CofC hosts inaugural convening of the Mroz Institute

Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary of NATO and expert on Russian relations, to deliver keynote address on March 22.

Last year, Max Kovalov, the Bennett Director of the John Edwin Mroz Global Leadership Institute, and Tim Johnson, dean of the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs (LCWA), began planning a days-long event to mark the launch of the Mroz Institute.

Now, with the eyes of the world on Ukraine and the West’s response to Russian aggression, current events have lent the event a pressing political timeliness.

From March 20 to 22, 2022, the Mroz Institute is hosting its Inaugural Convening. Students, alumni and other guests will join business leaders, diplomats and scholars from around the world to celebrate the formal launch of the Mroz Institute and the worldwide impact of the EastWest Institute (EWI). Many events are open to the public.

The three-day event features keynote addresses, discussion sessions and breakout panels with hosts spanning the former deputy secretary of NATO to the current president of the National Endowment for Democracy. Keynotes reflect the overarching themes of both the convening and the Mroz Institute: “Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Diplomacy” and “International Security: Challenges and Opportunities.”

The institute’s efforts to create a permanent repository for materials documenting EWI’s four decades of international diplomacy — including oral histories from EWI’s alumni network of policymakers, donors, board members and staff — will also debut during the convening.

Conceived in 2020, the Mroz Institute is a collaborative partnership between LCWA and EWI. To encourage the global acuity required to lead effectively in a diverse and tightly connected world, the Mroz Institute is built upon a comprehensive strategy of international education and experiential learning throughout the College’s academic experience. The Mroz Institute bolsters EWI’s legacy of conflict resolution through education and dialogue, and the convening marks its first large-scale event.

RELATED: Read more about the Mroz Institute and the foundation it was built on.

“We live in an interconnected world, and we know that events elsewhere have profound implications for our lives here,” says Kovalov. “It is the goal of the Mroz Institute to help our students understand the complexities of the world and prepare them for globally oriented careers.”

The foundation of the Mroz Institute is EWI, a global network of influential stakeholders committed to and engaged in building trust and preventing conflict around the world. Following a 40-year track record of developing sustainable solutions for today’s major political, economic and security issues, EWI transitioned its operations to strategic partners, chief among them the College of Charleston. The convening is an opportunity for the EWI family to gather, discuss and share their knowledge with the next generation of global leaders.

“For students to develop the skills required for international leadership, they must interact and network with global thought leaders,” says Johnson. “The Mroz Institute and the EWI connection provide the high-level experiential learning opportunities needed by tomorrow’s leaders. The mentoring available is truly exciting.”

Visit the Mroz Institute website to learn more about the Inaugural Convening, including a full program.