Brown to mark Watson School’s inaugural year with robust events lineup, celebration in October

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - To mark the inaugural year of the Thomas J. Watson Jr. School of International and Public Affairs, Brown University will host a robust series of events featuring political leaders, policy experts and esteemed scholars representing a wide range of viewpoints and experiences.

A hub for scholarship on pressing economic, political, social and policy challenges, the Watson School will kick off a year of events, commemorations and thought-provoking dialogue on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. with a keynote and Q&A with Gen. Mark A. Milley, a retired four-star general of the U.S. Army and 20^th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"What better way to launch the Watson School than to bring national and global experts to Brown to offer insights on timely policy issues?" said Brown President Christina H. Paxson. "These launch events will showcase Brown's commitment to the open exchange of ideas on pressing issues, and to preparing graduates with deep knowledge of policy and highly developed analytical skills that will enable them to serve their communities, the nation and the world."

The Oct. 25 event, which will open with remarks from Paxson and John N. Friedman, inaugural dean of the Watson School, will serve as the school's signature launch celebration.

"The launch of the Watson School offers a unique opportunity to build on Brown's expertise in public and international affairs by expanding our faculty, broadening our scope of research and strengthening our collaborations across disciplines," Friedman said. "The discussions with some of the most accomplished public servants and leaders of our time are part of a robust lineup of events and engagement, which is core to our mission of drawing students and the public into the important work of public policy and service."

Milley, who served from 2019 to 2023 as the 20^th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, will discuss global security in a keynote talk (registration is required) and will meet with a small group of Brown students. His visit is one among a packed lineup of opportunities throughout the 2025-26 academic year for students, faculty, staff, alumni and local community members to engage with elected officials from across the world, a World Bank economist, scholars, journalists, faculty experts and other leaders.

Among the events - all of which are free and open to the public - the Watson School will host a Dean's Fireside Chats series to welcome distinguished experts to campus. The series begins on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 4 p.m. with a conversation between Friedman and former U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. As the U.S. Department of Education's third-ranking official from 2021 until 2025, Kvall led initiatives to advance student loan forgiveness, more affordable repayment plans and stronger safeguards against student debt. Friedman and Kvaal will speak about the future of higher education in an event titled "The Federal Government and Universities: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It." Registration is required.

Other Fireside Chats will include Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, a finance professional and the mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital and largest city, on March 30, 2026, and Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, on April 20.

Research seminar series to explore international development, politics and policies

As part of its focus on creating interdisciplinary scholarly discussions around the most important issues under debate across the world, the Watson School is launching three new school-wide research seminar series. All three seminar series - focused individually on the topics of international development, politics and policies, and global challenges - will feature visits from distinguished scholars.

"No government holds separate policy meetings for each discipline," Friedman said. "The Watson School's strength lies in our ability to generate in our research and teaching the kind of interdisciplinary engagement necessary to solve pressing problems, and these seminar series will build on that strength."

The Global Challenges Research Seminar series will explore political, economic, environmental and security threats shaping the 21^st century. Speakers include World Bank economist Nicolò Fraccaroli on Oct. 1; Princeton Assistant Professor of Politics Noah Zucker on Oct. 22; Johns Hopkins Professor of International Affairs Henry Farrell on Nov. 12; and Boston University Professor of Economics Tarek Hassan on Dec. 3.

The International Development Research Seminar series will look at critical issues in international development through interdisciplinary perspectives on governance, inequality, public health and economic growth. Speakers include Harvard University Professor of Government Elizabeth J. Perry on Oct. 9; and University of Chicago Associate Professor of Sociology Marco Garrido on Oct. 30.

The Politics and Policies Research Seminar series will examine the interplay between politics and policy with a focus on health, education, inequality, democratic performance and the policymaking process. Speakers include Yale University Associate Professor of Political Science Josh Kalla on Oct. 15; Yale University Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Health-Health Policy Rourke O'Brien on Nov. 5; and Yale Professor of Economics Janet Currie on Dec. 10.