Dean Hellman's Welcome Remarks to New Students
SFS reiterates its commitment to free speech and difficult conversations, while recognizing the obligations of our school to model diplomacy in how we engage across difference.
Hear the message to our newest SFS students.
Dion Romano (GHD’24) Gains Hands-On Experience With Development Through GHD
Dion Romano (GHD’24) came to Georgetown from the Philippines to pursue a master’s in global human development (GHD). Through the program, Romano consulted with the World Bank inspection panel and served as the GHD’s social justice representative.
“One of the best experiences I had at the School of Foreign Service is the opportunity to meet and engage with global leaders in the realm of diplomacy, international affairs and development,” Romano says. #Hoyas2024
Learn more about Romano’s time with GHD here: https://sfs.georgetown.edu/dion-romano-ghd24-gains-hands-on-experience-with-development-through-ghd/
Gwyneth Murphy (SFS’23, SSP’24) Finds Fulfillment at SSP
Gwyneth Murphy (SFS’23, SSP’24) will graduate with a master’s from the Georgetown Security Studies Program and a concentration in terrorism and substate violence. As a double Hoya, Murphy’s five years at SFS have shaped her academic interests and her outlook on the world.
“My experience in the SFS has taught me that you can do so much more with your life than just your job or just your classes and that you should, so you can be fully fulfilled and fully balanced,” she says. #Hoyas2024
Read more here: https://sfs.georgetown.edu/gwyneth-murphy-sfs23-ssp24-finds-fulfillment-at-ssp/
From Comedy to Academic Council, Zan Haq (SFS’24) Savors Every Opportunity at Georgetown
Zan Haq (SFS’24) is a culture and politics major with a minor in Arabic. He is chair of the Lecture Fund and a senior representative on the SFS Academic Council. Outside of class, he performs stand-up comedy on- and off-campus. “I wrote in my college essay when I was applying to Georgetown that when I grew up I wanted to be a stand-up comedian, and, if that didn’t work out, I’d settle for president,” he says. #Hoyas2024
Learn more about Haq’s SFS experience here: https://sfs.georgetown.edu/graduate-profiles-2024/
96th Diplomatic Ball Venue
Are you getting excited for the 96th Diplomatic Ball? Join us on April 6, 2024 at the International Spy Museum, where guests can explore the fascinating intersection of espionage and diplomacy. Since 1925, SFS has celebrated its tradition and legacy in international affairs through the annual Diplomatic Ball. Students, alumni and the diplomatic community celebrate together at this iconic event.
From ancient times to modern-day geopolitics, espionage has played a pivotal role in shaping diplomatic relations between nations. For the first time in the history of the Diplomatic Ball, come along on a journey through the world of spies, covert operations, and intelligence gathering, and discover how these secretive practices have influenced international affairs.
Tickets will go on sale on March 13, 2024. Purchase them through the link on our website at https://sfs.georgetown.edu/the-diplomatic-ball/
Burn Book: A Conversation with Kara Swisher (SFS'84)
When tech titans crowed that they would “move fast and break things,” Kara Swisher (SFS'84) was moving faster and breaking news. While still at Georgetown, Swisher got her start at The Washington Post as one of the few people in journalism interested in covering the nascent internet. She went on to work for The Wall Street Journal, joining with Walt Mossberg to start the groundbreaking "D: All Things Digital" conference, as well as pioneering tech news sites. Swisher has interviewed everyone who matters in tech over the past three decades, including Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Sheryl Sandberg, Meg Whitman, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg, right as they presided over an explosion of world-changing innovation. Part memoir, part history, Burn Book (2024) is a chronicle of tech’s most powerful players by award-winning journalist Kara Swisher.
Steve Case, an esteemed entrepreneur and co-founder of AOL who pioneered making the internet a fixture of modern life, will join Swisher in conversation. They will not only discuss Burn Book, but also share their optimism about tech’s potential to help solve problems and not just create them.
