James Gadsden is currently a Diplomat-in-Residence at the Woodrow Wilson School, having served for over three decades in the U.S. Foreign Service, dealing extensively with European issues and transatlantic relations, and including service as U.S. ambassador to Iceland from 2002 to 2005. He spoke with the School’s Office of External Affairs about his latest teaching at WWS, and what aspiring diplomats should consider when pursuing careers in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Woodrow Wilson School (WWS):  What are you teaching currently at the Woodrow Wilson School?

Amb. James Gadsden (JG):  I’m currently teaching a junior Policy Task Force on U.S-European Union economic relations and national security, [focusing] on three major areas of policy interest and national security interest.

First is the strategic partnership that we have with the EU. Second, the whole question of transatlantic economic relations, where we spend a lot of time studying the various trade disputes that we have, and cast those - in terms of their dollar value - against the overall economic relationship. The focus is also under economic relations on integration of the transatlantic marketplace, where we try to harmonize our regulations to make it easier for businesses to invest, to trade, and to provide services so that we, in effect, can expand that very large economic relationship that I just described.

And then the third area is trans-border issues, where we focus on energy security, particularly the European dependence on Russia for gas, and the implications of that for European security.

WWS:  What in your analysis are the major challenges to transatlantic relations?

JG:  Well there are many. If I were to list at least the major ones I think they would certainly be, first and foremost, restoring the global economy. And that involves of course coordinating with our European friends on trying to stabilize… the global financial market, where we need to find a way of striking a balance between fiscal stimulus, which is what we have relied upon quiet substantially, and also financial regulation reforms, which the Europeans have focused on. So, we need to find a balance there that works for all of us, but that bolsters the global economy.

Job creation is another. As I mentioned earlier, we have been trying at least in the U.S.-European relationship to reduce the kinds of barriers to trade that would help the further growth and economic development and activities between our firms and their firms, so we need to continue on that track. Employment generation is another, and all of that I think will help under the general rubric of restoring the global economy.

WWS:  What would you advise students who seek to pursue careers in the U.S. Foreign Service?

JG:  The first thing they should do is go to the State Department’s website, and the specific website that would be most useful to them is careers.state.gov; it’s an interactive website… and on it are a number of areas into which they can navigate. Particularly, instructions for registering for the Foreign Service exam, which is now given several times a year.

But I think they will find there enough information to provide them background on what the State Department does, what our embassies do, and the kinds of career tracks they might wish to pursue, in addition to going about and applying to take the foreign service exam.

I simply express the hope that more and more students at Princeton and the Woodrow Wilson School will consider careers in public service, and certainly in international affairs. We need fresh ideas, we need bold initiatives, and the students that I’ve met here certainly are capable of offering this treasured resource if you will, resource of ideas, new ideas to our country. It’s very important.

(This transcript was edited for length.)