BIARI Begins!

The Brown International Advanced Research Institutes kicks off its sixth year.

June 16, 2014

Last week marked the beginning of the sixth consecutive Brown International Advanced Research Institutes (BIARI). Hosted by the Watson Institute, BIARI brings together early-career scholars from the Santander Universities network and from institutions across the Global South whose work addresses pressing global issues. In addition to connecting people crossculturally, BIARI's objective is to further Watson's mission of seeking to promote a just and peaceful world through research, teaching, and public engagement. 

This year, 131 participants from 49 countries have come together in four institutes convened by Brown faculty. Over the course of two weeks, they will explore new approaches to enduring global problems. The Institutes are Ethnicity, Conflict and Inequality; Human Security and Humanitarian Response; Population and Development; and Connections and Flows. 

The intensive residential program includes lectures, discussions, grant-writing seminars, expert panels, and film screenings. Ambassador Nirupama Rao, in residence at Watson, delivered the keynote address on Wednesday, June 11, on the topic "The Meeting of East and West: A View from India." This final week of BIARI will include, notably, a "post-disaster" simulation of the aftermath of a class five hurricane, as well as a traditional New England clambake.