International Climate Policy at COP28 in Dubai — SFS Breaking It Down with Dr. Joanna Lewis
SFS Professor Joanna Lewis – Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor of Energy and Environment – recently returned from COP28, the annual United Nations climate change conference. Lewis attended COP28, held this year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as part of Georgetown’s delegation of students, faculty, and staff. In this latest installment of our “Breaking It Down” faculty video series, Lewis reflects on the progress made at COP28 and outlines some of the challenges the world continues to face in climate policy.
Several goals were set at COP28 this year, including tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, doubling the rate of energy efficiency and beginning the move away from fossil fuels. Stay tuned for more episodes of “Breaking It Down” here on SFS social media!
Photos used in accordance with creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
The Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards
As the year winds down, we are looking back at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards, a highlight from our semester. Hosted annually by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, this year’s ceremony honored four courageous women in journalism and peacebuilding: Christine Amanpour, Ghalia Alrahhal, Muna Luqman and Alaa Salah. Though these women come from diverse backgrounds, they share a common commitment to advocating for women to be heard and respected.
Throughout the ceremony, both awardees and speakers former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ambassador Melanne Verveer and President John J. DeGioia emphasized that women’s participation in civil society is key to protecting peace and democracy—and these women’s tireless activism helps make this vital mission possible.
We admire the work that these women do to make our world more just and peaceful, and we look forward to seeing that important work continue!
President Joko Widodo of the Republic of Indonesia Visits Georgetown University
On Monday, SFS was honored to welcome Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Georgetown for an event in Gaston Hall. As President Widodo approaches the end of his second term, he explored Indonesia’s role in the world, highlighting the 2022 presidency of G20 and its function as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023. During his time on campus, President Widodo also visited the Yarrow Mamout Masjid and was greeted by Georgetown Muslim chaplain Imam Yahya Hendi.
President Widodo’s trip to DC included a meeting with President Joe Biden, where the two leaders talked about shared objectives related to the economy, climate and preservation of democracy. The United States, one of the first nations to establish diplomatic ties with Indonesia post-independence, shares deep political and economic connections with the country. Indonesia’s status as one of the world’s largest democracies and a major economic force in the Indo-Pacific region underscores its significance on the global stage.
Thank you to President Widodo for speaking to our Georgetown community!
The First Lady of Ukraine @olena_zelenska visited Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security last week.
During her speech, she addressed the difficulties Ukrainian students are facing during Russia’s full-scale invasion of her country and spoke about the importance of literature.
“You can always see people reading in bomb shelters during air raid alerts because books are some kind of a mental escape,” said Zelenska. “You can see books in the hand of our IDPs because this is something that reminds them of home. You can see our soldiers reading in the trenches because this is, at least for a few moments, normal life again.”
During her visit, Zelenska gifted over 200 books to Georgetown’s library as part of the Ukrainian Bookshelf Project, which has shared Ukrainian literature with libraries in 40 countries.
Video credit: @olena_zelenska
War in Ukraine: President Zelensky Visits the U.S. — SFS Breaking It Down with Dr. Charles Kupchan
Last week, the world’s attention turned to the United States for Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska’s remarks at Georgetown and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to the United Nations General Assembly and meetings with President Biden, Congress and the U.S. Department of Defense. In this inaugural episode of “Breaking It Down,” a new SFS faculty video series analyzing current events, Professor Charles Kupchan contextualizes President Zelensky’s recent visit and offers valuable insights into the future of the war.
Kupchan, who served on the National Security Council during the Obama and Clinton administrations, is a professor of international affairs at SFS and the Department of Government and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His analysis on the war in Ukraine has appeared in notable publications such as the New York Times and Foreign Affairs, and he is a sought-after commentator and informal advisor to the Biden Administration.
