7 minute read
Why do we need International Cooperation?
The American University of Paris was founded on the core, guiding principles of international cooperation and cultural exchange. Our founder, Dr. Lloyd A. DeLamater, a diplomat, believed in moving beyond the confines of narrow nationalism and encouraged graduates of what was then the American College in Paris to appreciate multiple perspectives and find meaningful work in international environments.
More than 60 years later, the nature of international cooperation is undergoing profound change. The Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the climate crisis all bring new challenges to those seeking to cooperate across borders. How has AUP’s approach to understanding and contextualizing the need for international cooperation changed since ACP’s founding? How does furthering these values as a community both contribute to our shared sense of identity and have a positive impact on efforts to resolve contemporary global challenges?
In search of answers to these questions, the AUP Magazine turned to our on-campus community to ask why they thought international cooperation was still so important today. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to share their thoughts on a communal whiteboard – and, in some cases, on camera – at a booth set up in the lobby of the Combes Student Life Center, right outside the AMEX Café.
People’s answers were full of passion, driven by a firm belief in the benefits of international cooperation. They show both the breadth of perspectives within the AUP community and the sensitivity and rigor of the University’s academic approach. Topics mentioned included sustainability, education, migration policy, and diversity and inclusion – but despite a wide range of responses, three key themes emerged. By looking at each in turn, we begin to uncover a picture of why our global community believes AUP’s founding values are still so vital in our modern world.
1. Because Problems Don’t Stop at Borders
This first group of responses is summed up well by Professor Oleg Kobtzeff of the Department of History and Politics: “Because the alternative would be catastrophic.” Climate change and peacebuilding were two of the most common issues cited in this vein; these large-scale, cross-border issues cannot be tackled by nations or organizations working alone and have the potential to lead to disaster if unaddressed.
But despite the risk of traumatic events in the future, Kobtzeff argues that the world is still progressing towards an improved quality of life for more and more people on Earth. He says that’s largely down to international cooperation through nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations. AUP alumni regularly go on to be employed in these kinds of institutions, or else they collaborate across borders in other ways as part of their work. Examples include alumni coordinating countrylevel preparedness to the Covid-19 pandemic for the World Health Organization, holding the fashion industry accountable for unsustainable fast-fashion practices by promoting climateconscious approaches, and working at the
forefront of the European Union’s regulatory response to rapid technological advancement in artificial intelligence.
AUP faculty members’ research also regularly incorporates explorations of the theory underpinning this kind of work, as well as of the global impacts of efforts to collaborate across borders. Our five interdisciplinary research centers are a fantastic example of this, as each one deals with a topic of global importance: democracy studies, genocide and human rights, environmental degradation, communication and global change, and writing and translation respectively.
2. Because Exposure to Diverse Perspectives Enables Personal Growth
“AUP is in a unique position, because students and faculty come from all walks of life,” says Annalisa Cabral-Sanchez, current Undergraduate Student Council President, when she stops by the booth to contribute. Over 100 nationalities are represented on AUP’s campus. Classes are often an intimate model of international cooperation in action, as space is given to multiple perspectives, ensuring a productive, intellectual discussion environment. Texts and examples come from multiple countries, cultures and languages, so the impacts of global problems are considered in diverse contexts.
“International cooperation is the cornerstone of AUP,” affirms Professor Susan Perry, Director of AUP’s master’s programs in international affairs. “It’s what we do in every class. It takes place every time we interact with a student.” From the interdisciplinary introductory classes that form the first-year experience right through to the master’s level, classes encourage students to constantly reflect on their own perspectives through listening to their peers.
This experience is at the core of our use of the word “transformative” to describe an AUP education. When people from different cultural contexts interact, they consider new ideas and break down their preconceptions. “AUP is a place that nurtures multicultural and multidisciplinary perspectives,” says Dr. William Fisher, AUP’s Provost. “Experiences are designed to lead students outside their own original cultural and intellectual comfort zones to experience a sense of being not at home, while developing understanding and compassion for others.”
Our alumni community shows the collective impact of this approach; alumni actively change the communities within which they live and work after graduation. Examples include one strengthening social protections against mass evictions and upholding civil rights in Berkeley, California; another working as a local councilor in Sweden; and a third in Karachi, Pakistan, reforming the city’s pharmaceutical market. Alumni act as representatives of the values inherent in international cooperation, even at the local level, sharing what they’ve learned about diverse perspectives with people all over the world.
3. Because Everyone Has the Right to Be Heard
Today, it can sometimes feel like international cooperation is in crisis, given the resurgence of populist elected leaders and the return of armed conflict in Europe. Certain community members chose to problematize our question, arguing that it’s not simply the case that we need international cooperation of any kind, but rather an approach that undoes existing hierarchies and makes space for a greater range of voices, considering issues of human rights, diversity and marginalization.
Those forwarding this viewpoint argued that the way international cooperation is perceived – and therefore the way in which it is best conducted – has changed in recent years as historical power dynamics are criticized and reassessed. Global movements such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter have left a lasting impact on international cooperation, and the uneven responses to and impacts from the Covid-19 and climate crises have shed new light on ongoing power imbalances.
Within AUP’s student community, we found a growing belief that the historical over-influence of Western countries on issues of international cooperation needs to be addressed. “I think it’s
so important to uplift voices from elsewhere in the world who have different perspectives, opinions and belief systems,” says current student Vanessa Torpey. Recent graduate T’Anna Johnson ’23 agrees, choosing “global citizenship” as her response to our question: “It makes such an impact on our lives when we are aware of our own cultural surroundings and see other people and their own cultures regularly.”
By celebrating and understanding everyone’s cultural backgrounds, global citizens can ensure international cooperation is conducted more ethically and equally.
There’s no denying that AUP graduates are themselves global citizens. DeLamater’s legacy is plain to see in the united belief among community members that international cooperation is as vital today as it was 60 years ago. We need international cooperation so empathetic, inclusive communities like AUP’s own can continue striving for positive global change.
