On November 28, 2018, the Academic Exchange and Sharing Group of the Graduate School of International Relations welcomed Dr. Mark Gabriel Little, former US Congressman assistant, to discuss the US midterm elections and global climate change. Li Hangmin, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the School of International Relations, attended the event and all graduate students participated.

Dr. Mark Gabriel Little is the Executive Director of the GeneticAutonomous Institute and a Director and Founder of the NCGrowth EDA University Center. He received a Ph.D. in geology and geophysics from Rice University and a BS in Earth and Planetary Science from Harvard University. He has served as an assistant to the US Congress, a consultant to the Canadian Independent Energy Company, and a senior researcher at the Genetic Autonomous Institute.

At the sharing meeting, Dr.Little engaged in in-depth discussions with the students on various aspects of the US midterm elections. He used his extensive experience as an assistant to the US Congress to offer pertinent insights regarding the political influence of the parties in the US Congress, the different roles of the parliament and their committees, the procedures of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the prerogatives of the president of the United States, especially Trump's views on foreign policy.

SIR’s graduate students commented that the Dr. Little’s guest lecture has enabled them to gain cutting-edge knowledge, understand how President Trump is seen in the eyes of Americans andbroaden their academic horizons.

The students agreed that the first-hand information will enhance their research capabilities.