The Sen.Thomas J. Dodd Center for the Study of International Affairs and Law
seeks to promote understanding of the forces that drive politics and the political economy in the global world; to sensitize students to the cultures of other countries, and  to spur interest in the needs and problems of other nations and countries.

To these ends it seeks ways to encourage undergraduate participation in research about international affairs and to develop negotiating skills. In so doing the institute hosts lectures by scholars from a variety of disciplines on topics of international relevance, broadly understood.

The Center also hosts discussion forums where students can come together to discuss pressing international issues. Further, the Center publishes Global Topics, an electronic journal composed of articles written by undergraduates. It also encourages joint faculty and student research programs on broad themes with a view to holding broader based conferences on these programs.