Humphrey Fellows attend Crisis Management Workshop at Maxwell
The Maxwell School was the hub for 40 Hubert H.
Humphrey Fellows representing 35 countries at the end of February, participating
in a weeklong workshop, Leadership and
Governance during Times of Crisis, sponsored by the Maxwell School of
Syracuse University and administered by Executive Education. The fellows explored
a myriad of crisis management issues through the lens of leadership.
The workshop examined the dynamics leaders face
in crisis situations through a series of vigorous and thought-provoking
presentations, which included a culminating simulation. Bruce Dayton, Research
Fellow at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs and Associate Professor at
School for International Training who specializes in crisis management and
peacebuilding, led the workshop.
The workshop tapped faculty expertise across
Maxwell’s social sciences, in addition to other schools and institutes at
Syracuse University. Among the themes explored were political leadership, mapping
vulnerability, crisis communication, immigration and the U.N.’s response to
humanitarian crises.
“Crisis and disaster management remains
a subject of intense interest within both academic research and policy-making circles,”
said Dayton. “And that’s no wonder — crises and disasters represent a
perfect-storm because they demand that leaders make vital decisions in
circumstances where time is short, the threat is high, and uncertainty is
significant. Maxwell’s Leadership and Governance during Times of Crisis workshop was especially focused on helping
participants to better understand and prepare themselves to overcome the
social-psychological, organizational, and leadership challenges that come into
play when crises and disasters hit.”
The
workshop took into consideration the diverse professional experiences of the
participants.
“The week provided the best of both worlds: Humphrey
Fellows benefited from the collaborative, multi-disciplinary research and
practice of faculty at the Maxwell School and the faculty learned how these
Fellows experience leadership during times of crisis across the globe and
through a myriad of public sector fields: educators, public administrators,
public health officials, rural development specialists, NGO leaders, and human
rights lawyers,” stated Margaret Lane, Syracuse Humphrey Program Director and
Assistant Director of Executive Education. “This type of learning environment
also enabled a rich atmosphere where Humphrey Fellows had the opportunity to exchange
best practices and share experiences among each other.”
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was
initiated in 1978 to honor the late Senator and Vice President Hubert H.
Humphrey and his life-long commitment to international cooperation and public
service. The program brings accomplished young and mid-career professionals
from designated developing nations and emerging democracies to the United
States for a year of professional development and related academic study and cultural
exchange. The Fellowship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of
International Education. This year, thirteen U.S. universities hosted approximately
150 Fellows from 95 countries.
The Maxwell School
has been a host campus of the Humphrey Fellowship Program for nine years.
Currently twelve fellows are at the School, pursuing studies and professional
development in the areas of public policy, public administration, governance,
IT policy, NGO management, leadership, and collaboration. 02/28/18
