FSCJ Launches Diplomacy Lab in Partnership with U.S. Department of State

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) is the first and, so far, only open-access academic institution to be accepted as a partner in the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab program. Diplomacy Lab was launched in 2013 as a public-private partnership. According to the Diplomacy Lab website, it “enables the Department of State to course-source research related to foreign policy by harnessing the efforts of students and faculty at universities across the country.”

In this program, U.S. State Department officials draft projects and seek faculty interest bids to engage on a given project with student teams. The projects selected explore current, real-world diplomacy issues that are of mutual interest to the participants and are suitable for exploration in an academic environment.

As a part of sabbatical time spent at the U.S. State Department, FSCJ Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Lourdes Norman-McKay worked with College administration to bring this opportunity to the institution.

“This unique learning opportunity will expose our students to real-world issues and the possibility of creating creative solutions to them,” said College President Dr. John Avendano. “The work will develop valuable critical thinking, presentation and team building skills that will prepare students for their future. Additionally, on a more global scale, their research and ideas may contribute directly to policies that can have positive, lasting impact.”

Professor of Art and Design Julia Dearriba-Mongomery and Professor of Political Science Dr. Daniel Cronrath became the first FSCJ faculty the U.S. State Department approved for engagement in the program this fall.

Under the direction of their faculty guide, students will develop a final product that supports the outlined goals. During a final conference, students present their results to State Department colleagues who provide feedback and, as appropriate, advance ideas and outcomes to broader audiences.

To learn more, visit https://www.fscj.edu/academics/diplomacy-lab. To view the full list of participating partners, visit https://diplomacylab.org/university-partners/.