About Us

The GW Center for the Study of Globalization (GWCSG) has been operating as a research center on campus since 2000. The GWCSG is part of a four-university consortium called the Globalization Research Network. Joining GW in the consortium are the University of Hawaii at Manoa, UCLA, and the University of South Florida. The four universities collaborate on research and on public education programs addressing globalization issues.

Globalization is one of the most controversial and talked-about topics today. The subject is being debated not just by academics and policy makers. It is a topic of everyday interest to people as well. Everyday there is something in the paper or on television that seems to be a part of this phenomenon people are calling globalization. The Globalization Research Network was founded by the U.S. Congress to help the public understand the forces driving globalization and the implications of globalization for business strategy and government policy, as well as the effects of globalization on people's day-to-day lives. The GWCSG will conduct research on different aspects of globalization and use these findings to help people gain a better understanding of what globalization is all about, and how it affects them.

To meet its mission, GWCSG funds research at GW and promotes public education on the various forces that are driving globalization, the implications of globalization for business strategy and government policy, and the effects of globalization on people's day-to-day lives. The GWCSG works on collaborative research initiatives with the Globalization Research Network to develop new areas of research expertise on globalization. A description of GWCSG research projects can be found at our research page, and principle findings from the research are captured in our Occasional Paper Series. "The GWCSG can play a valuable role as a synergist across the university," says Prof. John Forrer, director of the GW center. "We would like to build on the efforts that are in place now addressing globalization and support increased collaboration across disciplines and schools within GW. If a topic of study has ever lent itself to interdisciplinary and collaborative research, it's globalization."

Building on these research efforts and responding to the growing interest among students about globalization, GWCSG organizes events on globalization for audiences both on campus and for the interested public outside of campus.