Ralph Bunche left a rich legacy of achievement wherever his career took him—from Harvard University to Africa and eventually the United Nations.

RALPH BUNCHE, THE PERSON AND HIS LEGACY

Ralph Bunche left a rich legacy of achievement wherever his career took him—UCLA, Harvard University, Howard University, field research in Africa, the Office of Strategic Services, the US State Department, and the United Nations. He was propelled into the international limelight in 1950 when awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his successful role as UN mediator in the negotiations that led to the armistice between Israel and its four Arab neighbors—Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Prior to this, Bunche made his mark as a scholar-activist in the struggle for civil rights in the United States and against colonialism in Africa. He became the chief troubleshooter for peace, called upon by Secretaries-General Trygve Lie, Dag Hammarskjöld, and U Thant. The centenary of the birth of the institute’s namesake in 2003-2004 was celebrated worldwide under the catalytic impetus of the Centenary Committee. The institute continues to honor the legacy of Ralph Bunche by encouraging scholarship about international institutions and excellence in public service.

INSTITUTE BACKGROUND

The Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies engages in research, graduate training, and public education about international affairs and contemporary global problem-solving with a focus on multilateralism and international institutions. Founded in 1973 as the Ralph Bunche Institute on the United Nations, it was renamed in 2001 and given a broader interdisciplinary scope with the mandate to support and further strengthen international studies at The Graduate Center. Under the directorship of Thomas G. Weiss, presidential professor of political science, the institute provides a congenial setting for the activities by faculty and visiting scholars with international portfolios and research; and it facilitates the mentoring of graduate students. The institute is governed by a faculty advisory council. An external advisory board is being reconstituted.

Located minutes from UN headquarters in mid-town Manhattan, the institute draws not only on a distinguished faculty across The City University of New York and other universities and colleges in the metropolitan area and worldwide, but also on analysts, policymakers, practitioners, and graduate students. The institute houses a number of projects at The Graduate Center that seek to improve the understanding and practice of international cooperation. It also hosts visiting scholars and graduate students from around the world who wish to take advantage of the institute’s unusual access to international organizations and expertise.