Ask Professor Zheng Wang

Dr. Zheng Wang is the Director of the School of Diplomacy's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, coordinator of the graduate specialization in Global Negotiation and Conflict Management, and Seton Hall University's 2016-2017 Researcher of the Year. He is the recipient of a Luce Foundation Grant promoting dialogue on the South China Sea, and the author of Never Forget National Humiliation: Historical Memory in Chinese Politics and Foreign Relations - recognized by the International Studies Association as the best book of the year.

By placing negotiations in the context of global politics and cultures, this specialization aims to help students to explore the role of negotiation in preventing, managing, or resolving conflicts. Courses investigate the dynamics of conflict management, peace-building and reconciliation.

Using simulations and negotiation role plays in class, students are empowered in the roles of negotiator, mediator, facilitator, and problem solver. Students also review and assess historical and modern day case studies. Regular simulation exercises produce a clearer understanding of:

• How to pursue national interests in international organizations
• How to carry out foreign policy in a sensitive negotiation
• How to convincingly present a group position and influence and persuade others

The ability to negotiate and manage conflicts effectively has become an essential skill in international diplomacy, as well as in our organizational and personal settings. Students seeking careers in the diplomatic service, government, international organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations and advocacy work benefit from enhancing their negotiation performance and their ability to persuade and build consensus.