The Kellogg Institute for International Studies

Goals

1. RESEARCH, POLICY, AND PRACTICE: Strengthen the University of Notre Dame’s reputation for excellence in interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research in the fields of global democracy and human development.

DEMOCRACY: Democracies around the world are in peril. Some elected governments employ their legitimacy to dismantle democratic institutions from the inside. Polarized societies falter in their commitments to human rights. Complex challenges linked to poverty and inequality exacerbate the difficulties in pursuing more robust democratic structures. Universities owe society a better understanding of the relationship between human development and democracy, and a better framework to connect social science and democratic policy and practice, in order to confront the challenges of our day. The Kellogg Institute has long been an innovator in the study of democracy, and it will continue to invest in the production of scholarship in this area. The University of Notre Dame has identified the study of democracy as one of its strategic foundations for the next decade, while the Keough School of Global Affairs has established the study of Democracy, Governance, Institutions, and Rights as one of its four core research programs. Kellogg creates the intellectual environment to address debates about democracy and autocracy from an interdisciplinary perspective, and offers visiting scholars from around the world a safe space to write about their experiences. Through its Research Clusters and its Labs, the Institute has created pathways to bridge scholarly research with policy and practice. Over the next five years, Kellogg will place a renewed focus on this area by pursuing three strategic objectives:

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: From its inception, the Kellogg Institute focused on questions of human development, informing policy debates about just economic growth and social policy. This area gained new vitality with the introduction of the Ford Family Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity in 2008. The Ford Program supports non-extractive, interdisciplinary research informed by local context and cultures that distinctively promotes the flourishing of individuals. Kellogg is therefore uniquely positioned to advance scholarly inquiry on integral human development through its understanding of inextricable connections between human dignity, rights, and democracy.

Animated by a multidimensional understanding of human development, Kellogg is poised to produce cutting-edge, policy-relevant scholarship that contributes to the University of Notre Dame’s call to be the leading global Catholic research university, and bolsters research agendas in the areas of sustainability and environmental justice, as well as poverty, inequality, and marginalization in the Keough School of Global Affairs. Kellogg envisions a future in which several strategic objectives will reinforce its ability to strengthen interdisciplinary work:

Objectives

1. Advance the production of high-impact research from faculty fellows, visiting fellows, and affiliated students that help democratic actors reverse the erosion of democracy and build more robust institutions.
2. Project the university’s visibility as a leader and convener on questions of democracy with researchers, government officials, business leaders, and human rights actors by anchoring the campus-wide Democracy Initiative, the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project in North America, and the annual Global Democracy Forum.
3. Invest in strategic faculty hires and strengthen fellowships to attract outstanding visiting fellows, doctoral students, and postdoctoral scholars to Kellogg’s intellectual community, with an expanded geographic and disciplinary focus on the study of democracy and human development.
4. Reinforce Integral Human Development as an innovative framework for research, education, and outreach among faculty fellows, visiting scholars, postdoctoral scholars, and students.
5. Build on the historical strength of the Ford Program to advance interdisciplinary research, in collaboration with units across the Keough School and in partnership with communities experiencing multidimensional vulnerabilities and extreme poverty in the Global South.
6. Expand initiatives that will convene top scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in concerted efforts that advance evidence-based policies on issues affecting human development, and the intersection of human development and democracy.

2. TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION: Provide transformative educational programs for undergraduate and graduate students that build on research, policy, and practice, and encourage their connections with the Global South.

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: The Kellogg Institute has long served as a locus for undergraduate students from across campus, including the Keough School of Global Affairs, to acquire research skills, receive support for innovative opportunities to engage with the Global South, and be a constitutive element of a community that is profoundly invested in the study of democracy and human development. In line with the global strategy articulated in Notre Dame’s strategic framework, the Kellogg Institute affirms that every undergraduate should have an opportunity to pursue research on international themes as well as meaningful co-curricular experiences. It is critical to our shared future to inspire the next generation of leaders to invest in these themes and to engage them knowledgeably and competently.

Our programs often challenge students to go beyond their comfort zones. They draw a diverse array of students from campus, both domestic and international. Building on the longstanding success of our Kellogg International Scholars Program, an initiative that connects students and faculty with research and mentorship at the core; our Experiencing the World Fellowships; and the Kellogg/Kroc Undergraduate Research Grants, our objectives will ensure that more students can engage in research opportunities and meaningful co-curricular experiences.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: Since its inception, the Kellogg Institute has dedicated significant financial and human resources toward supporting hundreds of graduate students in the study of democracy and human development. They are attracted to Notre Dame to work with exceptional faculty and benefit from a strong community of scholars that spans the globe. Generous funding, innovative initiatives, and novel approaches to research are among the reasons inspiring doctoral and MGA (Masters in Global Affairs) students to supplement their academic experiences with the intellectual environment of the Kellogg Institute.

