Qiang (Steven) Wu, a Ph.D. Student in Political Science details his experience being selected to attend the “Advanced Topics in Liberty: Liberty, War, and Peace” colloquium in Washington D.C., hosted by the Institute for Humane Studies.
“Our cohort was diverse, not only in academic disciplines—spanning political science, history, economics, and law—but also in geography, with students hailing from the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.”
Qiang (Steven) Wu
Over three days, attendees engaged in discussions over a wide range of subjects through six intensive sessions. They explored the ethical and philosophical underpinnings that advocate for peace in a session titled Moral and Intellectual Foundations of Peace, examined the historical link between war and government power in a session titled War and the State, and analyzed the United States’ often-contradictory role in both war and peace efforts in a discussion titled An Experiment in Peace and War: The United States. The colloquium covered the intriguing idea that trade can act as a deterrent to war in a discussion titled, Trade as an Antidote to War, investigated how societies react to and are shaped by warfare in the Cultural Responses to War session, and finally, tackled the ongoing debate between interventionist and non-interventionist foreign policies in the concluding session titled Interventionism and Non-Interventionism in Theory and Practice.
“This intensive exploration provided valuable insights into the complex interplay between liberty, war, and peace, enriching our understanding of these critical issues.”
Qiang (Steven) Wu
