From Congress to the classroom, here's what's next for Jim Langevin
Former U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin is taking on a new career in the education world — at least for a year.
Starting in the spring, Langevin will become a visiting scholar in political science at the University of Rhode Island and a senior fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs.
Langevin, who retired this year after 11 terms representing the state's second district in Congress, will receive $50,000 total in stipends for two semesters at URI, where he will host symposiums on U.S. civics, democracy or national security. At Brown, he will receive an undisclosed amount for his one-year fellowship heading a five-week undergraduate study group on cyber threats and guarding the U.S. against cyberattacks.
According to Brown, the group "will focus on the current threat landscape, how the federal and state governments are structured to respond to threats, what policies can strengthen our cyber-eco system, an examination of the public-private partnerships to address critical infrastructure systems and an evaluation of how to engage internationally to strengthen cyber security."
Langevin will also hold a special event and maintain office hours.
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"We heard that Congressman Langevin was going to step down … so immediately we thought, well, let’s see ... if we reach out whether he’d be willing to do a one-year appointment," Steinfeld said.
Watson Institute Director Edward Steinfeld said Langevin's decision not to run for reelection made him a candidate for one of the three to six fellowship positions the faculty committee fills each year.
Langevin's political career has uniquely prepared him for positions at both schools. Having served on the House Armed Services Committee and chaired the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, Langevin was described by URI and Brown as a cybersecurity expert.
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In a late-November visit to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Langevin pointed to China and Russia as significant cyber threats. The Chinese Communist Party, he said, "has enabled the theft of trillions of dollars of Western technology, trade secrets and intellectual property," while Russia has attempted to launch cyberattacks on Ukraine, with limited success.
It was Langevin's practical experience in dealing with cybersecurity that made him an attractive candidate for the Watson Institute, Steinfeld said.
"I think one of the reasons why the students love it so much is that practitioners can offer something very different from standard faculty," he said of Langevin's study group, which, unlike regular courses, won't offer credits. "Each has his or her strengths, but to have somebody who has such awareness of and facility with contemporary public policy, it’s really great for our whole educational enterprise here."
Langevin's career in government also includes his role as Rhode Island's secretary of state and before that, his time as a representative in the General Assembly.
"I’ve learned in my [academic] training and in government experience that public policy making is not always easy or quick, and sometimes the government moves too slowly," Langevin said in a statement. "Three main elements – having a problem, having a solution and having a window of opportunity to enact a policy – must be present; they don’t always line up quickly or easily, but when they do, one must be ready to push your initiative across the finish line."
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Jim Langevin takes scholar roles at URI, Brown University
