Thursday, November 2, 2017

2017 SALT Fall Advocacy Conference Hosted by SPIA-VIU

Join us for this upcoming event to be hosted by the SPIA-VIU.


2017 SALT FALL ADVOCACY CONFERENCE 
Saturday November 11, 2017
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Virginia International University
Conference Room (VD 301)
4401 Village Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030


“Call to Solidarity with Virginia’s Vulnerable Citizens:
A Conference on Public Social Policy”

Welcome: John Horejsi, Social Action Linking Together
(SALT)
Invocation: Dr. Klara Bilgin, Dean, School of Public and
International Affairs, Virginia International University
(VIU)

Keynote Speaker: Sister Simone Campbell, “21st
Century Poverty: Truth, Soundbites & Needed Federal
Action"

Presentations:
Delegate Ken Plum, “Advocacy is moving to the state and
local levels, Are you moving with it”


Gay Gardner, Interfaith Action for Human Rights (IAHR),
“Making Solitary Confinement Truly a Last Resort

SPIA Students tour Congress and Visit Senator Tim Kaine's Office

On Friday, October 13 SPIA Students toured the Capitol, sat at the U.S. House of Representatives and visited the offices of Senator Tim Kaine where they met with his legislative corespondents, Ms. Portia Boon and Andrew Kalaris. Our next tour will be the United Nations headquarters in New York City in early November.










Wednesday, July 19, 2017

New 2017-2018 "Gerard and Dianne Blais SPIA Scholarship" announced

Gerard and Dianne Blais VIU-SPIA Scholarship

The School of Public and International Affairs is glad to announce a scholarship especially offered to SPIA students. The Gerard and Dianne Blais VIU-SPIA Scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates potential for continued academic and professional success, as well as the need for financial assistance.

Amount: $2,000 (to be divided by two semesters – Fall 2017 and Spring 2018)

Who can apply?

Current, prospective, and returning students can apply for this scholarship.

Requirements

- Must be new, current, or returning SPIA student

- Must be in good academic standing and meet a minimum cGPA of 3.00 (on a 4.0 scale)

- Must enroll as a full time student per semester (3 graduate courses)

Application Process

1) Fill out the online application form (Click here)

Submit the documents below to scholarship@viu.edu
2) Most recent transcript (VIU students can access unofficial transcripts in the student portal).
3) Personal statement of success of at least 500 words describing your background, future goals, education, influential experiences, career objectives and financial constraints. This should be in the form of an essay, not a list of facts.

Deadline and Results

The deadline for submitting application is August 17, 2017 and the result will be announced on August 21, 2017.

Rules

Award is applied to tuition fees only.
Scholarship awardee can only receive one type of tuition assistance: scholarship or discount (with exception of financial aid).

Selection and Announcement

VIU Scholarship Committee and Ms. Blais will review the applications after the application period is closed. Results will be sent to emails provided on application form.











SPIA Public Policy Internship Program- Summer 2017 Positions and Experiences


In Summer I,  three SPIA graduate students interned at different Fairfax county offices. The internship was eight (8) weeks and required a minimum of 135 hours of work.

1.) In Summer I, Glaucia Ribeiro interned as a Research Assistant with the Office of Public Private Partnerships (OP3). She assisted with a variety of research and partnership development projects and supported OP3  and the Grants Research and Training Center (GRTC). Glaucia's main project involved preparing and analysis of fairfax County Public Schools volunteer data. She was tasked with organizing, analyzing and reporting on data across FCPS elementary, middle and high schools. She produced a final research report that shed light on data inconsistencies and provided a critical review of how multiple agencies in Fairfax work toward community engagement across the county. 

In her evaluation of her internship experience Glaucia states "I learned how the government works, and I made valuable connections. The internship met my expectations. I had the opportunity to learn much more than administrative tasks." 


Glaucia Ribeiro (center) with fellow interns at Fairfax County Government Center, Fairfax, (June 2017)  



2.) Rolake Ojabutu interned under the supervision of Ms. Jessica Werder, Director of Business, HHS, Office of the County Executive. She was assigned research duties for a program run by the office of Health and Human Services, assisted with data transfer for a new project called 'Information System for Effective Performance' and conducted an extensive interview with Ms. Patrician Harrison who is retiring from her position as Deputy County Executive of Health and Human Services of Fairfax county. Rolake's final report focused on the Effects of Health Care Integration in Fairfax County. 



