welcomes Amb. Elam-Thomas to the city of Thiés

Program Director
Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas
Harriet.Elam-Thomas@ucf.edu
PH 204, 407-823-0688

Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas is the Director of the Diplomacy Program. From 2003-2005, she served as Diplomat in Residence at UCF under the auspices of a national U.S. Department of State program. In that capacity, she was the U.S. Department of State's official liaison in Central Florida. Until the fall of 2005, she was a Senior Foreign Service Officer with the rank of Career Minister. Previously, she served as U.S. Ambassador to Senegal from 1999-2003; Acting Deputy Director of USIA; Public Affairs Counselor, American Embassy, Brussels; Cultural Attaché, Athens; and Director of the American Press and Cultural Center, Istanbul, Turkey. Her numerous awards include the Director General's Cup for the Foreign Service in 2007. She holds a B.S. in International Business from Simmons College, and an M.A. in Public Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Diplomat In Residence

Each year, the State Department assigns Senior Foreign Service Officers to the position of Diplomat in Residence at certain colleges and universities throughout the United States. The DIR program is central to the effort to recruit the best and brightest to represent America's rich diversity to the world.

• What is the 'Diplomats in Residence' Program?
• UCF Diplomat in Residence News Story
• U.S. Department of State Careers

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade(center) inaugurates new USAID Dakar Headquarters. USAID Director Don Clarke - left

Diplomacy - Certificate

College of Sciences
Department of Political Science,
Phillips Hall, Room: 302
Department of History, Colburn Hall, Room: 551
http://www.cos.ucf.edu/politicalscience
Dr. R. Handberg, 407-823-2608
Dr. R. Beiler, 407-823-6467

In an increasingly shrinking, interdependent world, an understanding of diplomacy and diplomatic processes is critical for work in global business, international organizations and government. A student in this certificate program will gain experience in diplomatic history, concepts, theories, methods, protocol and practice.

For degree-seeking students, certificates will be awarded only at the time of degree completion.
15 hrs

Other Requirements

• A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 is required in courses used to satisfy the certificate.
• At least 12 hours used in the certificate must be earned at UCF within the participating departments.
• No credit by exam (TSD, Military credit) may be used.
• Internships, independent study and substitute courses/new courses are allowed at the director's discretion.

Selected Diplomacy Studies Events at UCF and in the Community:

2011-2012 Events

• Anthony Shadid, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Beirut bureau chief for The New York Times (Dispatches from the Middle East: Covering the “Arab Spring”). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. September 1, 2011
• James Traub, Author of The Freedom Agenda: Why America Must Spread Democracy, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine (You Can't Mistreat People Forever: The Revolution in the Arab World). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. September 27, 2011
• Roya Hakakian, Author, poet, documentary filmmaker and founding member of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (An Insider's Guide to Iran's Turmoil). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. October 4, 2011
• Peter Bergen, Author of Holy War, Inc. and The Osama bin Laden I Know, CNN national security analyst, and Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation (After Osama bin Laden: Terrorism's Future Prospects). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. October 11, 2011
• “People Power, Politics and Global Change,” UCF. An international global issues conference, sponsored by the UCF Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with the National Conference of Editorial Writers, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande India Program Endowed Fund, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, C.T. Hsu and Associates, Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, CPH Engineers, Inc., LarsonAllen L.L.P., OCI Associates Inc., UCF Student Government Association, UCF Nicholson School of Communication, UCF Global Peace and Security Studies Program, UCF Diplomacy Program, UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program, UCF Terrorism Studies Program, UCF Political Science Department, UCF International Services Center, UCF LIFE, Global Connections Foundation and other partners. October 13, 2011
• Samantha Nutt, Author of Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid, medical doctor and humanitarian (Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. October 25, 2011
• Bing West, Correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, and author of The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan (Lessons From Iraq: Flawed Execution or is America Unwilling to Fight?) A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. November 8, 2011
• Jeremy Scahilll, Author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, award-winning investigative journalist (Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. March 20, 2012
• Amitabh Pal, Co-Editor, The Progressive Media Project and author, Islam Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today (Islam Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. February 23, 2012