As we look toward the next five years, the Institute will respond to an evolving context of global challenges, particularly those affecting democracy, through enhanced financial and educational opportunities as well as interdisciplinary approaches to research. The Institute will also respond to the needs of graduate students pursuing non-academic research careers in fields of policy and practice related to democracy and human development.

Objectives

1. Expand and develop experiential learning opportunities, particularly for first-generation and low-income students, and students who do not have experience in the Global South.
2. Create new opportunities for undergraduate students from across the University, including the Keough School, to be trained and engage in research.
3. Create opportunities for students to learn about democracy and development through collaborative projects with non-governmental and government organizations around the world.
4. Build upon a strong foundation for attracting the most outstanding graduate students by creating new Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellowships for the study of democracy, and expand funding opportunities for research and professional development among graduate students.
5. Explore the ways in which Kellogg affiliate doctoral and MGA students can support the strategic initiatives of the Keough School and, in return, provide graduate students with formative experiences that bridge research with policy and practice.
6. Parallel the Institute’s strategic commitments to faculty by providing opportunities for doctoral and MGA students to contribute to the advancement of research on democracy through the Global Democracy Initiative.

3. PARTNERSHIPS FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND IMPACT: Establish strategic partnerships that advance the University of Notre Dame’s intellectual distinctiveness, community outreach, and policy impact.

Kellogg has earned a distinctive reputation for its ability to foster a culture of hospitality and is recognized for cultivating a interdisciplinary intellectual community, chiefly among those studying democracy and development, or focusing on Africa and Latin America in the Keough School and at the University of Notre Dame more broadly. Such a community is vital to the production of cutting-edge research, the implementation of transformational educational experiences for students, and a compelling translation of the implications of academic research for the world of policy and practice. With this community forming the bedrock of its efforts to identify fruitful partnerships, Kellogg hopes to maintain its core intellectual strengths in the social sciences and area studies, while also seeking avenues to expand its distinctiveness.

To meet the growing needs of a world threatened by challenges to human dignity and democratic institutions, Kellogg will prioritize the expansion of its global intellectual community, pursue pathways for greater collaboration within the Keough School of Global Affairs and the university writ large, and foster strategic partnerships with top research universities, local communities, and organizations in the Global South. This approach sees Kellogg bringing valuable interlocutors into dialogue in ways that are productive with researchers but also the communities with which it hopes to partner. Kellogg’s strong integration with other units in the Keough School in particular will enrich its intellectual community and the strength of its research outputs.

Objectives

1. Expand partnerships with top research universities and institutions whose work and mission fit well with our institutional identity and long-term goals worldwide. Strengthen links to the policy community, leveraging Notre Dame’s Washington presence and global reach, in order to maximize the impact of the Institute’s research, inform future research agendas, and expand educational and professional opportunities for students.
2. Maintain a strong and active University-wide presence, serving as a primary hub for faculty and students in the fields of Latin American Studies and African Studies, and seeking fruitful relationships with university initiatives, departments, institutes, and centers to advance the research aims and educational objectives of the University of Notre Dame.
3. Collaborate with other units and initiatives within the Keough School of Global Affairs, such as the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion; the Global Policy Initiative; the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies; the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights; the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; the Liu Institute for Asian Studies; the McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business; the Nanovic Institute for European Studies; the Poverty, Inequality, and Marginalization (PIM) program; and the Pulte Institute for Global Development; to identify research questions, translate research findings to non-academic audiences; and support faculty, visiting fellows, staff, and graduate students.

 

In carrying out this strategic planning process, the Kellogg Institute sought to reflect and embody the “principles of success” that drive our work – excellence, collaboration, service, diversity, and mission. In the spirit of collaboration, we engaged a diversity of stakeholders to inform, expand, and refine our vision of the future. The successful implementation of this five-year plan will be supported by a detailed implementation plan for each goal. We believe that our unique contributions as a world-class research institute working at the intersection of democracy and human development position us as a force for good for the advancement of human dignity. By building upon our key strengths, the Kellogg Institute will continue to realize its distinctive mandate while supporting the collective aims of the Keough School of Global Affairs and the University of Notre Dame.

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Learn more about the Kellogg Institute by visiting kellogg.nd.edu