 Rolake Olajubu (right) interviewing Ms. Patrician Harrison, Deputy County Executive, Health and Human Services, Fairfax County (June, 2017)  



3.) Pinar Bahceci interned with the Department of Human Resources at Fairfax County. She served as a Human Resource Specialist and assisted with the day-to-day operations surrounding the country-wide hiring practices. In addition,  she was extensively involved in preparing an extensive  review of the return hire package procedures and documentation requirements and providing recommendations on streamlining and expediting the process.

Pinar writes about he internship "During the internship, I experienced a welcoming and friendly work environment that encouraged me to learn and work more. Fairfax County is one of the largest counties that hires approximately 2700 employee every year. My assignment was to review the hiring procedure. I was able to follow the whole process from the first step -- job posting, to the last one which is -- sending the acceptance letter. I also had a chance to interview six (6) other divisions that work as part of HR Department: Payroll, OD&T, HRIS, ER, Benefits, and Compensation. I gained useful insightful information from each of them. Additionally, making personal connections with county employees was the great outcome of this internship." (July 17, 2017) 



Pinar Bahceci (left) with colleagues at the Department of Human Resources at Fairfax County, (June 2017)  

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Congratulations to SPIA 2017 Graduates!

Virginia International University hosted its 12th annual commencement ceremony with keynote speaker, Ahmed R. Ali

On Saturday, May 6th, Virginia International University (VIU)  hosted its 12th annual graduation commencement ceremony, at the George Mason University Center for the Arts, celebrating the accomplishments of 484 students from around the globe. VIU’s President, Dr. Isa Sarac, will presided over the ceremony beginning at 2 p.m.
This year’s keynote commencement speaker was Mr. Ahmed R. Ali, founder and President of TISTA Science and Technology Corporation. A former U.S. Navy serviceman, Ali, has over 25 years of military, federal government, and civilian experience in the fields of engineering, information technology, cybersecurity, and project management.
The school of Public and International Affairs is proud to congratulate the class of 2017: Pinar Bahceci, Ademola (Philip) Onafuye, Banjo Yetunde, Chairmaa Raihanoune. We wish them successful and inspiring careers!










Monday, May 22, 2017

2017 CDIA Conference on Rethinking Regions - Keynote Presentations (Full Videos)

The  2017 CDIA Conference Rethinking Regions: Asia, Africa, Middle East and Central Asia held on April 27th-28th   and organized by the Center for Democracy (CDIA) and the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) bought together 28 presenters, among them six (6) distinguished keynote speakers. Their keynote presentations can be viewed in the video below: 


CDIA 2017 DAY 1 SESSION 2
Presentation:
“Working Across International Borders: International Cooperation on Internet Governance”
Mr. Christopher Mondini
Vice –President,
Stakeholder Engagement North America & Global Business Engagement
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)




CDIA 2017 DAY 1 SESSION 2

Presentation:
“The Evolving Geo-Politics of the Asia-Pacific Region and the Rise of China” 
Mr. Sourabh Gupta
Resident Senior Fellow
Institute of China-America Studies
Washington, D.C.




CDIA 2017 DAY 2 SESSION 1

Presentation:
"What Does Vladimir Putin’s Russia Amount to?"
Dr. Anders Ã…slund
 Senior Fellow
Atlantic Council
Washington, D.C.




 CDIA 2017 DAY 2 SESSION 2

Presentation:  
“Confronting Challenges to Democracy in Africa: Lessons from the 2016 Elections in Gabon, Gambia and Ghana.”
Dr. Kwawu Nuamah
Conflict Resolution and African Studies
School of International Studies
American University
Washington, D.C.





CDIA 2017 DAY 2 SESSION 3

Presentation:
Memories of the Past, Problems of the Present: Historical Memory Wars and Their Impact on Politics, Society, and Personal and National Identity in Russia and Ukraine” 
Ms. Izabella Tabarovsky
Senior Program Associate
Manager for Regional Enlargement
The Kennan Institute -Wilson Center
Washington, D.C. 

Monday, April 17, 2017

2017 CDIA-SPIA CONFERENCE ON RETHINKING REGIONS PROGRAM PUBLISHED



Conference Program
 Thursday, April 27, 2017

8:30am -  9:00 am             Registration and Breakfast 

9:00am - 9:10am               Opening Remarks
Dr. Klara Bilgin, Dean, School of Public and International Affairs Virginia International University

9:10am - 10:00am             Morning Keynote Address
Christopher Mondini, Vice –President Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers   Rethinking Regions in the Internet Age: How to Govern the Internet?

