Doctor of Law and Policy (DLP) Cohort 17 participated in an International Intensive in the Netherlands DLP Abroad
From October 21-25, 2024, Doctor of Law and Policy (DLP) Cohort 17 students participated in the international intensive in the Netherlands, visiting both Amsterdam and The Hague. This was the DLP program’s inaugural international intensive in the country.
The visit was facilitated by Fiona Creed and former U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Tim Broas, who also serves as a part-time lecturer in the DLP program. The international intensive is part of the Law and Policy Concepts 3 course. Given the visit’s success and positive student feedback, we plan to further strengthen the DLP program’s ties with Ambassador Broas and connections in the Netherlands for future impactful international intensives. Intensive Highlights – Students visited the U.S. Embassy in The Hague and met with Shefali Razdan Duggal, the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. As part of their coursework, the students are working on a Diplomacy Lab project for the U.S. Embassy, Understanding the Impact of a Changing Netherlands.
The research focuses on three key areas: the Netherlands’ changing social and cultural landscape, defense staffing and innovation developments, and emerging security threats. – Additionally, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, met with the students, spending an hour discussing political and social challenges and opportunities in the Netherlands. He also expressed interest in each student’s doctoral research. Dutch and the EU interest in the upcoming U.S. presidential election was a common theme at each meeting.
This was especially evident in conversations with former NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (see photo 3), who discussed global instability and encouraged the students to consider how these dynamics might impact their doctoral research. Student Feedback “I am still in awe of our time in Amsterdam…we all were able to ask questions specific to our research and gain unfiltered insight into the connections to procedures and protocols in the Netherlands.” Ambassador Tim Broas’ participation “Having someone with his background as our guide allowed us access to an American Ambassador, Dutch leaders, and discussions that offered a rare perspective on policy and international relations.” The speakers “I left the meetings inspired and called to greater advocacy and action.” “I was most impressed by the amount of time and trust each speaker gave us.” “Each of them brought expertise that let us see both the bigger picture and specific details within their fields.
Their ability to speak from different angles on our complex research topics gave us a strong foundation to understand the nuances of issues that often feel abstract in classroom settings. It was engaging to learn directly from those actively involved in high-level decision-making.” The learning experience “Not only did we get a sense of their views on policy and governance, but we also gained insight into how they see American politics, culture, and our role on the global stage (especially in NATO). Hearing these perspectives firsthand helped me step back and consider how interconnected our policies are with those of other nations. It’s one thing to learn about international relations through reading and discussion but getting it directly from Dutch leaders added a much-needed layer of real-world insight.”
