Jackson School class takes on Iran issue

[img1]Every Friday, former U.S. Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr. becomes Tony Blair, George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin.

It's no delusion of grandeur; it's a UW exercise in diplomacy.

Graham lends his 27 years of experience in arms control negotiation to the class, which focuses on practical experience in high-stakes international negotiations for the Jackson School.

Students in an upper-division Jackson School class, led by the former ambassador, take part in a 10-week simulated negotiation on Iran's nuclear aspirations.

The students -- both graduate and undergraduate -- take on the roles of 'delegate teams' representing the five permanent U.N. Security Council nations and Iran. Students represent the varied national interests in negotiations over Iran's interest in nuclear energy.

Graham acts as a facilitator for the class and the head of state to each delegate team.

The simulated events in the class have actually begun to mirror current events. In actuality, Iran has not been referred to the U.N. Security Council for an alleged nuclear program, but the subject is due to be addressed by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Feb. 2.

[img2]Anatoliy Chernenko, an international studies major, said he takes the class seriously. The students are expected to follow a suit-and-tie dress code for each session of class, he said.

"It's remarkable how quickly the dynamic of policy conflict takes over and causes people to say things as the representatives of their countries. It suggests that [nuclear proliferation] really is a human problem after all," Graham said.

Associate professor Christopher D. Jones helps Graham facilitate the class. The students are at least familiar with the subject of international law, he said, and many enrolled have also taken Graham's Arms Control and International Law course.

"That's why I do this teaching, to try to encourage a new generation to get involved in arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament, because we simply do need new people. Of course, I obviously can't speak for the students."