10:00am - 11:00pm           Panel I - International Security and State Challenges (i)

Emma Grace, Faculty, The Chicago School of Processional Psychology   Attitudes Toward International Security and Terrorism in the United States, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen
Indu Saxena  Countering Terrorism in South Asia: A Call for Reconnecting Nation- states
Taner Dogan, Ph.D. Candidate, City University of London, Illiberal Democracy in the Context of Islamist Movements
Shirin Saeidi, Faculty, George Mason University Citizens of God: Hezbollah Supporters and the Post-2009 Man in Iran 
Dr. Emrullah Uslu, Discussant


11:00am-12pm                         Panel II - International Security and State Challenges 

Hany Eldeib, Faculty, Virginia International University Egypt - Hub of Stability or Hornet's Nest?
Oksana Klepikova, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Passau Germany and Elisei Boguslavskii, George Washington University, Legal Positivism and Challenges of Law Appropriation, Corruption, and Economic Development on the case of Value Added Tax on exports in Germany and Kazakhstan
Alisher Ahmedov, Analysis of International Transport Corridor’s Development in Central Asia
                                                Dr. Emrullah Uslu, Discussant

12:00pm -  1:00pm            Lunch and Lunchtime Book Presentation
Mark Silinsky, Faculty, United States Army War College                       Jihad and the West - Black Flag over Babylon

1:00pm – 2:00pm               Afternoon Keynote Address
Sourabh Gupta, Resident Senior Fellow Institute of China-America Studies, The Evolving Geo-Politics of the Asia-Pacific Region and the Rise of China

2:00pm – 2:30pm               Coffee Break

2:30pm – 4:00pm                Panel III- China in Focus and Community Transformations I

Badrinath Rao, Associate Professor, Kettering University, Hindu Majoritarianism and the eclipse of Minority Rights: Assessing the threats to India’s Survival as a Democratic Nation-State.
Amna Mahmood, Post-doctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina, Changing Power Dynamics in South China Sea: Growing Power of China, US Concerns and Implications for the Region
Shintaro Hamanaka, Research Fellow, Who Want to create the region? Membership Politics and the Boundaries of Regions.


4:00pm -  5:30pm                Panel IV - China in Focus and Community Transformations II

Faustine Fabwire, Senior Policy Adviser, Bread of the World Fragile Environment, Resilient Communities: Snapshot of Bread for the World Institute 2017 Hunger Report
Hao Zhang, Ph.D Candidate, Johns Hopkins University, Following the State: The Rise of Chinese Overseas Contractors in Infrastructure Construction
Mu-Chiao Chiu, School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, Dialogue between Chinese and Taiwanese Youth: Practices in Facilitating for Youth in the Taiwan Strait Context and Key Findings
Sansar Tsakhirmaa, Ph.D. Candidate, Johns Hopkins University, Comparative Ethnically and Territorially-Based Autonomy in China and Russia

6:00pm - 7:30pm                 Barbecue and Networking     

Friday, April 28, 2017

9:00am - 10:00am               Morning Keynote Address
Kwaku Nuamah, African Security Political Development Expert, American University, Confronting Challenges to Democracy in Africa: Lessons from the 2016 Elections in Gabon, Gambia and Ghana

 10:00am - 12:00am            Panel V- Security and Political Developments in Africa
Sunmolu Peters, Faculty, Strayer University, The Impact of the Gambian Crisis on the Growth of Democracy in West Africa
Astrid Ruiz-Ramon, CEO of Afrikalabelle, Dangerous Times Call for Smart Security and Reinforced Development
Yvan Ilunga, Division of Global Affairs, Rutgers University, The Construct of Legal and Political norms by Non-State Actors in the Pursuit of Security and Political Stability in Africa
Ademola Onafuye, Virginia International University, Understanding the Text and the Context for Insurgency in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Rise of Boko Haram

12:00pm – 12:30pm               Video Presentations





Conference Contact: Dr. Klara Bilgin, email: kvbilgin@viu.edu, Ph. (703) 591-7048
If you are VIU friend or associate you may use a discounted registration (50% off)
Use discount code 50%OFF at the registration site.

Organizers,
School of Public and International Affairs
Center for Democracy and International Affairs
Virginia International University
4401 Village Dive
Fairfax, VA 22030