2010-2011 Events

• Qubad Talabani, Representative to the United States, Kurdistan Regional Government (Next Steps for the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq's Political Evolution). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. September 9, 2010
• "Women and Leadership: A Global Perspective – Cross-Cultural Challenges,” UCF. A national forum, sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner and other partners. October 12, 2010
• Ambassador Myles Frechette, Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies. A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. October 27, 2010
• “America and the Rising Powers,” UCF. An international global issues conference, sponsored by the UCF Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with the National Conference of Editorial Writers, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande India Program Endowed Fund, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, C.T. Hsu and Associates, Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, CPH Engineers, Inc., LarsonAllen L.L.P., OCI Associates Inc., UCF Student Government Association, UCF Nicholson School of Communication, UCF Global Peace and Security Studies Program, UCF Diplomacy Program, UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program, UCF Terrorism Studies Program, UCF Political Science Department, UCF International Services Center, UCF LIFE, Global Connections Foundation and other partners.  October 28, 2010
• Ambassador Meera Shankar, India’s Ambassador to the United States (U.S.-India Relation: An Update). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. November 18, 2010
• Bernard Finel, Associate Professor, National War College, and Adjunct Fellow, American Security Project (Are We Winning? Measuring Progress in the Struggle Against Terrorism). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. January 18, 2011
• Thomas Twetten, Former Chief of CIA Clandestine Operations (The Globalization of Terrorism and the Response of Global Intelligence). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. January 27, 2011
• Robert Maguire, Director of Programs in International Affairs, Trinity College and expert on Haiti (Transcending the Past to Build Haiti's Future). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. February 17, 2011
• Sergei Khrushchev, Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University, and son of the late Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (Russia in the 21st Century). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. February 22, 2011
• Ambassador Myles Frechette, Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies (U.S.-Latin America Trade Relations). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. February 24, 2011
• Georges Fauriol, Vice President, National Endowment for Democracy and former Director, Americas Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Promoting Democracy in Haiti and Beyond). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. March 17, 2011
• Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, Former Administrator, Coalition Provisional Authority of Iraq (Iraq in 2011: What's Next for the U.S.?). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. March 22, 2011
• Colonel John Maraia, Jennings Randolph Army Fellow, United States Institute of Peace (Peace and Security Challenges in Southeast Asia). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. April 7, 2011
• Ambassador Gary Gappo, Head of Mission, Office of the Quartet Representative in Jerusalem (The Quartet and the Middle East Peace Process). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. April 28, 2011
• Ambassador John Limbert, Former Ambassador to Mauritania and Distinguished Professor, U.S. Naval Academy (America's Image Abroad: The Effectiveness of U.S. Diplomacy). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. May 18-19, 2011
• Ambassador John F. Maisto, Former Ambassador to the Organization of American States, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and Chairman of the Board of Advisors, American Committee on Foreign Relations. A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. July 15, 2011

2009-2010 Events

• Gillian Sorensen, Senior Advisor, United Nations Foundation, and former Assistant Secretary General, United Nations (Seeing Beyond Borders: Developing a World View). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. September 15, 2009
• Asra Nomani, journalist and author of Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam (The Paradox of Women in Islam). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. September 24, 2009
• "Women and Leadership in the Evolving 21st Century World: Breaking Barriers," UCF. A national forum, sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner and other partners. October 27, 2009
• "Climate Change and National/Global Security," UCF. An international global issues conference, sponsored by the UCF Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with the National Conference of Editorial Writers, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande Foundation, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, C.T. Hsu and Associates, LarsonAllen LLP, OCI Associates Inc., UCF Student Government Association, UCF Nicholson School of Communication, UCF Diplomacy Program, UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program, UCF Terrorism Studies Program, UCF Political Science Department, UCF International Services Center, UCF LIFE, Global Connections Foundation and other partners. November 5, 2009
• Jack Mendelsohn, Arms-control Specialist, formerly with Center for Defense Information, Lawyers Alliance for World Security, Arms Control Association and U.S. Department of State (Prospects for Arms Control in the Middle East and North Africa). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. December 2-3, 2009
• "Iraq and Afghanistan in Flux," UCF. An international forum, sponsored by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, UCF Middle Eastern Studies Program, UCF Diplomacy Program, UCF Terrorism Studies Program, UCF Political Science Department, UCF International Services Center and the Global Connections Foundation. March 23, 2010
• Jeffrey Helsing, Deputy Director, Education and Training Center/Domestic, United States Institute of Peace (Conflict Management and Resolution). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. April 13-15, 2010
• George Lopez, The Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Professor of Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Notre Dame University (State Violence and Coercion, with an emphasis on economic sanctions). A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. April 13-15, 2010.
• "Coping with Disaster: Long-Term Strategies for Haiti," UCF. An international forum, sponsored by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, UCF Task Force H.O.P.E. for Haiti, UCF Haitian Studies Project, UCF Political Science Department, UCF Diplomacy Program, UCF Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies, UCF LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation. April 15, 2010.

