Student delegates from 130 colleges and universities nationwide, and from 25 foreign countries, descended upon West Point from November 9 to November 12 for the 68th annual Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA). Started in 1948 to discuss how to rebuild Europe in the wake of World War II, SCUSA attracts outstanding scholars and practitioners each year to guide hundreds of students through discussions of some of the most important foreign policy problems facing the United States.
This year’s SCUSA was themed “Democracy & Democratization: Challenges & Opportunities” and featured 15 panel discussions on topics related to this theme, including political radicalism, ethno-religious conflict, economic development, democracy promotion, and several national or regional roundtables (Europe, Iran, Latin America, etc.). Led by CPOCs, or a Cadet Point of Contact, each panel, comprised of between 10 and 20 student delegates, discussed scholarly papers relevant to its topic, generated problem statements and courses of action surrounding that topic, and drafted a policy paper influenced by their discussion that could potentially impact U.S. foreign policy.
Endowed by the West Point Class of 1971 and the Olmsted Foundation, this year’s SCUSA featured a keynote address by Dr. Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations. While primarily an academic conference, SCUSA is also about fostering relationships: as Colonel Suzanne Nielsen ’90, Professor and Head of the Department of Social Sciences (host department for SCUSA), says, “Given the importance of strong civil-military relations for the health of American democracy, it is our hope that SCUSA will strengthen mutual understanding and trust among conference participants.”
Topic and Regional Roundtable Photos | Wednesday Event Photos | SCUSA 68 Instagram