Robertson School of Government Newsletter: February 2021
In this Issue
Dr. Nolte Speaks on Persian Gulf Security at the Great Decision Series
Dean’s Corner
More from RSG Social Media
Dr. Patterson Book Launch
RSG Launches Social Media
Faculty Highlight: Dr. Mary Manjikian
Featured Media
Dr. Nolte Speaks on Persian Gulf Security at the Great Decision Series hosted by the Hampton Roads World Affairs Council
The Persian Gulf remains tense as the rivalry between the regional powers of Saudi Arabia and Iran continues. Tensions escalated in early 2020 as the United States began to intervene in the Gulf, launching an airstrike that killed two Iranian military commanders. What are the historical influences that have led to these tensions? What role, if any, should the United States play? Is using military force a viable foreign policy option for 2021 and beyond? Watch Dr. A.J. Nolte’s presentation here!
Dean’s Corner
Dear Friends,
As the new Dean, I am delighted at your interest in the Robertson School of Government (RSG) at Regent University. It is highly encouraging and much appreciated.
The faculty and staff of RSG are committed to offering our graduates a significant competitive advantage in their chosen professions. To that end, we are continually retooling our programs to streamline them with the marketplace.
The RSG Master’s in Public Administration (MPA), ably headed by Dr. Gary Roberts, is on pace to enhance state and local governance through city managers, focused on competence and innovation. Dr. Elijah Agyapong, as well as Dr. Ed Daley and Professor Sam Gaston, are actively collaborating to create clear goals designed to help RSG MPA graduates find the employment opportunities and promotions they seek.
Dr. Mary Manjikian, a leading national cybersecurity expert and head of our MA in National Security Studies, reports sales of her recent book have exceeded expectations. Dr. Manjikian reports she has been invited by her publisher to write an updated version.
Dr. A. J. Nolte, RSG professor of Middle Eastern studies, and Dr. Josh Hastey, RSG Special Adjunct Professor of International Relations with an emphasis in Asian studies, are collaborating on RSG’s new MA in International Development. Our purpose is to prepare graduates to work in international humanitarian organizations such as Operation Blessing, Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse. These are a few of the organizations our students aim to serve as future employees, taking Christ’s love as a mission to change the world.
Dr. Stephen Perry has heroically and superbly led RSG for 2 ½ years as the Interim Dean, and continues to serve as the Senior Associate Dean today. In January of this year, I became Dean of RSG, and with the superb guidance of Dr. Perry, I am humbled to follow in his stellar example.
For over 30 years, RSG has graduated some of the finest graduate students to serve in positions of government influence. RSG students hold political office, run cities, have served as Governors, in Congress, and have held important, sensitive positions in government.
The good news is that RSG has continually maintained fidelity to our mission statement to educate Christian leaders to change the world. RSG graduates have done just that and, now more than ever, RSG intends to light a candle rather than curse the darkness by sending out more well-educated, loving, compassionate graduates to bring hope to the world, one talented student at a time.
Sincerely,
More from RSG Social Media
Religious Freedom and Democracy a Decade after the Arab Spring by Dr. Eric Patterson
Martin Luther King Jr. on Power and Love by Dr. Eric Patterson
Blind Politics with Dr. Nolte: Trust the Science… Except When It’s Politically Inconvenient
Set Point with Dr. Steve Perry: The President Maker
Research & Praxis with Dr. Elijah Agyapong | Overheard Democracy
Recent Events:
Dr. Eric Patterson’s Responsibility and Restraint Book Launch
In January, RSG hosted a book launch for Dr. Eric Patterson’s new book, Responsibility and Restraint. You can view the discussion with Dr. Eric Patterson and several of the chapter authors, all introduced by Dean Michele Bachmann here!
The book summary states: Ideas, like people, have genealogies. And so it is with the just war tradition – a moral and ethical framework that seeks to inform political, military, and other leaders and individuals who are responsible for maintaining a just and peaceful social and political order in a turbulent and tumultuous world. The history of moral discussions of war, peace, and proper use of military force is long and complex. For centuries, philosophers, theologians, political theorists, jurists, and others in the West have upheld the viability and vitality of the just war tradition. In so doing, they have argued that war in the pursuit of justice may at times be necessary, but must be conducted with responsibility and restraint. The essays in this volume analyze and honor the thought of James Turner Johnson, the preeminent historian of the just war tradition in the twenty-first century. Whether one considers the theological, cross-cultural, or secular stands of the centuries-old tradition, the scholarship and ideas of Johnson, spanning more than half a century, are prominent in academic literature, the academy, and the profession of arms. The ethics of war, justice, law of armed conflict, human rights, terrorism and the international order, international humanitarian law, and issues of faith and force are among the many topics addressed by Johnson that contributors discuss in these pages.
RSG Launches Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin
In order to keep all of our wonderful RSG supporters up-to-date with our latest happenings, RSG is launching Facebook and Instagram accounts! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to hear all about our latest updates!
Faculty Highlight: Dr. Mary Manjikian
In January, Dr. Mary Manjikian, associate Dean of RSG, participated in a virtual NATO roundtable organized by the NATO Secretary General’s office aimed at understanding women’s views/perceptions of peace and security. Questions which they considered include how women participants viewed the concepts of security and insecurity, how participants conceptualized of NATO’s role in providing security and what factors were most likely to contribute to feelings of insecurity today. The insights offered by Dr. Manjikian and others will be considered as part of NATO’s preparation of their 2030 strategic plan.
