Nationalism Boiling Over

Cyprus: A Ongoing Crisis for the EU and NATO

Looking for real-world experience in crisis decision-making and negotiation? Interested in the opportunity to network with diplomats, military leaders, and high-level business executives? 

What happens when NATO allies come into conflict? Can diplomacy subdue the nationalist passions that have torn a country apart? Is the European Union (EU) capable of solving divisive territorial issues? Students learn and apply skills in negotiation, crisis decision-making, leadership, and teamwork to answer these gripping questions through hands-on learning in a fascinating simulation administered this summer through a partnership between the UW Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and the U.S. Army War College. A glittering jewel in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus provides the backdrop for this simulation exercise. Just off the coast of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, the island nation lies at the crossroads of European and Middle Eastern civilizations, a location which forged its rich history and complex politics. Diplomatic negotiating teams seek to bring a lasting peace to the island, torn since the 1960s into antagonistic Greek and Turkish communities. A key case for international conflict resolution itself, Cyprus also holds critically important lessons for those who hope to solve other territorial or ethnic conflicts. The struggle to fix Cyprus may impact the future of the European Union, while failure threatens to fracture the NATO Alliance. The stakes could not be higher.

 

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This simulation provides an opportunity to work closely with top U.S. diplomats, including former U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Robert Koenig, subject matter experts, business executives from Booz Allen Hamilton and and military leaders from Joint Base Lewis McChord. In addition, U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering will play the role of United Nations Special Advisor on Cyprus. One of the most accomplished United States diplomats, Ambassador Pickering has served as Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Ambassador and Representative to the United Nations, and U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan.