international security

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins presents “The Erosion of Arms Control, Multilateralism, and the Rule of Law”

The University of Georgia’s Benson-Bertsch Center for International Trade & Security hosted Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins this week as part of their ongoing Global Decisions Series. Ambassador Jenkins presented a talk entitled “The Erosion of Arms Control, Multilateralism, and the Rule of Law”, where she discussed the role of norms and international law in upholding and rebuilding the global world order.

Two Georgia Law students, Patrick Clarke (J.D. ’28) and Madisson Grant (J.D. ’28), met with Ambassador Jenkins at a lunch hosted by the Dean Rusk International Law Center following the talk. Three UGA undergraduates who are current fellows in the Richard B. Russell Security Leadership program—Emily Hwang, Claire Scafidi, and Abby Wright—participated in the lunch as well. The students spoke with Ambassador Jenkins about her career in public service and their interests in international affairs and international law.

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins served as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs from 2021-2024, during which time she was appointed to lead the Department of State’s implementation of AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership among Australia, the UK, and the US. She is currently the Shapiro Visiting Professor in International Affairs at George Washington University and the Compton Visiting Professor of World Politics at the University of Virginia. Ambassador Jenkins is the founder and Executive Director of WCAPS (Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation). She served in the US military for 22 years as a Staff Sargent in the Office of the Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Air Force and as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Virginia, an LL.M. in international and comparative law from the Georgetown University Law Center, an MPA from SUNY Albany and a JD from Albany Law School.

Special thanks to Professor Maryann Gallagher, Director of the Security Leadership Program, and to Mandy Dixon, International Professional Education Manager at the Rusk Center, for their coordination and logistical support of this event.

Nomsa Ndongwe, Research Fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, speaks at Georgia Law

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) Research Fellow Nomsa Ndongwe spoke to students about careers in international law and contemporary security challenges this week at the University of Georgia School of Law.

Ndongwe discussed her own career trajectory and current work in nonproliferation at CNS. She identified several skills aspiring international lawyers can work towards in law school, including learning languages and developing subject matter expertise. Ndongwe championed the importance of professional networking, building relationships with peers, and making use of the resources available to students at Georgia Law, like the Career Development Office and the Dean Rusk International Law Center. She also answered student questions about the use of artificial intelligence in international law, current proceedings in international courts, and global nuclear security challenges.

Ndongwe is a Co-founder of the WCAPS West Coast Chapter, and an N-Square Innovators Network Fellow 2020 – 2021. As of January 2022, she co-leads the CNS Young Women in Nonproliferation Initiative, is a School of International Futures Mentor 2023, and served as a Girl Security mentor. She is also a part of the P5 –Young Professionals Network (YPN) 2022-2023 cohort. She has a Master of Arts in Nonproliferation, Terrorism Studies, and Financial Crime Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She obtained her first degree, an LLB Single (Hons) degree at Brunel University, and her Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC) from the University of Law in Guildford, UK.

Previously, she served as diplomat for the Zimbabwe Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva, focusing mainly on the Disarmament portfolio and International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Nomsa is a featured non-proliferation panelist/moderator for the Ploughshares Foundation, Harvard Belfer Center, Trinity College DC, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) New York, Naval Postgraduate School, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), N Square Innovators Network and Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).