Virginia Haufler (M.A./Ph.D. Cornell University) is a Professor of International Relations in the Department of Government and Politics. She is affiliated with the Center for International Development and Conflict Management. Her research focuses on the changing nature of governance in the global political economy, especially issues of accountability and authority of corporations in a world of sovereign states but global companies. Her work broadly examines global governance, private authority, and corporate social responsibility in diverse policy arenas, including finance, conflict prevention, climate change, and food.
In 2022 Prof. Haufler was awarded a competitive Fulbright Canada-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellow. She spent Fall 2022 in Montreal affiliated with the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, writing and conducting research. For the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, she participated in workshops and institutions while mentoring graduate student scholarship students. The fellowship was extended an extra two years to align with the three-year terms of the rest of the 2022 cohort of fellows, mentors and students.
Dr. Haufler is currently Director of GVPT Global, a commitment by the Department to expanding global learning opportunities for students and instructors. As part of this, she is currently developing a new course that will include a spring break study abroad week in Montreal in 2025.
From 2011-21, Prof. Haufler directed the Global Communities Living-Learning Program. This residential program introduced freshmen from diverse majors to scholarship and experiences that explore globalization, global issues and intercultural understanding. During her tenure, she redesigned the academic curriculum, established new admissions processes, developed new courses, and expanded the program.
Dr. Haufler is a Research Fellow with the Earth System Governance network, and has been a visiting fellow with the Global Governance Institute at University College London; the International Studies Program at the University of California, Irvine; the Center on Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California; the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; and a Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF/ HSFK), the Research Advisory Board of the OEF Foundation, the USIP Task Force on Business and Peace, and the Principles for Responsible Investment. She has been a consultant to international organizations, including the UN Global Compact, and to many nonprofits. She has been a long-time member, officer and supporter of the nonprofit Women in International Security (WIIS), which supports women in international affairs careers and research on gender in national security.
Areas of Interest
- International Political Economy
- Global Governance
- Corporate Social Responsibility
Degrees
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Degree TypePhDDegree DetailsCornell University Department of Government 1991
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Degree TypeMADegree DetailsCornell University Department of Government 1985
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Degree TypeBADegree DetailsPennsylvania State University Foreign Service and International Affairs 1979
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Degree TypeBADegree DetailsPennsylvania State University Russian Language and Literature 1979
At the undergradate level, I currently teach the following courses: GVPT206 Appetite for Change: The Politics of Global Food, GVPT406 International Organizations, GVPT409 The Politics of Global Corporations. I have supervised many undergraduates pursuing research, such as Honors and IVSP theses, and research programs such as the Summer Research Initiative, McNair Scholars, and others. I have also mentored over a dozen students as undergraduate teaching assistants. At the graduate level, I regularly teach graduate seminars on International Political Economy, and International Political Organization/ Global Governance.
| Course Name | Course Title | Semester | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVPT406 | International Organizations | Fall 2023 | Syllabus |
| GVPT409G | Seminar in International Relations and World Politics; Corporations and the Global Political Economy | Fall 2023 | Syllabus |
| GVPT409G | Seminar in International Relations and World Politics; Corporations and the Global Political Economy | Spring 2023 | Syllabus |
| GVPT409G | Seminar in International Relations and World Politics: Corporations in the Global Economy | Spring 2022 | Syllabus |
| GVPT206 | Appetite for Change: Politics and the Globalization of Food | Spring 2023 | Syllabus |
| GVPT409H | Seminar in International Relations and World Politics | Fall 2019 | Syllabus |
| GVPT409G | Seminar in International Relations and World Politics; Corporations and the Global Political Economy | Spring 2019 | Syllabus |
How does the world get governed, and what role does the private sector play in this? This is the central question of my research. My early projects focused primarily on the conditions under which the private sector establishes global standards, using the international risks insurance industry as a case study. Later work explored the arena of "corporate social responsibility" as a form of voluntary self-regulation by international business, comparing environment, labor, and information privacy standards. My current research looks at global governance more broadly, including the multi-stakeholder institutions that have become increasingly common. I am currently working on two projects. In one, I examine the interaction between transnational activism and the creation of multi-stakeholder institutions designed to regulate trade relations and corporate behavior as a mechanism to reduce civil conflict in resource-rich areas of the world (e.g., the Kimberley Process for the Certification of rough diamonds, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and others). In another, I compare participation in global governance initiatives by different financial sectors, transnational climate activism, and net zero climate commitments by the financial sector.
I have sought out opportunities to contribute to the improvement of the profession and the student experience. In my department and university I have served on different committees, participated in strategic planning exercises, and contributed to the General Education program. My professional activities include service to the International Studies Association professional organization. In order to support women as international relations scholars, I have been a long-time Board member and advisor to Women in International Security, a non-profit organization, and currently serve as Treasurer. I am currently Director of the Women's Initiative for Network Development, a support group in my department that connects women graduate students and faculty.
From 2011-2021, I restructured and directed the Director of the Global Communities Living-Learning program. This was an invitation-only program for freshmen who live together in Dorchester Hall, take classes together and participate in field trips and activities. The program encouraged students to learn about globalization and global issues, and to develop intercultural communication skills. The program included a requirement for students to apply what they have learned through internships, education abroad, or service experiences. Prior to voluntarily stepping down to pursue other opportunities, I helped transfer the program to the Honors College and assisted the new director.
For many years I have been the faculty advisor to the Model UN student organization, now revitalized as the Maryland International Relations Association. I have also been advisor to a number of other campus student organizations.
I regularly provide service and advice to think tanks and non-profits, and have contributed to activities of the UN Global Compact, the ILO, the US Institute of Peace, OEF Research, and others.
