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Reflection on Professor English's Visit



Ian's event which hosted Professor English was one of the most informative GIP events I have attended. Through his expertise, Professor English articulated many of the nuances which often go unnoticed when discussing foreign policy regarding Russia. He started off the night by helping the crowd gain a better understanding of Russia's recent history, and how that can affect the average Russian's outlook on life, but more concretely how President Putin may have been affected by Russia's tough history. After giving a brief synopsis of that history, he touched upon the domestic politics of Russia and Putin's rule. After which he analyzed many of Russia's foreign policy decisions from an American and Russian perspective, providing a better understanding of the reasons behind each decision. However what was amazing about this event was not the knowledge professor English brought with him, but rather the way he presented it. Throughout the night he was re-affirming as well as debunking many common-held beliefs about Russia. However, he simultaneously did his best to break overarching stereotypes and presented Russia as a nation filled with people, not a "huge giant looming over America". Dr. English pointed out the amidst the chaos occurring in the political sphere it's important to rely on facts over demagoguery, and have face-to-face/person-to-person diplomacy. I left this event with much more than I came in with, on a political, intellectual, and practical scale.

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