An International Affairs Education for the Future
Liam Paup’s (B.A.’20) Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Africa class professor was the inspiration for his decision to join the Peace Corps. He joins a long line of Elliott and GW students inspired to serve their country through service to others.
Most kids growing up in the Seattle suburb of Sammamish, Wash., don’t have to look beyond their own zip codes to see significant economic and societal impact. They gaze at Boeing jets engineered just down Interstate 5 pierce the Pacific Northwest sky. They get Amazon packages shipped to their doors just miles away from where the tech giant originated. And they can grab coffee at the original Starbucks, the first in the country.
But the retail, engineering, technology and programming hub in his home area never quite resonated with Liam Paup, who always felt his skills and interests required a more global approach.
“I’m a people’s person,” Paup said. “I’m interested in people and working with them and learning about new things and cultures."
That first landed him at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, where he found a particular niche in African studies and eventually survey research.
And eventually, it landed him in Elliott School Adjunct Professor Matthew Kirwin’s Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Africa class. In addition to his professorial duties at GW, Kirwin is division chief in the State Department’s Office of Opinion Research, where he does polling and survey research across the globe. He has been teaching at the Elliott School since 2012.
Elliott School Adjunct Professor Matthew Kirwin stands with a local Niger citizen while serving in the Peace Corps from 1996 to 1999. Kirwin incorporates his experience in the Peace Corps into his teaching, telling students about what it's like to live and work in countries across Africa.
While Paup appreciated the rich discussion in the seminar class, he was especially drawn to the personal anecdotes Kirwin wove into his lectures —particularly about his time serving in the Peace Corps in Niger from 1996 to 1999.
Here, Paup thought, was a concrete way to consolidate his own interests — something he had long been looking for. So for the next several years, Paup used Kirwin as a resource to find about more about the Peace Corps.
“[Back in Seattle,] I never felt there was a connection between me and the Peace Corps, but I went to GW and really learned what I value,” Paup said. “There were a lot of reasons I wanted to join the Peace Corps, but my relationship with (Kirwin) was really fundamental to that.”
Even with the interruptions of COVID-19, Paup never lost sight of his ambition to serve. And in June, the 2020 GW graduate became one of the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to in-person service overseas, heading to Benin to teach English. He will be fulfilling his mission there until August 2025.
It’s not that his resume needed the bolstering. Paup, whom Kirwin described as a very thoughtful student who put a lot of effort into his coursework, had already landed impressive internships during his time at GW. One of them was actually in the State Department’s Office of Sudan, where he would sometimes meet Kirwin for coffee during the working day.
"I’m a people’s person. I’m interested in people and working with them and learning about new things and cultures."
Liam Paup, B.A. '20
During this time, Paup found that he was particularly suited for field work and survey research. It just happens he became inspired by that line of work while taking Kirwin’s graduate course, Public Opinion/Sentiment Analysis in International Affairs, despite being an undergraduate student.
While he could have landed a full-time career post-graduation, Paup never lost sight of immersing himself as a Peace Corps volunteer. That, Kirwin said, showed an admirable commitment to service.
“He had a really good job working for a polling firm doing research in West Africa, but it seemed like his heart was still in doing the Peace Corps,” Kirwin said. “It isn’t obviously something that is going to give as much monetary compensation, but it’s going to enable you to do something for others and to serve our country. And that’s the core goal of the Peace Corps — bringing back more awareness of the country that you’ve worked in.”
Top Five Producers of Peace Corps Volunteers
Medium Colleges & Universities — Total Volunteers
Paup is the most recent GW volunteer to answer the Peace Corps’ calling, which the university has a long history of doing. In fact, GW was the No. 1 producer of Peace Corps volunteers among medium-sized schools of colleges and universities for three years running — 2018, 2019 and 2020 — the three years prior to when the pandemic halted.
In the six decades since President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps via Executive Order in 1961, more than 1,330 GW alumni have served as volunteers. Washington, D.C., is ranked first among states and other U.S. jurisdictions with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita. More than 2,500 D.C. residents have served since the program’s founding.
In fact, Peace Corps CEO Carol Spahn, M.A. ’00, is an alumna of the Elliott School. In a recent press release announcing the return of in-person service, she stated that the world is at a critical juncture, with the largest global vaccination effort in history underway, while other widespread health, societal, political and environmental issues continue to “erode the foundation of our global society.”
“Actions taken in the next few years have the potential to fundamentally impact development trajectories for decades to come,” Spahn said in the release.
GW’s top ranking for the number of Peace Corps volunteers produced isn’t surprising to Kirwin, who has observed through teaching at the university that GW students have an innate awareness of global events and how they can situate themselves in the world to make a tangible difference.
GW holds the #1 spot in this category from 2009 to 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Top 5
GW has earned a position among the top 5 schools for the past 17 years.
1,330+
More than 1,330 GW alumni have served as volunteers since its founding in 1961.
Washington, D.C., produces the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita.
2,500+
More than 2,500 Washington, D.C., residents have served since the program’s founding.
“GW and Elliott School students go into the world with eyes much wider open,” Kirwin said. “Something I try and talk more about is interrogating our role as Americans when we go to work in a place like Africa. Where do we fit in this whole development paradigm? What kind of biases are we bringing into it? How do people in the countries where we might be going perceive what we are doing?”
Paup will be taking those questions into account as he begins his mission in Benin. He is among those volunteers returning to work alongside community members to support urgent development efforts and build critical connections at a time when citizens of the world desperately need to look out for one another, especially vulnerable populations.
