Ray Walser, Ph.D.

Professor of Practice
School of Diplomacy and International Relations

As a teacher, retired foreign service officer and former policy analyst with a Washington think tank, I take continued interest in the evolving U.S. policy process and this nation's responses to an ever-widening array of domestic and international challenges. 2020 and beyond will see our country tested as never before as it seeks to maintain its place as the foremost global leader. The rise of other Great Powers, such as China, the return of Russia to the game of power politics, the splintering of the European Union, all pose enormous challenges to the liberal international order. New currents in nationalism and isolationism at home coupled with a polarized political system, budgetary constraints and endless media battles constitute serious challenges to the orderly conduct of foreign affairs. The anarchic forces of hyper-globalization, climate change, global pandemics, international crime and terrorism apply unrelenting pressure to the cohesion and effectiveness of the international community. In short, America's place and role in international arena is ripe for study and debate. My objective in SHU’s Washington D.C. semester program is to assist each student as he or she seeks a way forward in the field of international affairs. It is my goal to provide exposure to critical topics, encounters and conversations with policy makers, visits to institutions as well as opportunities for individual research. Overall, I consider myself an international affairs generalist and hopefully a resource of value to SHU students ready to work, study and explore career opportunities in the nation's capital and in one of the world's greatest, most dynamic cities.