Ambassador Richard Boucher and Margo Picken to teach two new public policy courses
February 20, 2014
Richard Boucher served as Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Prior to joining OECD, Richard enjoyed an extremely successful career with the U.S. State Department, becoming the longest-serving Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, Ambassador to Cyprus (1993-1996) and serving in numerous high-level diplomatic posts. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal from 1973-1975. Richard obtained his Bachelor's degree from Tufts University and did graduate work in economics at the George Washington University.
Beginning March 10, Richard will teach PubPol 750 Topics: Wielding Economic Power. Students taking this course will explore how economic levers and status affect a nation's global standing and international relations. Students will examine various levers of economic influence and ongoing shifts of wealth and power in the world. Students will then apply these specific lessons to a broad case study: China as it becomes the world's largest economy, examining the impact of China's economic evolution on the United States and other traditional world powers.
Margo Picken joins us from the London School of Economics where she is currently a visiting senior fellow. Margo has worked in the field of human rights for much of her professional career. Most recently, she worked for the United Nations as director of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia from 2001 to 2007. She was responsible for the human rights program of the Ford Foundation from 1988 to 1995. She established and directed the Office of Amnesty International at the United Nations in New York from 1976 to 1987. She holds a master's degree in International Relations from the University of London.
Also beginning March 10, Margo will teach PubPol 750 Topics: Human Rights at the United Nations: A practitioner's perspective. The course provides an overview of human rights at the UN, beginning with the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenants on Human Rights. Students will consider the evolution of UN human rights measures, exploring the work of the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today. By the end of the course, students will have grounding in international human rights policy and insight into how the UN works in practice. Having critically engaged with controversial debates on human rights, students will acquire adequate knowledge and understanding to foster human rights in their future careers.
The Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence program (T-PMR) was established in 2002 to bring individuals with significant national and/or international policymaking experience to campus to interact with students and faculty. The T-PMR program enhances our curriculum and strengthens our ties to the policy community.