embassy events

International Relations Expert Speaks at Prague Conference

Institute of International Relations

The American Information Center Prague facilitated the participation of Ward Thomas, a College of the Holy Cross scholar and expert on international relations theory, in a Prague conference entitled “Foreign Policy: Between Profits and Principles”. The event was held on November 7-8 at the Czech Foreign Ministry and was organized by the Prague Institute of International Relations.

It brought together world’s leading experts on the role of ethics and norms in international relations and addressed, inter alia, the issue of whether the size of a country determines the degree of its willingness and/or need to abide by principles and norms while dealing with other countries. Mr. Thomas approached this central question using the case study of U.S. foreign policy and arrived at a conclusion, shared by many at the conference, that not even superpowers can afford to ignore established norms of interstate conduct.