Student Highlight: Brock Mays and Clint Gertsch

MIAGE STUDENTS PRESENT POLICY SOLUTIONS AT YOUNG DIPLOMATS FORUM 2017 - RIGA, LATVIA

Meet Brock Mays and Clint Gertsch, two first semester MIAGE students who are hitting the ground running with their global impact. During September of this year, Brock and Clint traveled to the Young Diplomats Forum in Riga, Latvia, where they joined 60+ delegates from all across the world in learning, analyzing, and presenting solutions to some of today’s biggest diplomatic challenges.

For four days, Brock and Clint rubbed shoulders with and learned directly from six ambassadors and other foreign affairs officials, including the former Senior Economic Adviser for NATO’s twelfth Secretary General. Additionally, they had the opportunity to visit and meet with representatives from the Latvian Parliament, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the European Union Representation in Latvia. They even had the opportunity to present policy solutions to other delegates as well as foreign leaders and experts.

Brock decided to attend the Young Diplomats Forum this year because of his relationship with the language and area. Brock lived for two years in Lithuania as a full-time volunteer representative for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following that experience, he completed a study abroad for international relations in Finland. Also during his undergraduate degree, he had the opportunity to present research at the CIA on cultural topography and strategic culture connected to Russia’s relationship with the Baltic states and NATO. When he heard this event was located in Latvia, he just had to go.

One reason Clint decided to attend the Young Diplomats Forum this year is because of its geopolitical location. Latvia borders Russia, is heavily tied to US-Russian relations, and over 30% of the country speaks Russian, a language that Clint is currently studying. Latvia has only been a member of the European Union for about 10 years, which also makes it a unique situation with relationships to the rest of Europe.

When asked what the most beneficial part of this conference was, Clint replied, “all of it,” but if he had to pick three, they would be: (1) networking with and learning from the non-American perspectives of the fellow delegates, (2) networking with and learning from ambassadors and foreign affairs leaders, and (3) completing the Policy Workshop. Brock reported the same three favorites.

For the Policy Workshop, delegates analyzed specific policy areas and created a solution focusing on one of the following subjects: United Nations reforms, post ISIS Middle East, management of the South China Sea, stability in the Black Sea region, or the future of the European Union and Transatlantic Alliance. Brock’s policy solution focused on stability in the Black Sea region, and Clint’s focused on the post ISIS Middle East.

Clint expounded how his team consisted of him, another delegate from America, and delegates from Saudi Arabia, Denmark, and Austria. His team’s solution was geared towards collecting the finances for and then rebuilding Syria’s infrastructure, assuming no ISIS presence. The 15-20 year solution involved attracting wealthy countries to invest in rebuilding with a return benefit of gaining increased access to the Mediterranean Sea and trade routes. This would not only bring in finances for the rebuilding of Syria, but would bring further stabilization through increased trade.

Brock’s policy team consisted of delegates from Russia, Moldova, the United Kingdom, Tunisia, and Australia, with him being the only American. The most interesting part of this exercise for Brock was to experience how effective diplomacy works. Initially there was a divide in views between the Russian delegate and him and the delegate from the United Kingdom. Despite this, the delegates were able to talk through and understand the differences to come up with a mutually beneficial solution to the issue.

Both Brock and Clint shared how they are excited to implement these experiences into their current graduate degrees. Brock explained that he has already used his enhanced knowledge for a synthesis paper in the MIAGE Foundations class. Clint explained that the MIAGE program is further giving him access to opinions and research he would have a difficult time accessing otherwise. One thing is for sure, if the experience of these two students in the first weeks of school is a demonstration on how the next two years will be, then great things can be expected of both of them. 

 

 

 

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