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Daniel Patrick Moynihan is remembered both as an intellectual and a statesman.
As Robert Katzmann has observed, “Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan stands apart...he
has for more than a generation occupied space simultaneously in the world of ideas
and politics, nourishing both.” Pat Moynihan had the enviable ability of being
able to translate theory into practice and of helping us in the academy realize
the importance of having practice inform theory. He was known for three characteristics that we in the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs hope to emulate. (1) He had the skill to identify problems that were not yet part of the public debate but would soon occupy center stage – he had a certain prescience about what would become important. (2) Once he had identified such a problem, Pat Moynihan integrated what we knew about the issue from within and outside the academy and followed the data to its logical conclusion. (3) His ability to synthesize information meant that he examined issues from multiple perspectives, often transforming the very nature of the problem by seeing it in a new way. In addition to these characteristics, Pat Moynihan had a gift for identifying exceptional young talent and then helping that talent become today’s successful leaders in government, business, the media, civil society, and the academy. Pat Moynihan was also interested in the world, having served as the United States Ambassador to India -- where he is still fondly remembered -- and as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. In these arenas, as well as domestically, he devoted much thought and energy to understanding the tradeoffs between liberty and security, how to reduce the clash between cultures, the role of international law, family change, and the problems associated with population aging. The Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs has as its purpose continuing this legacy by exploring international and global concerns raised by an increasingly interdependent world of diverse cultures, economies, and political systems. We are intent on broadening our knowledge and understanding of challenges to the quality of governance globally. In particular, we are interested in learning more about the development of civil society in transitional countries and the role of transnational non-governmental organizations in such development; the ways in which ideas, people, jobs, and money are moving around the globe and the practical implications of such mobility; and the factors that are important in helping people and societies feel more secure in this era of transnational terrorism, catastrophes, and pandemics. The Moynihan Institute will provide a multidisciplinary, collegial environment where faculty members and graduate students from across the seven departments in the Maxwell School can work together. It will become the “home away from home” each year for a number of visiting scholars and practitioners from around the world, enhancing the dialogue and exchange of ideas among Maxwell faculty and students. And it will house the Center for European Studies, the European Union Center, the South Asia Center, and the Program on Latin America and the Caribbean (PLACA) as well as a number of fellowship and internship programs for students and workshops for returning professionals. |