University of California, Riverside (UCR) School of Public Policy (SPP) welcomed distinguished alumni Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann for a talk on shifts in United States (U.S.) foreign policy. Currently the President of the American Academy of Diplomacy — where SPP runs a summer program — Neumann is an expert in his field and has experience serving as ambassador to Afghanistan, Bahrain and Algeria.
Founded over 40 years ago, the American Academy of Diplomacy is an exclusive organization with just under 400 members, including most of the senior diplomats of the last several decades. “It’s completely non-governmental and has two purposes. One is talking to the administration of Congress about how to make diplomacy better. The other is talking to Americans about what diplomacy is, why it’s important [and] why it should be supported. So this program is very much about supporting better diplomacy and better understanding,” explained Ambassador Neumann.
Neumann has had a long career working in foreign policy and for students considering this career path, the former ambassador provided candid advice: “If you like certainty, pick another career.” First-year Masters of Public Policy student and SPP Dean Ambassador Paula Omokhomion echoed similar advice, stating, “there’s no certainty in this line of work; so you always need to be prepared for surprises along the way.”
Outlining the unpredictable route of a career in public policy, Neumann encouraged audience members to “do anything that gives you a taste of the real world, of how people who are in the middle of doing things. Seeing them is going to be somehow a little different from studying it in books. It doesn’t mean the books are wrong, but it’s a different perspective, and if you are interested in public policy, it gives you a little flavor of what that work could be like. And if that flavor excites you, you can go on. It’s good. If that flavor is not what you like, it’s time to rethink,” advised Neumann.
SPP’s Director of External Engagement Mark Manalang emphasized the significance of hosting events like this for the broader community, especially with all of the “new policies coming out of the current administration … we are all about bringing policy experts — whether they be policymakers, practitioners, or researchers — so we wanted to do this as a service to the community.”
This event was open to the public and attracted a large crowd of UCR students, faculty and community members as well as, elected officials, folks from governmental offices, high school students and students from other universities and community colleges, because, as Manalang explained, “this is a very topical issue.”
SPP Dean Mark Long remarked on how successful the event was, “It was a great success. We had almost a standing room only audience. The room was beautiful, and we’re grateful to the School of Medicine for allowing us to have the events here, so I could not be more happier with how the event is going.”
Manalang held similar sentiments explaining, “I think it is a great success … full house, and we also had great questions. And that is very indicative of there being a lot of questions out there, and it’s so great that [people] are able to direct that to somebody who can answer those questions, or at least try to help them make sense of what’s going on.”
Dean Long noted how the event aligns with the SPP motto, “Solutions for the region, solutions for the world,” explaining “We like to bring in speakers who can help us develop those solutions. And I think this event helped us along that way, particularly on the solutions for the world.”
Omokhomion also remarked on the success of the event, emphasizing that “This event was a success not just because of the turnout but because of the quality of discussion … Many people live in a bubble when discussing policy, and conversations tend to be one-sided, but Ambassador Neumann made sure we talked about the realities on the ground.”
Like Omokhomion, first year Public Policy Major Shivani Narang is an SPP Dean ambassador who helped with the promotion of the event. She explained that “events like these are really important … You know, no matter what major you are, you’re welcome to these events. I think it’s really important that people of all majors are exposed to these kinds of experiences and this information.”
Both Narang and Omokhomion expressed just how important events like this are in exposing students to real world policy making and creating lasting professional connections. Echoing the sentiments made by Ambassador Neumann in his talk that “one handshake can connect you to many world leaders,” Omokhomion encouraged everyone to start getting involved with their field of interest as soon as possible.
“There were many high school students here today, and that’s very important for their future, because he has so much experience. And they come here and they listen and they say, oh, maybe I’ll go into foreign policy or public policy, or something related to that,” said Omokhomion.
For those interested in future discussions, the School of Public Policy regularly hosts lecture events on topical policy issues, including an upcoming debate on social media regulations for minors and higher education opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Omokhomion and Narang encouraged students and community members to follow SPP’s events and engage with the broader policy landscape. As Ambassador Neumann put it, “Life is uncertain — it is more uncertain than it was two months ago,” but with open minds and a willingness to engage with the complexities of policy, today’s students can become tomorrow’s leaders in diplomacy.
