Starting Fall 2024, the Center for International Studies will offer the first Global Security Studies program at the undergraduate level in the entire Southwest region of the country. Global Security is a new concentration under the International Studies major which focuses on coursework to prepare students for work in national and global security with organizations like the FBI, CIA, Foreign Service, and UN. Students will specialize in critical languages like Arabic, Chinese, or Russian while engaging experiential learning through a required internship. The new major concentration includes coursework like the history of war and conflict, the politics of extremism and authoritarianism, intelligence analysis and organized crime, as well as many more multi-disciplinary coursework to give students an effective foundation to work in areas of global security. This major is a perfect pairing for the new minor in Diplomacy, launched Fall 2023, with coursework taught by former diplomats. If you’re interested in learning more about or declaring a major concentration in Global Security Studies, contact the Liberal Arts Advising Center at laadvising@txstate.edu or the Center for International Studies at internationalstudies@txstate.edu.
New IS Major Featured in University Star
The Center for International Studies’ new major concentration in Global Security Studies was featured in Texas State’s student newspaper, the University Star. Dr. Paul Hart, Director, and Ms. Amy Oakes, Program Coordinator, expound on the development and future of the program. To learn more in-detail information about the new major, check out the University Star’s article.
Undergraduate and Graduate Student of the Year
Zayna Abdel-Rahim, International Relations major and triple minor in Diplomacy, Japanese, and Arabic, was awarded the Undergraduate Student of the Year for the Center for International Studies. Zayna has received numerous awards, including the prestigious U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study in Morocco (2024), and the Defense Language and National Security Education Office’s Boren Award to study in Japan (2023). Zayna is the President of the Model Arab League and is an officer of the Palestinian Solidarity Committee. Zayna’s peers often describe her as an inspiration and amazing mentor.
Adrian Leal, thesis-track graduate student, completed the Center’s highest reviewed thesis for 2023-2024. He has served as the Student Government Election Board Chair while also working full-time in TXST’s Human Resources Department. He was accepted as a PhD candidate in Sociology at UT Austin and will start his studies in Fall 2024.
Center Awards Admin and Faculty of the Year
Each year the Center acknowledges the hard work that people around campus do to support International Studies students and opportunities. For the 2023-2024, Dr. Thillainatarajan “Thilla” Sivakumaran was awarded Administrator of the Year and Mr. Oliver Del Cid as Faculty Member of the Year.
Dr. Sivakumaran is the Vice President of Texas State Global and his work establishing new hubs and exchange programs worldwide is instrumental to providing increased study abroad opportunities. His support and collaboration also led to the creation of new
programs through TXST Global.
Mr. Oliver Del Cid, Director General of National Security for Belize and guest professor, taught the inaugural Diplomacy Seminar course offered in Spring 2024. His support and collaboration was integral to the development of the Diplomacy minor and the Center looks forward to his expertise teaching future sections of the Diplomacy Seminar course, IS 4388. Mr. Del Cid is an alum of Texas State university and former ambassador for the state of Belize.
IS Students Participate in Pro-Palestine Demonstration
On Monday, April 29, students and community members gathered at the free speech center of campus, the Stallions in the Quad, to demonstrate in support of Palestine. Organized by the Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC), students and community members led and participated in chants in a seven hour event. Zayna Abdel-Rahim, International Relations major, then led students on a march through the Quad to Old Main. The protest was Texas State’s most widely attended protest at the Stallions this year. Abdel-Rahim told KVUE:
“I’ve noticed that Texas State does not have a very … politically active community, especially when it comes to protests. I recognize that could be due to the risk that comes with doing an event like this, but it’s just important that if no one else is doing it, I think we should be doing it.”
Several student organizations were in attendance no arrests or major issues arose during the event.
Research Conference Honorable Mention: Martha Izaguirre
Martha Izaguirre, International Relations major, won Honorable Mention at the inaugural
Center for the Study of the Southwest Undergraduate Research Conference. Martha’s original research highlights the mental and physical effect on Mexican migrant workers under the Braceros Program. She specifically analyzes the underlying causes of mental and physical decline of Mexican migrant workers due do causes such as lack of food, resources, violation of contracts, and the risk of deportation.
Gradaute Thesis Award: Sierra Bligh
Sierra Bligh, M.A. in International Studies, won the Graduate Colleges’ Outstanding Master’s Thesis in the Social Sciences, Education, and Business. Sierra’s thesis, “Feminist Foreign Policy: Analyzing the Core Values and Identities of Feminist States” explores the ways in which states such as Sweden, Canada, and France have developed and implement Feminist Foreign Policy on issues related to gender inequality, poverty, global security, and the economic empowerment of women. Sierra’s thesis was chaired by Dr. Franziska Newell in the Department of Political Science.
IS Minor Awarded Fulbright to Germany
Carol-Ann Veretto, International Studies minor, was the sole undergraduate student at Texas State University to be an awarded Fulbright Student Scholarship to Germany. As part of the English Teaching Assistantship program (ETA), Carol-Ann will teach English and American culture in a primary, secondary, or post-secondary school in the Hamburg/Bremen region in Germany to prepare for admission into a graduate program in German Studies.
Student Wins Gilman Fellowship to Morocco
Zayna Abdel-Rahim, International Relations major and Diplomacy minor, was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study in Morocco in summer 2024. This is Zayna’s second time winning a State Department scholarship where she will serve as a citizen diplomat, having previously won the Critical Language Scholarship to study in Japan summer 2023.