With a string of impressive accomplishments behind him, William Quandt, a government and foreign affairs professor, has many plans for his new role as vice provost for International Affairs.
"This is a new position that has been created to enhance many international aspects of this school. As the vice provost, I will be the central figure who will initiate and promote [projects] for the advancement of international studies," Quandt said.
One of the major projects he plans to undertake is finding a location in Europe where the University can host solid study abroad programs designed especially for University students.
"There are many existing programs hosted by other universities that our students can take in order to study abroad, but several problems arise, such as credit transfer," Quandt said. "We already have a very good program in Valencia, Spain. We just need a couple of more locations to host similar traditional study abroad programs."
He also hopes to create a new center for American studies at the University, where international students can work with faculty for a semester or over the summer.
Yet another plan involves upgrading the English as a second language program for international students to improve the quality of the experience.
In addition, Quandt plans to improve the understaffed International Studies Office, which is used by students interested in studying abroad as well as international students and faculty.
"Quandt will surely spearhead us in an entrepreneurial way to a very global environment that will increase our involvement around the world and make us a more international university," said Barbara Norton, vice provost for instructional development and innovation.
Norton also said the new position and Quandt's appointment to it will bring scholars around the world to learn as well as teach at the University, enable more students to study abroad and help faculty to conduct research around the world.
In addition to his work at the University, Quandt remains active in political and intellectual communities around the world.
With a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford and a Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT, Quandt has been an active political participant. He was the primary Middle East advisor in the National Security Council during the Nixon and Carter administrations. He was involved actively in negotiations that resulted in the Camp David Accords and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty.
Prior to coming to the University, Quandt was a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at Brookings, where he conducted research on Middle East and American policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In addition, he is now a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Board of Trustees of the American University in Cairo and the Middle East University.
As Quandt finishes up a new edition of his book titled "Peace Process: American Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1967," he remains undecided on how the entire conflict involving Ehud Barak and Yassir Arafat will end.
"It is so hard to update and revise a book when issues involved just seem so hard to resolve," Quandt said.
He predicted that Clinton's meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders tomorrow will be just another failure for now.
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