Young Diplomats Learn Art of Peace, Compromise, Global Thinking at UST

The Center for International Studieshosted its annual Young Diplomats and Global Affairs Summer Camp in late June. Fifteen high school students from a variety of public and private high schools around Houston attended the camp, which included a series of presentations hosted by the Center Director Professor Eric Botts,International Studies Professor Dr. Tuba Bilgic, and Ambassador Michael Pelletier.

Botts said the camp allows professors to showcase the University and its programs while establishing a relationship with students that may endure for years.

"The University of St. Thomas and the Center for International Studies have a tradition of promoting the art of diplomacy," Botts said. "Our annual summer camp is a way for young people to learn about the craft and the career potential for those willing to serve their country in this capacity. Over the years we have had several students choose to pursue higher education here at the University based in part on their experience with our summer camp."

The camp also featured a screening of the film "The Missiles of October," which focused on the diplomacy surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

A camp highlight was a nuclear simulation, cultivating instruction and collaboration amid a tense situation.

"The week-long preparation and team building paid off when put through the rigor of the simulation exercise at the end of the camp," Botts said. "It was a diverse group that was inquisitive, thoughtful, and eager to learn, which was evident during the diplomatic simulation where students were able to reach a reasonable compromise in a highly charged and difficult situation. I was impressed with the determination and commitment of the student participants and am encouraged that there are those who have the inclination to serve their country as diplomats in the future."

The Center thanks the students, Ambassador Michael Pelletier, Dr. Tuba Bilgic, Paul Chang, Guadalupe Blas, former Center Director Dr. Richard Sindelar, and Program Coordinator Patrick McCarty for helping facilitate this wonderful experience.

"It is important that young people learn the value of developing relationships and communicating openly as a means of engendering the trust that is the cornerstone of diplomacy," Botts said.

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