Faculty and Staff

Penn State names inaugural director for School of International Affairs

University Park, Pa. -- Tiyanjana Maluwa, the H. Laddie Montague chair in law at Penn State's Dickinson School of Law, has been named the inaugural director of Penn State's new School of International Affairs. Maluwa's appointment is effective immediately and will run through June 30, 2009, following which the University will undertake a national search for a director.

Maluwa's first priority as director will be to build a core faculty for the school. "I will embark aggressively upon the process of identifying the most highly qualified people in both academic and diplomatic disciplines from throughout the world," he said. "My goal is to put in place the necessary academic and organizational infrastructure that will enable the school to establish its credentials as a highly regarded member of the community of professional schools of international affairs worldwide. In the short term, the immediate goal is to establish a unique environment for learning and professional development for Penn State graduate students and to prepare them, through increasing their understanding of international affairs, for professional careers in both national and international public service in an increasingly interdependent world."

Following several academic appointments at leading universities in Africa and Europe, Maluwa was appointed the first chief counsel to the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) and subsequently the first legal adviser to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, under the leadership of Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland. During the course of his career, Maluwa also has been invited to undertake several high-level diplomatic assignments on behalf of the United Nations and other international organizations, including his appointment as U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Nigeria in 1997 and, more recently, his co-authorship of a draft African Anti-Terrorism Model Law for the African Union. Currently, Maluwa serves at the invitation of the government of Sweden as a member of the International Jury for the Stockholm Prize in Criminology, in addition to holding several other distinguished appointments.

"Dr. Maluwa's professional background combines a long academic career with substantial international diplomatic experience and public service, most recently with the United Nations. Serving as the director of Penn State's new School of International Affairs is the perfect opportunity for him to bring all of this experience to bear on an incredibly exciting educational initiative," said Rod Erickson, Penn State executive vice president and provost.

Penn State's Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the new school at its January meeting. The school will be a highly interdisciplinary unit that draws extensively upon the intellectual resources of faculty in several academic colleges of the University. The school, which will offer a professional master's degree in international affairs with several specialty concentrations, will be housed administratively within Penn State's Dickinson School of Law. Like the law school, the new school emphasizes the practical applications of knowledge for solving complex social problems and the importance of high ethical standards in a variety of challenging situations. These characteristics, together with the internationalization of law practice and legal education, mean that the two schools will share similar educational objectives.

The School of International Affairs is the latest in a host of international initiatives under President Graham B. Spanier's leadership, including expanded curricular and study-abroad opportunities for Penn State students, the increased presence of international students and scholars at Penn State, and enhanced collaborations between Penn State and key universities in other countries.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated July 22, 2015