has a collection of anecdotes from years of simulation exercises.
One year, students role-playing as the Russian team hacked into rivals鈥� email accounts. Another time, the North Korean group threatened to storm out over a misspelled name tag. Pekkanen once sent team members to separate rooms to cool down during a heated strategy debate.
This is all part of , a capstone experience for (MAAIS) students. Pekkanen, professor in the Jackson School of International Studies, said he boldly hopes it will be the best class students take at the 91探花.
鈥淚 hear from students years later and they tell me, 鈥業 really remember that. That was a great negotiation exercise, and I use some of these things from the class in my professional career,鈥欌�� Pekkanen said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really rewarding for me because that鈥檚 my goal.鈥�
The centerpiece of the course is the (ISCNE), an annual event facilitated by MAAIS and the at the U.S. Army War College, which Pekkanen calls 鈥渋deal partners.鈥� Offered in the spring, the course is open to graduate, undergraduate and non-matriculated students.
Each year, MAAIS and the U.S. Army War College collaborate to select a real-world crisis scenario. Students then act as members of diplomatic teams from different countries and hold strategic negotiations in person over a two-day period. Past scenarios included a and a . The plan for next year is an .
Pekkanen was instrumental in creating the course when the MAAIS program, which began in the 2014-15 school year, was in its planning stages. While getting his doctorate degree from Harvard University, Pekkanen was invited to a high-level simulation exercise by faculty members. The simulation featured crises in Northeast and Southeast Asia, and introduced Pekkanen to an entirely new method of learning about international relations and politics. The experience stuck with him, and he wanted to bring a similar opportunity to the UW.
鈥淪tudents learn negotiation, teamwork and leadership,鈥� Pekkanen said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e getting those practical skills, and that also kind of differentiates it from other classes. That was my vision at the beginning: I wanted to give students a simulation experience that鈥檚 a kind of practical learning. It鈥檚 also something they鈥檒l remember their whole careers.鈥�
takes place in 2024 with the People鈥檚 Republic of China hosting diplomatic delegations from North Korea, Japan, the Russian Federation, South Korea and the United States. The goal is to restart Six Party Talks and bring an end to the standoff over North Korea鈥檚 nuclear program.
Students will role-play as diplomats charged with negotiating a solution that will serve the national interests of their assigned countries while also bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. Leading up to the event, the class received background briefings on the Korean Peninsula, leadership and teambuilding, and negotiation tactics.
鈥淚f students are on the South Korean team, they try to figure out what South Korea鈥檚 policy should be and then they try to act in that way,鈥� Pekkanen said. 鈥淭hen they get to see how the U.S. responds and how China responds and how North Korea responds.
鈥淎s a result, they uncover something about the dynamics of relations in Northeast Asia that’s different from what they can learn through our usual format of lectures and showing their understanding in essays.鈥�
Teams are also paired with high-level mentors, who don鈥檛 make decisions but are there to enhance learning and monitor group dynamics. This gives students the opportunity to work with U.S. diplomats, business executives, military leaders and 91探花faculty.
鈥淲e encourage mentors to ask questions like, 鈥榊ou know, I wonder what Japan鈥檚 position is on that?鈥� This kind of intervention stimulates student learning,鈥� Pekkanen said. 鈥淢entors are also there in case students say, 鈥榃e have this idea, but would China really do this in the real world?鈥� and they need guidance. They can get a reality check from the mentors who know about what鈥檚 going on.
鈥淭he whole course is designed for the students to learn as much as possible through the three steps of their preparation, the simulation weekend and reflections afterward. I really feel like it is a unique experience at the 91探花.鈥�听
For more information, contact Pekkanen at pekkanen@uw.edu.