History of the Student World Affairs Conference
The Student World Affairs Conference (SWAC) is an annual, academic conference held in the Mid-Hudson Valley. The conference is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley. At SWAC, Students from colleges and universities in the Mid-Hudson Valley present their research and papers regarding international issues, such as sustainable development, global governance, human rights, democratization, and international security.
SWAC provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to conduct research in their field of interest, interact with other academically ambitious students from neighboring schools, and build relationships and connections with both professionals at their college and the neighboring schools. To present, the students had to submit their research to a selective committee, where it was reviewed and approved.
The first Student World Affairs Conference was held on April 12, 2014, at Vassar College. At the first conference over 75 students, professors, and professionals from institutions such as Marist College, Vassar College, Bard College, the US Military Academy, and SUNY New Paltz attended the event. Students’ papers covered a variety of topics ranging from the effects and implications of foreign aid to how American foreign policy is a lot like the hit 2004 movie, Mean Girls. The keynote speaker was Ambassador Robert Gosende, President Clinton’s Special Envoy to Somalia from 1992-1993.
The second Student World Affairs Conference was held on February 23, 2015, at Marist College. Attendance at the second SWAC was higher than the first, as 100 students, professors, and professionals participated in the conference. In addition to students from Marist College, Vassar College, Bard College, and SUNY New Paltz, students from the University of Delaware also attended and presented their word at the conference. Last year’s conference, entitled “Conflict and Crisis Resolution,” covered a vast number of issues ranging from nationalist violence to the disenfranchisement of felons in the United States, to medical treatment for HIV around the world. The keynote speaker was Dr. Susan Thompson of Colgate University. Dr. Thompson presented a lecture regarding her experiences working for both the United Nations (UN) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).