Throughout the academic year, GPSA organizes a number of academic and professional talks that provide useful information for graduate students at Georgetown which they could not have easily obtained elsewhere. Given that there are numerous events, talks, seminars, and presentations happening at Georgetown every day, the GPSA Cabinet works hard to ensure that every event it organizes is unique and of value for graduate students. Below is a quick description of events that GPSA has organized in the past and/or may be planning. Keep your eyes open about announcements for any and all of these events as the year goes by!
Annual Events
Interdisciplinary Dialogues
One of GPSA’s goals is to bridge the divide between academic departments. To do so, over the course of the academic year, GPSA organizes a number of Interdisciplinary Dialogues – academic talks which bring together faculty from several departments and focus on a diverse array of themes.
Dissertation Writing Panel
Every year, GPSA brings together a panel of advanced PhD candidates – or recent PhD graduates – to talk to younger students about the process of writing a dissertation and to offer their thoughts and advice. Designed to help students who have recently defended their Prospectus or are close to doing so, this event is a means for more experienced PhD students to help out the next generation on the cusp of delving into the dissertation research and writing process.
PhDs Beyond Academic Panel
Given the extremely competitive nature of the academic job market, many PhD students recognize the need to have a plan in the event that the job offerings relating to their areas of expertise are limited after they complete their dissertations. To help students develop their back-up plans, every year GPSA brings together professionals with PhDs who are not associated with academia. Speakers in the past have worked for think tanks, international organizations, NGOs, the US government, and various types of businesses, and have shared their experiences and advice to PhD students open to considering non-academic careers after obtaining their doctoral degrees.
Women in Political Science Panel and Workshop
GPSA plans to organize an event that celebrates the contributions of women to the field of political science and also raises awareness about the under-representation of women in syllabi and citations. More information to come soon!
Mapping the US Armed Forces Panel
With an aim to all graduate students interested in international security issues, GPSA is planning to organize an event that helps students familiarize themselves with the structure and organization of the various branches of the US Armed Forces.
