Voices on Peace and War
Sponsored Student Experiences
John and Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center — a Norwich University academic center of excellence.
Experiential Learning
The John and Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center promotes academic enhancement with hands-on learning experiences for students interested in peace and war topics. Students affiliated with the us take on leadership roles in the activities that we promote. These activities enhance academics and the overall intellectual culture of the university and build leadership capacity. Students who work with us gain valuable experience developing and completing projects themselves and honing analytical skills to assess, critique, and interpret complex problems. Their work with the center provides the foundation to help them succeed in their chosen careers and become leaders at various levels.
Contact Us
Anyone interested in contributing to our work is invited to connect with us at peaceandwar@norwich.edu.
W. Travis Morris, Ph.D., Director, Peace & War Center | wmorris@norwich.edu
Yangmo Ku, Ph.D., Associate Director, Peace & War Center | yku@norwich.edu
Megan Liptak, M'09, Assistant Director, Peace & War Center | mliptak@norwich.edu
2024 Olmsted Field Excursion: Philippines
Olmsted Field Excursion
Since 2005, the center has received annual funding from The Olmsted Foundation for overseas travel and cultural immersion trips for Norwich students on track to commission as active-duty officers in the U.S. armed forces through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. Past locations include Morocco, the Philippines, the Balkans, Tanzania, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Croatia, Senegal, El Salvador, Chile, Turkey, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia.
John & Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center Fellowship
The fellowship is open to all Norwich students interested in peace and war topics, regardless of major. Fellows serve as panelists or speakers at premier events, researching special projects, and assisting VIP guests.
Richard S. Schultz ’60 Symposium Fellowship
The Richard S. Schultz ’60 Symposium Fellowship was established in 2017 as an endowed fund in honor of “Dick” by his wife of fifty years, Myrna L. Schultz, their children, Marni and Alan, and his classmates and friends.
International Forum for Peace, Security & Prosperity
The John and Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center sponsors Norwich students to attend the International Forum for Peace, Security & Prosperity. Founded in 2019, the forum promotes historical learning, education, and dialogue on lasting peace, security, and prosperity in the digital age.
Signature Events
The John and Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center annually hosts two signature events on campus - the Norwich University Military Writers' Symposium, held in the fall, and the Norwich University Peace & War Summit, held in the spring. Both events bring nationally recognized experts to campus to discuss critical peace and war topics. Students are invited to participate as speakers, moderators and audience members for these events.
Lectures & Events
During the Academic Year, the center hosts a variety of guest lecturers who present on peace and war topics. These presentations are open to the entire Norwich community.
On the Margins of Europe: War Before the War
In collaboration with the Sullivan Museum and History Center, the center hosted a photo exhibition by award winning Russian photojournalist and Senior Peace & War Center Fellow, Dmitri Beliakov.
View the photo exhibitTransnational Eco-Fascism: Exploiting the Climate Crisis
This lecture focuses on the power of language, especially the discursive construction of a transnational eco-fascist environmentalist movement. Presentation by Senior Peace & War Center Fellow, Dr. Eszter Szenes.
View the Transnational Eco-Fascism lectureLikeWar: The New Weaponization of Social Media
The Norwich University Military Writers’ Symposium and the Todd Lecture Series welcomed distinguished futurist and author Peter Warren Singer on September 25, 2019 to give the keynote lecture of the annual symposium.
View the 2019 annual symposium keynote on YouTubeVoices on Peace and War
Voices on Peace and War
The New Russian Roulette: Taliban Edition
Russia and the Taliban formalized a military-technical cooperation agreement in May 2026, reflecting a broader Russian effort to deepen ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban government through diplomatic recognition and security cooperation rather than a formal military alliance. The agreement focuses on maintaining and repairing Afghanistan’s existing Soviet- and Russian-made military equipment, allowing Moscow to become a key security partner for the Taliban while expanding its influence in Central Asia amid rising tensions with Pakistan. The author argues that the deal is part of a larger geopolitical trend in which Russia and other authoritarian states fill the strategic vacuum left by U.S. disengagement from Afghanistan, highlighting the need for continued American attention and regional engagement despite not recognizing the Taliban regime.
Voices on Peace and War