肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 8, 2021

Gauging the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations is no simple task, but with the help of 肉肉传媒 State faculty and students, the U.S. State Department can make more informed decisions for future peacekeeping action.

This spring, Ph.D. students joined professor Charity Butcher in conducting research to help the U.S. Department of State evaluate its peacekeeping operations. Students worked with the Bureau of Peace Operations, and were tasked with providing a review of existing studies on effective peacekeeping and developing an evaluation tool the State Department could use to assess the ability of peacekeeping missions to achieve results on the ground.

Butcher, who teaches a course on peacekeeping, peacebuilding and reconciliation in 肉肉传媒 State鈥檚 , said the project provided her students with an applicable experience that would be useful for their future professional endeavors.

鈥淭he overall project the students proposed was perfectly aligned with what we do in the class,鈥� Butcher said. 鈥淚t seemed like a great opportunity to have our Ph.D. students work on something that directly translates to activities our government agencies conduct.鈥�

The project divided students into two groups focused on researching literature regarding peacekeeping effectiveness and developing the evaluation tool, which would be used to analyze global peacekeeping efforts. Using a more systematic and quantitative approach than previous evaluation methods, the tool reimagines the way peacekeeping efforts are evaluated by the State Department. Students ultimately created the KSU Mission Effectiveness Evaluation Tool (MEET), which created two surveys, one that was geared toward mission personnel on the ground and another that was geared toward the general public. Both surveys could be accessed via a mobile device by those involved in peacekeeping operations.

鈥淥fficials were very impressed with our students and were excited about the possibility of using it in the future,鈥� Butcher said. 鈥淚 think they recognize how the tool would  make their jobs easier and allow them to measure and compare different operations over time.鈥�

The project was awarded to KSU by the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Diplomacy Lab, a program that harnesses the scholarly efforts of college students and faculty to solve complex global challenges. KSU is one of 35 universities involved in the Diplomacy Lab public-private partnership that enables the State Department to 鈥渃ourse-source鈥� research and innovation related to foreign policy challenges. Partner universities, including Ivy League institutions such as Yale University and Columbia University, conduct research on the State Department鈥檚 most critical matters, including climate change, democracy and human rights, counterterrorism, global health, energy security, gender equality, economic policy trafficking of individuals, food security, and conflict and stabilization. KSU鈥檚 Diplomacy Lab projects are housed in the newly formed .

鈥淧articipating in the Diplomacy Lab really gave us a practical, real-world view of how research and innovation could impact peacekeeping and peacebuilding beyond academia,鈥� said Anne Chance, a Ph.D. student studying . 鈥淚t was gratifying that the State Department really appreciated our work, and being able to participate in the project gave so much clarity to the practical applications of this research.鈥�

鈥� Josh Milton

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.