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Professor Waller Receives Two Prestigious Appointments

Dr. Jim Waller
Dr. Jim Waller

Cohen Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and internationally recognized authority on genocide prevention Jim Waller was recently elected to a position on the Advisory Board for the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and named a Centennial Senior Ethics Fellow by the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.

The IAGS is the leading organization in the field of genocide studies. “I’m one of three Americans elected to the six-person board, joining other representatives from Australia, the Netherlands, and Argentina,” Dr. Waller explained. “The board is responsible for ensuring that the organization, the largest such group of genocide scholars in the world, stays true to its mission in terms of conference programming, field development, etc. I look forward to serving on the board for the chance it gives me to work with others to shape the direction of a still-emerging field. Professional organizations help shape the culture and paradigms of fields of study, so I welcome the opportunity to be part of that process. Of particular interest will be my work on the Mentoring Committee of the board—connecting younger and emerging scholars with more established scholars in the field for a mentoring relationship.”

The Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs’ work is rooted in the premise that the incorporation of ethical concerns into discussions of international affairs will yield more effective policies both in the United States and abroad.

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914 and preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the council is undertaking an ambitious three-year project called Ethics for a Connected World, which connects public intellectuals, business leaders, policymakers, religious leaders, students, and educators from across the globe to explore how shared ethical and moral values can be incorporated into action to confront international challenges.

As a Centennial Senior Ethics Fellow, Dr. Waller will be responsible for the Sarajevo programming that will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the event that triggered World War I. “The Sarajevo programming will be a four-day workshop on genocide and mass atrocity prevention specifically aimed at leaders of the various religious communities (Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We’ll be looking at the ways those communities can transform their divided past into a shared future,” Dr. Waller said.

“I am honored and humbled by both of these opportunities, and very appreciative of the platform that the Cohen Professorship and Keene State College provide for such opportunities,” he added.

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