James Allen Kuhlman
Why did you choose Northwestern?
When I was a junior at Lake Forest High School, I was invited to attend the Journalism Honors Institute at Northwestern, under Director Dr. Floyd Arpan, in the summer of 1958. I applied to the Medill School and was admitted in the fall of 1959.
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience? What was it then and/or what it is now?
I majored in political science and Russian language while received my BS in journalism in 1963. I then entered the master's program at the Sino-Soviet Institute of GWU in Washington D.C., graduating in 1966. Following that, I returned to Northwestern for another MA, and finally a PhD in political science. I have been teaching political science and international business now for 50 years at the U of SC.
Tell us who or what inspired your research and/or work.
Major figures in mentoring my career were Northwestern professors William Montgomery McGovern, R. Barry Farrell, John Paden, and Ben Baldwin, and professors Kurt London, Andrew Gyorgy, Wolfgang Kraus, and Franz Michael at GWU. I must also add Dr. Gyorgi Arbatov of the Russian Academy of Science and the director of the Institute of USA & Canada.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
I was awarded a Chair Professorship in international business and economics based on my service as the director of international business development at the SC Department of Commerce. I also received a distinguished civilian service medal from the U.S. Army War College for my input to the National Security Review. I became executive director of the NA International Studies Association.
Tell us about a current achievement or something you're working on that excites you.
Since my retirement as Distinguished Professor Emeritus at U of SC in 2000, I was quickly asked by the Darla Moore School of Business to return to teach in their nationally-ranked undergraduate program in international business and I continue to do so to this day.
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
Let your heart (in my case the betterment of the U.S./Russian relations) lead your mind (in my case the professors who inspired me to become a teacher).