Global Forum Introduced During John Carroll Weekend
More than 900 alumni, staff, faculty members, students and friends gathered in Madrid, March 5-9, for this year’s John Carroll Weekend, which featured for the first time the Georgetown Global Forum on Competitiveness.
The forum brought together leaders from Europe and the United States in the fields of politics, finance, health, religion and culture, security and more to serve on panels discussing topics such as global economic forces, intercultural understanding and international security.
After Georgetown President John J. DeGioia welcomed those in attendance, José María Aznar, former president of Spain, opened the forum with remarks about the growing global economy and the links between economies of different nations.
Anthony Lake, distinguished professor in the practice of diplomacy, delivered the forum’s keynote speech, which addressed the role of globalization in international security and its continued evolution. He told the audience that governments should work together to make progress on the issues of global warming, terrorism and poverty.
Some of Georgetown’s scholars said the forum served as a bridge between government leaders and academics who explore the importance of global and intercultural relations.
“In my own panel on interreligious and intercultural understanding, the global range of the day’s discussions was well represented by both the panel’s participants and the critical consequences of failure to achieve successful dialogue,” said Jane McAuliffe, dean of Georgetown College. “It is important that Georgetown continues to align the research expertise of its faculty on all three campuses with challenging global issues.”
After moderating an international relations panel called Interest Rates and National Interests – The Impact of Economic and Political Issues on European/U.S. Relations, School of Foreign Service Dean Robert Gallucci said the discussions that took place between U.S. and European government leaders and Georgetown scholars proved invaluable. Robert Kimmitt, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury; John C. Kornblum, an international business adviser and former U.S. ambassador to Germany; and Charles Powell, deputy director for research analysis at Elcano Royal Institute for International Strategic Studies, all served on the panel.
“I thought the panel was excellent and having the deputy secretary of treasury kick it off was very useful for all of us,” Gallucci said. “Ambassador Kornblum was incisive, and the comments of Charles Powell were particularly welcome, coming from such an expert on Europe – particularly Spain on the eve of its elections.”
Other Georgetown faculty featured at the forum included Law Center Dean T. Alexander Aleinikoff; Thomas Banchoff, director the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs; George Daly, dean of the School of Business; Medical Center Dean Howard Federoff; and Louis Weiner, director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
In addition to the forum, John Carroll Weekend served as a five-day celebration highlighting intellectual enrichment, cultural immersion and the sharing of Hoya pride.
Aznar, who also teaches seminars on contemporary politics at Georgetown as a distinguished scholar, and Crown Prince Felipe de Borbon y Grecia, (G’95), addressed John Carroll Weekend attendees throughout the five-day celebration.
The weekend’s program included opportunities for learning, sightseeing and participation in events ranging from tours of Madrid’s museums and historical sites to flamenco dance spots and fashion houses.
Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J., president emeritus of Georgetown, presented a brief history of Spanish art masters before tours of the Prado National Art Museum. Meanwhile, Michael Collins, a professor of English and director of the Charles Augustus Strong Center at Georgetown's Villa Le Balze in Florence, Italy, conducted walking tours of Old Madrid with a focus on its literary and theatrical history.
Source: Blue & Gray
March 18, 2008