Zelensky’s visit came at a crucial moment to reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to Ukraine. While the long-term fate of the war is unclear, both Russia and Ukraine remain committed to fighting. Along with an analysis of Zelensky’s motivations for his North American tour, Kupchan outlined possible next steps in the war — including the notion that, as the Ukrainian offensive continues with underwhelming results, Zelensky must shore up support before an uncertain winter.
Stay tuned for more episodes of “Breaking It Down” here on SFS social media and at sfs.georgetown.edu.
We miss you already #Hoyas2023! We had such a wonderful weekend celebrating all of you. We hope you cherished these last few days on the Hilltop as students and are excited to join our extensive Georgetown alumni community. Let us know your favorite memory from Commencement Weekend!
Jameson Nowlan (SFS’23)
Jameson Nowlan (SFS’23), originally from Tucson, Arizona, is a culture and politics major with a theater and performance studies minor. On campus, she is a member of the Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society and Nomadic Theater.
One of Nowlan’s favorite memories from her time on the Hilltop was waking up at 5am with her first year Proseminar to go listen to the impeachment hearings. She says, “It was so life-changing to be able to witness history firsthand, only a few months into my time at the SFS.”
As she looks towards graduation, Nowlan remembers this message from a Hoya: “In the words of the late John Thompson Jr., ‘When I’m gone, if I can’t go to heaven, take me back to Georgetown.’” #Hoyas2023
Rachel Wong (MASIA’23)
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, first-generation student Rachel Wong (MASIA’23) reflects fondly on her time at Georgetown, as it was full of new experiences. The 2021 Rangel Fellow is a student in the Asian Studies graduate program.
Last summer, Wong completed an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. This internship gave her a taste of her future career and she is excited to start work as a Public Diplomacy-coned Foreign Service Officer.
Wong says, “I believe that the SFS coursework that I’ve taken in both policy and anthropology will allow me to engage with communities abroad in a meaningful and impactful way.” #Hoyas2023
Matthew Failor (SFS’23), originally from Traverse City, Michigan, is studying international politics with a minor in French and a certificate in African studies.
Reflecting on his time at Georgetown, he says, “I’m walking across the quad and I look up and I hear Healy Bell ring, and I’m just sort of reminded that I’m here. I’m on campus. I’ve made it. I’m graduating. And this has really been a home for me.” #Hoyas2023
Juan Fernando Gomez
Juan Fernando Gomez, originally from Bogotá, Colombia, found his time at SFS to be both challenging and fulfilling. He is a graduate student in the Global Human Development program as well as a McHenry Fellow for Global Public Service at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.
He says, “One of the proudest moments that I've had is being able to write an independent study doing an impact evaluation of an actual microfinance program of an organization that I was working in before joining GHD.”
Gomez found his classmates to be very supportive and looks forward to seeing what they will accomplish. #Hoyas2023
Georgetown Women’s Lacrosse goalkeeper Emily Gaven (SFS’23) is a global business major with a minor in government who is originally from Garden City, New York.
She says, “The best part about the School of Foreign Service is the people you get to meet. I’m so grateful for the connections and the friendships that I’ve built in my classes here.” #Hoyas2023
Danielle Deshaies (SSP'23)
Active duty army officer Danielle Deshaies (SSP’23) is a graduate student in the Security Studies Program, originally from Raleigh, North Carolina.
She says, “When it comes to my goals for the future, my main focus is taking what I’ve learned at Georgetown and figuring out how I can apply it to my career as a military officer.” #Hoyas2023
Lily Erickson (SFS'23) #Hoyas2023
Happy spring, Hoyas! We are so excited to celebrate all the amazing accomplishments of the Class of 2023 and introduce some of its members! We’re starting off with Lily Erickson (SFS’23).
Erickson is studying regional and comparative studies with a focus in the Middle East and Africa and is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is deeply involved with her community here at Georgetown and has broadened her connections across DC as well as around the globe. #Hoyas2023
Confronting Hate: Tackling Hate-Fueled Violence as a Threat to Democracy
The event will begin at 1:30pm