2008-2009 Events

• "Considering the Mid-East: Politics, Issues and Solutions," UCF. A national symposium in cooperation with the Loy Frey Institute of Politics and Government, the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. September 29, 2008.
• "Women and Leadership in the Evolving 21st Century World: Ethics & Human Rights," UCF. A national forum, sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner and other partners. October 30, 2008.
• "America's Next President and the World," UCF. An international global issues conference sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office in cooperation with the National Conference of Editorial Writers and other partners. November 6, 2008.
• Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, Director, Patterson School and Professor of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky. A program conducted In cooperation with the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. December 2-3, 2008.
• Vice Admiral (Ret.) Lee Gunn, President, Institute for Public Research, The CNA Corporation. A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. January 29, 2009.
• "The Kurdish Series," (Michael Gunter; Brendan O'Leary; Ambassador Peter W. Galbraith; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner), UCF. A lecture program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office, UCF LIFE and other partners. February 2009.
• Amb. Peter W. Galbraith, Senior Diplomatic Fellow, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, and author of The End of Iraq and Unintended Consequences: How War in Iraq Strengthened America's Enemies. A program conducted in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. April 6, 2009.
• South Asian Studies Association Annual Conference 2009, UCF. An international, interdisciplinary academic conference in cooperation with the South Asias Studies Association and other partners. April 3- 5, 2009.
• Ambassador Arun K. Singh, Deputy Chief of Mission and Acting Indian Ambassador to the U.S. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. April 4, 2009.
• "The First 100 Days: Policy Initiatives and Approaches for the New Administration," UCF. A national symposium in cooperation with the Loy Frey Institute of Politics and Government, the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. April 15, 2009.
• Paul Hirschson, Deputy Consul-General, Consulate General of Israel, Miami, FL. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office, the Middle Eastern Studies Program and other partners. April 23, 2009.

2007-2008 Events

• Harry Wu, Executive Director, the Laogai Research Foundation and the China Information Center. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. September 5, 2007.
• "Women and Leadership in the Evolving 21st Century World," UCF. A national forum, sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner and other partners. October 4, 2007.
• Qubad Talabani, Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government in the United States and son of Jalal Talabani, the president of Iraq. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. October 25, 2007.
• "Emerging Powers: China and India," UCF. An international global issues conference, sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office, the National Conference of Editorial Writers and other partners. November 5, 2007.
• Col. (ret.) Lawrence B. Wilkerson, Chief of Staff (2002-2005) for former Secretary of State Colin Powell and a professor at The College of William and Mary. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. November 8, 2007.
• Jehan Sadat, former First Lady of Egypt (widow of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat) and author of A Woman of Egypt. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. November 13, 2007.
• Ambassador Gary Grappo, U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman. A program in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State, Global Perspectives Office and other partners. January 2008
• Ann Wright, former U.S. Army Colonel, U.S. Foreign Service Officer and author of Dissent: Voices of Conscience. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. January 29, 2008.
• "The U.S. and Latin America: Toward a New Relationship?" UCF. A regional forum sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office, the Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies Program and other partners. February 27, 2008.
• Chris Abani, exiled (Nigeria) author of Becoming Abigail, Graceland and The Virgin of Flames. A program in cooperation with the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. March 6, 2008.
• "Conflict in the Middle East: Iraq and Beyond" UCF. An international forum on the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led intervention in Iraq, sponsored by the Global Perspectives Office and other partners. March 20, 2008.