The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2020

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 31 resources such as their “Diplomacy 101” series. Simulation topics include peacebuilding, nuclear nonproliferation and energy secu- rity. The Council on Foreign Relations, Georgetown Univer- sity’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and others have also developed simulation exercises. And Georgetown ISD’s library of 250 diplomacy case studies for the classroom can be accessed for reasonable fees. To assist members who choose teaching as their “next stage,” AFSA has launched a new initiative designed to centralize resources for teaching diplomacy, from finding and securing a position to developing courses (see “Shared Wisdom” above). You should embark on teaching diplomacy with your eyes wide open to both the challenges and opportunities academia presents. While you would never want to calculate your hourly wage for all the work that goes into teaching, it can be a very rewarding way tomake use of the skills and experience you accumulated as a U.S. diplomat. A teaching adjunct position allows for a fairly flexible schedule, so you could teach a class while doing other types of work. Moreover, teaching forces you to stay engaged. Just like a good diplomat, a good teacher should enjoy being a lifelong learner, and you will find you learn as much from your students as they learn from you. Teaching the next generation is a won- derful way to expand and continue your life of service, focused not just on the here and now but also on the challenges we as a nation will face over the horizon. n Active-duty FSOs are eligible for roughly 40 detail assignments at U.S. government and nongovernmental academic institutions. A FSA has heard from many members who have transitioned into academia that devel- oping curricula is challenging. They empha- size how much they wish they could readily collab- orate with other FS personnel who have experience in this realm. We at AFSA asked ourselves: Why should our members start from scratch when such a rich brain trust already exists? AFSA could help in its role as a convener for the interchange of ideas regarding teaching the practice of diplomacy, international affairs and associated topics. This is the inspiration behind AFSA’s new Next Stage Teaching Network (www.afsa.org/teaching- diplomacy). The page is broad in its definition of the terrain covered. A prime focus is on how to teach the practice of diplomacy, and its coupling of strategic thinking with practical solutions. The teaching of international affairs and the role of diplomacy, different matters entirely, are also included, as well as resources for finding positions. AFSA hopes this initiative will prove to be not only a valuable service to members, but a significant step in building an understanding of diplomacy and its importance to the security and prosperity of the United States, a critical part of AFSA’s mission. The Next Stage Teaching Network currently consists of the American Academy of Diplomacy’s treasure trove of curricula; the Association for Diplo- matic Studies and Training’s impressive collection of oral histories, publications and other materials; the library of Case Studies in Global Affairs at George- town University’s Institute for the Study of Diplo- macy; AFSA’s teaching resources; materials from the Department of State’s National Museum of Ameri- can Diplomacy; and the USAIDAlumni Association. If you are teaching on the tertiary level and have a syllabus, book list or any other materials you have developed that are germane to the teaching of international affairs and/or diplomacy, please consider sharing them on AFSA’s site. Please send your materials (or questions) to Dolores Brown, Retirement Benefits Counselor, at brown@afsa.org . –Dolores Brown S hared W isdom ( and C urricula !): AFSA’s Next Stage Teaching Network