Kennedy '76 named VP for int'l affairs
Nick Werle
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Campus News
David Kennedy '76, a professor of law and director of the European Law Research Center at Harvard Law School, will become Brown's first vice president for international affairs, President Ruth Simmons announced Saturday after a meeting of the Corporation. Kennedy, who will lead the University's effort to raise its global profile, will take his post in January 2008.
"David has been one of the major forces in the teaching of international law at Harvard for many years now and has developed an incredibly rich network of relationships with institutions and scholars around the world," Provost David Kertzer '69 P'95 P'98, who co-chaired the search committee for the new vice president, told The Herald. "He knows government leaders and major figures in the academic world, so he brings a tremendous set of resources for Brown to build up relationships."
Since the University's internationalization committee, which was established in October 2006, released its report in early September, the administration has largely been waiting for the arrival of the vice president for the effort to continue. The report - a wide-ranging exploration of what Brown can do to raise its international profile and expand its connections to institutions abroad - makes clear that the vice president will drive the effort and determine the implementation of specific proposals.
Kennedy's appointment this weekend allows the internationalization agenda to move forward.
"I think the most important thing is that Brown make the transition to a global university in its own way," Kennedy said. "Brown has a very special ethos, a special ethic and approach to education, and I don't think that Brown needs to start down a 'me-too-ism' road. I think we need to find our own way."
In many ways, Kennedy said, he conceives of the internationalization effort as similar to Brown's emergence in the mid-twentieth century as a national-caliber university, and he eschews following established models.
"David has been one of the major forces in the teaching of international law at Harvard for many years now and has developed an incredibly rich network of relationships with institutions and scholars around the world," Provost David Kertzer '69 P'95 P'98, who co-chaired the search committee for the new vice president, told The Herald. "He knows government leaders and major figures in the academic world, so he brings a tremendous set of resources for Brown to build up relationships."
Since the University's internationalization committee, which was established in October 2006, released its report in early September, the administration has largely been waiting for the arrival of the vice president for the effort to continue. The report - a wide-ranging exploration of what Brown can do to raise its international profile and expand its connections to institutions abroad - makes clear that the vice president will drive the effort and determine the implementation of specific proposals.
Kennedy's appointment this weekend allows the internationalization agenda to move forward.
"I think the most important thing is that Brown make the transition to a global university in its own way," Kennedy said. "Brown has a very special ethos, a special ethic and approach to education, and I don't think that Brown needs to start down a 'me-too-ism' road. I think we need to find our own way."
In many ways, Kennedy said, he conceives of the internationalization effort as similar to Brown's emergence in the mid-twentieth century as a national-caliber university, and he eschews following established models.