The University's first "diplomat in residence," Leonard H. Robinson, Jr., spoke before an 80-person crowd dining in the Rotunda last night, marking the inauguration of the University's Diplomat Scholars Program.
The program is designed for University students interested in foreign affairs and international service to receive mentorship and career advice from diplomats active in the world today.
Robinson, the president and CEO of the Africa Society, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, gave a speech on "The Urgency of International Education." He said he hopes his work at the University will "overcome the barriers that divide us here [so that] as a nation we can modify our image of being indifferent to other nations."
Fourth-year College student Devon Knudsen, a foreign affairs major, said she was excited to see the program finally commence.
Last year, Knudsen began to act on what she described as a "void that needed to be filled" at the University -- support for students interested in international studies.
Now, months later, Devon is seeing the result of her persistence -- the creation of the Diplomat Scholars Program.
Knudsen took her idea for a "diplomat in residence" to many faculty members at the University and was told that she had "great ideas, but it wasn't going to happen," according to Knudsen. But then she found Leigh Grossman, vice-provost for international affairs, who was immediately interested and proactive, she said.
Over the last eight months Grossman has gone back and forth between Charlottesville and Washington, D.C., talking to the State Department, USAID, the Peace Corps, the Africa Society, and other organizations to find people interested in assisting and mentoring U.Va.'s international relations majors and other students who want to find out more about foreign affairs.
Grossman said she collaborated with the Miller Center, the history department, the politics department, and other University groups in order to come up with a plan that would prepare all University students for dealing with an increasingly connected world. The Diplomat Scholars Program was designed to fit into the University's overarching "Virginia 2020 Report" on the future, which includes a goal of improving international programs.
Robinson spoke at the dinner last night of the "quest for meaningful international and diplomatic relations" through the program. This semester he is teaching a University seminar on "The Politics of Southern Africa in Pursuit of Democracy," which he plans to teach next semester as well.
Robinson also will advise a graduate student and mentor students interested in international careers. He said he also will be available speak with groups and individuals curious about international relations.
The vision for the future of the Diplomat Scholars Program is that it will never be "set in cement," Robinson said. Starting next semester, there will be two more "diplomats in residence" and program organizers hope for continual growth. Grossman's eventual dream for the program is that "100 percent of University students will be making use of the worldwide University," she said.
Robinson said what excites him most about the program is simply "the fact that it exists." He added that as part of an "ever-changing global village," students at the University need to be aware that they will be living in not just America but the world.
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