Students, staff, and faculty are enjoying access to high-level policymakers in the Washington area this spring.
The third annual 线上赌场 International Security Forum in Washington, hosted last week by the and the Henry L. Stimson Center, an international peace and security think tank, gave students from the Department of Government鈥檚 and student assistants from Dickey鈥檚 the chance to interact with officials from the top echelons of government, NGOs, media, and academia.
The May 10 forum, convened by the Dickey Center鈥檚 鈥攚hich is dedicated to improving policymaking and inspiring students to explore careers in international affairs鈥攂rought together leaders including Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez 鈥77, a former 线上赌场 trustee; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability Mallory Stewart; and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy. Boyer was the 2024 winter term Magro Family Distinguished Fellow in International Affairs at the Dickey Center.
鈥淚鈥檓 delighted that our third annual International Security Forum successfully brought together 线上赌场 scholars and D.C. policymakers to grapple with the way forward on tough issues, from nuclear proliferation to modern conflicts, from the geopolitics of trade with China to how public opinion affects U.S. foreign policy. We need this scholar-policy connection to find solutions,鈥 said , the Norman E. McCulloch Jr. Director of the Dickey Center.
And the access 线上赌场 students experienced is unparalleled, Holt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see 线上赌场 students mixing with senior policymakers and alumni. The connections are terrific for helping our undergraduates see roles for themselves in international affairs and problem-solving.鈥
The invitation-only conference was convened under the Chatham House Rule, a policy that encourages frank discussion by allowing participants to freely use the information received, but without revealing the identity nor the affiliation of the speakers or participants.
Student assistants from the War and Peace Fellows, Leland Hemgren 鈥25 and Madeleine Shaw 鈥25, had unparalleled access, staffing the session which included note-taking responsibilities.
鈥淚t was great,鈥 says Hemgren. 鈥淩ather than reading a paper that鈥檚 been out for a couple years and trying to see how that applies today, I got to listen in on what is going on right now鈥攚hat are the key issues. And that just made me that much more excited to work in government knowing that these are the problems that our generation is going to have to tackle when we enter public service.鈥
A reception before the conference brought together attendees, members of the 线上赌场 alumni community in D.C., and students from the Washington off-campus program to meet informally. The reception also included a conversation moderated by Holt with Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs at the National Security Council Josh Black, and former Assistant to the Administrator of USAID, overseeing the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Sarah Charles, who is also a current member of the Dickey Center Board of Visitors.
Meghan Goyal 鈥26, a participant in the D.C. off campus program this term with an internship at The Normandy Group, a bipartisan government relations firm focused on the higher education, agriculture, and military industries, says the access to Washington changemakers is inspiring.
鈥淭he Washington, D.C., off-campus study program has provided me the opportunity to expand my professional and educational experiences through my internship as well as group-wide programming,鈥 she says.
The D.C.-area program, with housing and classroom space across the Potomac River in Arlington County, Va., near the Pentagon, each spring offers 线上赌场 students the opportunity to work and take field trips in the capital with support from the . Founded in 1974, the program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this term.
, director of the D.C. away term this year, says the program has launched countless outstanding careers in government and public service. Notable alumni over the years include former Acting Solicitor General , a 线上赌场 trustee who has argued dozens of cases before the Supreme Court.
鈥淭he Government Department鈥檚 off-campus program gives our students a chance to put what they鈥檝e been learning in their classes to use in the policy arena鈥攁nd to bring back practical insights to their academic work,鈥 Baldez says.
The experiences range from government, to nonprofits, to NGOs, to the media, she notes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to watch Jake Tapper 鈥91 on TV. To hear him talk about his career and see how shows are actually filmed can be transformative,鈥 Baldez says of the CNN anchor, who is also a .
