Dr. Chris Jackson, Loyola Marymount University (LMU) International Relations and Political Science professor, is about to complete one year of being a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Education Ambassador. In this role, he prepares students for government, policy, and NGO work through simulations, hands-on experience, and assignments tailored to current global events. Jackson is committed to global learning, shaping his students to be persons with and for others.
The CFR Education Ambassadors Program is an eight-month program that provides participating professors pedagogical resources and materials to integrate into their classes, professional development activities, and a national network of educators. Professors meet every couple of weeks to share the practices and lessons in their classes that worked well for students, ask about lessons they want to try, and compare resources. Jackson has greatly valued the connections he has made with other educators and how the material has enhanced the curriculum of his courses.
“I think a lot of faculty perhaps get stuck in their ways, and it’s good to evolve a bit and be open to criticism and critique,” Jackson said. “If you’re doing something like this, by nature, you’re going to encounter new opportunities and new ideas.”
One of Jackson’s main simulations includes a project in which students in his global economy course have to design a structural adjustment program for a country with an economic crisis.
“I hope to help students develop what they would expect to be doing in a work environment, if they were to go into policy analysis or working in an NGO – the type of work that would be expected to do in a group like working on a specific problem and finding their own sources of material,” Jackson said. “I think many students have been receptive to that, that it’s a bit more of a skill-based rather than just knowledge-based outcome. I’ve had a few students contact me since I first [created the project] that are using their portions of the project as writing samples or sample material for job applications.”
The ambassadorship has also helped Jackson develop his teaching style and the way he approaches his curriculum. From talking through the challenges of AI with other professors to finding a balance between giving students what they need to know while keeping lessons engaging, the CFR program provides opportunities and resources to refine pedagogical skills and redefine global education.
Written by Abby Alexander