SFS News: Spring 2012

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SFS

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EDM U ND A . W ALS H S C H OOL OF FOREI G N SER V I C E

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G EOR G ETO W N U NI V ERSIT Y

i n t h e NE W S

G r e e t i n g s f r o m t h e H i l lt o p a n d SFS

Clinton Unveils Action Plan, Highlights SFS Initiative

Message from the Dean

Georgetown Again Tops International Affairs Rankings High Student Achievement Medals of Freedom for Albright, Karski SFS-Q Students Contemplate Conflict Resolution in Cambodia

Henderson Honored by Georgetown Family, friends and colleagues filled Gaston Hall in April as Kaya Henderson (F’92, RCST; G’07) received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa from Georgetown University in recognition of her work as Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools. Henderson said she hopes to fill D.C. classrooms with the kind of caring, dedicated teachers she grew up with, many of whom attended the ceremony. “The piece of the world that Kaya has chosen to affect is fundamental to the strength, progress and prosperity of our city, country and our interconnected global society,” said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. See the ceremony at sfs.georgetown.edu/kaya.

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ou have likely heard by now that in the latest survey of scholars reported by Foreign Policy, Georgetown’s international affairs programs once again ranked first globally at the graduate level and fifth at the undergraduate level. I am grateful to our outstanding faculty and our talented and service-oriented alumni around the world who represent SFS so well, and I am certainly proud to share the news. These rankings are, however, only one measurement of success, and I am equally pleased to note the achievements of some current students: a Rhodes for Stephanie Bryson (MAGES’13), a Truman for Joanna Foote (F’13, CULP) and the Beinecke Scholarship for Jonathan Askonas (F’13, IPOL), to name a few. The future looks bright. With recognition comes a responsibility to innovate: to evolve and adapt so that our newest graduates emerge exceptionally prepared for the challenges they will face. The School is embracing the innovation imperative in a number of ways. Curriculum. The new master’s programs in Global Human Development and Asian Studies will welcome their first students to the Hilltop this fall. The Asian Studies degree (asianstudies.georgetown.edu/ma) focuses on a region whose rise may largely define the 21st century. The Global Human Development degree (ghd.georgetown.edu) features a curriculum developed over the past year with courses such as Economics of Development: Poverty Alleviation and Human Development. One of its defining features is a required summer field project, to involve students working with aid agencies, consulting firms and other entities to design, implement or evaluate a development intervention in a developing country. At the undergraduate level, the successful implementation of the International Economics major at SFS-Qatar is an example of changing to meet the needs of students. Undergraduate research. To the long-established Carroll Round conference on international

economics and international political economy, students this spring added the Walsh Exchange (walshex.org), a forum on international politics, security and regional studies. We also inaugurated the Mortara Undergraduate Research Fellows program (mortara.georgetown.edu/research/ undergrad), in which a select group of the finest SFS students have the opportunity to partner with professors as research assistants and potential co-authors. Of course, enriching the undergraduate research experience will mean not only assigning major research projects to students, but also including in the curriculum content that illustrates the process of research and the value of well-done research. Innovative pedagogy. With guidance from the SFS Board of Visitors, we continue to explore online education. Expansion into this area, if done correctly, can enhance the reputation and reach of the School and improve the student experience. Online certificates or mid-career programming might be right for SFS. Technology might play a more prominent role in classrooms on the Hilltop— perhaps in large introductory classes. There may be more and better ways to use the internet to connect students in Washington to their counterparts at SFS-Qatar. The possibilities are many. These endeavors will need, and are worthy of, support. They are but a few of our new initiatives; for example, I hope to share even more with you in the fall about the establishment of an Institute for Women, Peace, Security and Development within SFS (see page 2). I encourage your input and deeply appreciate the leadership of SFS alumni in strengthening the School for its present and its future. Best wishes for a pleasant summer. With warm regards, Carol Lancaster


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SFS News: Spring 2012 by School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University - Issuu