In its final report, the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission stated, "We need an Intelligence Community that is truly integrated, far more imaginative and willing to run risks, open to a new generation of Americans, and receptive to new technologies."
In order to help build this community, American universities must take a new approach in cultivating foreign policy professionals. The end of the Cold War, globalization and terrorism have changed the context of American foreign policy. Now it is time for universities to change their approach.
Analysis of global challenges remains a crucial role of American universities, but little is happening to anticipate these challenges or influence policy to better address imminent issues.
Why? Three main reasons: Universities are reluctant to focus on policy studies; they do not stress interdisciplinary study; and they over-emphasize methodology versus substance. The result is an academy that reacts to but does not anticipate or influence major changes in the world.
The University of Texas at Austin should play an active role in confronting international issues by establishing a new institute that tackles big questions of international policy crossing traditional academic borders and scholarly disciplines. An Institute of International Policy would shed new light on areas of international focus, such as Latin American and Middle Eastern studies, by incorporating different viewpoints from areas like law, engineering and business.
This interdisciplinary approach to foreign-policy studies would capitalize on the University's currently strong programs by connecting them. Foreign policy is not just about international relations, national security or even politics. It encompasses a vast combination of disciplines. If American foreign policy professionals approached real-world events like universities do, our nation and the world would be in serious trouble.
Difficulty in seeing the complexity of policy decisions leads to myopic decisions that are as short-lived as they are shortsighted. Imagine devising new U.S. foreign policy toward nations, as in the case of Ukraine's recent regime change, without comprehensive analysis of the legal, economic and social aspects of that change.
Last year's Commission of 125 recommended, "The University should serve Texas...to address major issues confronting society at large." The institute would do just that by providing a forum to examine issues outside the traditional confines of academic disciplines. By looking at the big issues and big questions, the institute would examine trends that will affect the world, not the trendy issues that have already affected the world.
On April 26, a resolution passed through Student Government calling for an undergraduate degree in international relations. The resolution, pushed through by a group of undergraduates, shows strong student demand for international relations - the backbone of international policy. Combining the new major with the new institute - as well as having perfect timing - would give the University a distinct advantage, positioning it to be a national leader in this field.
This brings up the greatest obstacle for this ideal coordination: the slow pace of bureaucracy at the University. It is our hope that the administration will act quickly to address the need to link departments to create cooperation and sharing of knowledge that addresses real-world situations.
The task ahead will test the University's ability to harness its isolated strengths to forge a new and interdisciplinary school that propels it to become a university of the first degree.
UT-Austin must respond to calls like that of the WMD Commission to teach and train a new generation of Americans. As 9/11 showed us, living in the world today is not about living in isolation. Now is the time for the University to stop watching the world go by. It is time for change; it is time to live up to a higher standard.
Waite is an SG representative from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
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