ASU faculty prepares student for Hague Talks

The faculty at ASU are dedicated to helping students achieve their goals, sometimes you just have to ask to get their help.

This is true for Alexa Magee who went the extra mile outside of the classroom. Magee, who is a senior majoring in Global Studies, can attribute many of the opportunities she’s received to her initiative in reaching out to professors who shared her academic interests.  

“[The] professors at the School of Politics and Global Studies (SPGS) are some of the best and most supportive faculty members at ASU. Through my global studies professors, I have gained access to some of the most unique and valuable academic opportunities available. I not only found a subject I was interested in pursuing as a career — my professors helped me take this interest to the next level. From speaking to friends and colleagues at other universities, this level of support is unique to SPGS.”

Alexa has worked with a number of School of Politics and Global Studies faculty outside of the classroom. In 2011, she worked as a research assistant to George Thomas, a professor in SPGS, studying religious rights cases in regional human rights courts. After that, Magee joined Victor Peskin, an associated professor in SPGS, as a research assistant examining the budget and activities of the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court.

“Both experiences not only helped me learn more about the specific research topics, but also made me more confident in my interest in a career in law," Magee said. "The information I learned helped me in class and provided me with important context for my internships both in the US and abroad.”

Following up her work within the School, Magee joined the Center on the Future of War as a student researcher. Through working with Daniel Rothenberg, a School of Politics and Global Studies professor and co-director of the center, Magee learned about armed conflict from a multidisciplinary perspective.

“Future of War fellows and student researchers come from many different academic backgrounds, bringing different insights to the challenges of regulating and conducting future wars.”

Magee took the experience she gained as a researcher on her trip abroad to The Hague in Netherlands. The Hague is the home of the U.N.’s International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. Being in The Hague allowed Alexa to meet people from across the world — from Russia and Ethiopia to Tajikistan.

While in the Netherlands, Magee was a Media Office and Outreach Programme intern with the International Criminal Tribunal.  She also had the opportunity to be a speaker at Hague Talks, which is a meeting place to discuss new ideas and perspectives regarding peace and justice.

“Being a speaker at Hague Talks was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences during my time abroad," Magee said. "My talk was connected to The Third Hague Peace Conference, which focused on promoting humanity in times of war and supporting the development of international peace ... . If it was not for speaking at Hague Talks, I do not know how else I would have learned from and connected with them."