Bridging the Gap

On Tuesday, I participated in the Fletcher School’s “Bridging the Gap” idea fest.  Organized by Dan Drezner, the concept involved drawing scholars from a wide range of experiences into a conversation about the size, relevance, and tractability of the divide between policy practitioners and the academy.  We debated whether the “gap” was growing or shrinking, how graduate education could mend relations, how scholars could approach practitioner concerns, and whether the emerging structure of the academy (in terms of graduate preparation, hiring, and promotion) was sustainable.

Storify record is available here (thanks @caidid !) , other materials here. My own contribution addressed the role of social media in bridging the gap.  I argued, from the experience of my book, that social media and other forms of online engagement broadened and deepened peer review, resulting in more rigorous work while also making that work more accessible and more widely known.

Best part was getting to meet Sarah Kendzior, Michael Horowitz, and Erin Simpson, as well as to reconnect with old friends such as Drezner, Mira Sucharov, and Mike Desch.