His specific role will be teaching English in rural areas. While that may not directly correlate with his intern work at the State Department, there will still be a lot of monitoring and evaluating in not just starting English education programs, but also in seeing if the programs are even sustainable. He looks forward to being a part of that solution for the Benin population.
“I’m definitely going to apply the skills that I’ve learned through research to what I’m doing now,” Paup said.
He remains grateful for Kirwin’s guidance and wisdom in inspiring him to join the Peace Corps and introducing him the world of survey research. Paup feels well equipped to help a vulnerable population, and he is thrilled to be paying forward what he learned in Elliott School classrooms.
“It really goes back to the fundamentals that I learned through Matt Kirwin’s graduate class,” Paup said. “I’m thankful to GW and Professor Kirwin for exposing me to that side of the industry.”
DEEPER DIVE: ADDITIONAL READING
GW competed in the Schuman Challenge at the European Union mission and came in second place out of 22 competing schools. The team featured Anisha Sahni B.A. ‘22 , Rushabh Patel, B.A. ‘23, and Kenzo Murray, B.A. ‘22, coached by Christopher Kojm, the director of the Elliott School’s Leadership, Ethics and Practice Initiative and a former chairman of the United States National Intelligence Council.
The competition, which took place in April this year, annually invites teams of three to four undergraduate students to respond to a topic that influences transatlantic relations and present before a panel of judges. In the two-round competition, teams from across the U.S. deliver 10-minute presentations on a pressing global issue. This year, the topic was “How should the EU and U.S. cooperate in Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal?” The students prepared and delivered a 10-minute presentation and answered questions. The panel of judges for this year's competition included the EU Ambassador in Washington.
“Participating in the Challenge focuses students on critical analysis and policy response to real-world problems, and oral presentation and defense of their recommendations. I cannot think of better preparation for students' future careers in international affairs."
Christopher Kojm, Professor of International Affairs
According to Kojm, "Participating in the challenge focuses students on critical analysis and policy response to real-world problems, and oral presentation and defense of their recommendations. I cannot think of better preparation for students' future careers in international affairs."
The students put a significant amount of preparation into the Schuman Challenge. Preparation turned into a challenge in itself, says Kenzo Murray, a member of the Elliott School team. ”Understanding the on-the-ground situation in Afghanistan has been one of the most difficult aspects of preparation because of the U.S. military withdrawal. NGOs in Afghanistan do not publish information about their activities so that they can protect their personnel and the people they are helping.”
In order to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan, the students were required to have a deep level of understanding regarding the history of imperialism and conflict and the diversity of Afghan communities. Through this preparation says team member Anisha, “I learned a great deal about these issues as well as the theoretical foundations of how to address broader issues of humanitarian crisis, economic collapse and human rights,”
“Our faculty advisor Christopher Kojm in the Elliott School was a tremendous help, and we could not have been successful without his mentorship."
Kenzo Murray, B.A. ‘22
Murray adds, “our faculty advisor Christopher Kojm in the Elliott School was a tremendous help, and we could not have been successful without his mentorship. We had multiple practice sessions with Professor Kojm where we rehearsed the presentation, engaged in Q&A, and got valuable feedback on our content and presentation style. In addition, our teammates were integral to our success at the Schuman Challenge.”
The experience of presenting before leading scholars, policy practitioners, and the Ambassador to the European Union gave the students added confidence in their public speaking abilities. In addition, the students gained portable skills they will take with them into their future careers.
When Evan Matsuda started his J.D. program at GW Law, he had no idea space law was a field. He had also begun an international affairs master’s program (a joint degree program), with an international security studies specialization, at the Elliott School, but he had not yet decided upon the best way to bridge his dual interests in law and foreign relations.
“International space law provides a fascinating way to combine my interests and degrees."
Evan Matsuda, J.D. and M.A. '24
“International space law provides a fascinating way to combine my interests and degrees,” Matsuda says.
This year, Henry R. Hertzfeld, J.D. ’75, research professor of space policy and international affairs and adjunct professor of law, is coaching his fifth GW team to the world championships—which coincides with the International Astronautical Congress, this October. GW teams have won three of the four prior world championships. In 2021, the GW team lost in the semifinals.
Along with GW Law student Jonathan Clark and Evan Matsuda form the GW team that will compete next month in Paris in the world championship of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, which International Institute of Space Law sponsors. The student duo earned the right to compete internationally after winning the North American division—one of five continent sections—of the competition, where Clark was recognized as best oral advocate.
“The competition plays an important role in introducing new generations of potential space law attorneys to the practice,” Matsuda says. “The practice isn’t that large, so we’ve been able to meet fascinating and impressive practitioners as part of this experience.”
Matsuda believes the special sauce of Dr. Hertzfeld’s success lies in his space law teaching experience and strong oral argument coaching. He credited the professor with a “hands-off approach” during the research and writing phase of moot court documents. But Dr. Hertzfeld spent many evenings and weekends, as well as mornings and afternoons, coaching the students on oral arguments, says Matsuda, who is very grateful.
Dr. Hertzfeld, who is coaching his 18th team this year, humbly laughs off comparisons of his dominant coaching to dynasties like Tom Brady’s in professional football. “Your terms, not mine,” he says. “We’ve always had a good team. A couple of years—2010 and last year—we came in second. We’ve always done very well, and of course, I’m very proud of our students.”