The inaugural SAIS Alumni College, held October 10-12 in Washington, D.C., combined interactive class sessions featuring prominent professors with comments delivered by alumni experts. Fifty-three attendees—representing class years from 1964 to 2006—reconnected with fellow alums, refreshed their knowledge of foreign policy issues and renewed their passion for international affairs and SAIS as an institution.

“Alumni College was the SAIS experience distilled into two days: leading practitioners of American foreign policy mixed with stellar SAIS faculty, providing insight and analysis of current events and trends within regions and the complex factors shaping U.S. actions around the world today. It was great—and it was useful,” said Sarah O’Hagan’86, a SAIS Advisory Council member who heads the Development Committee of the International Rescue Committee.

Classes focused on the theme, “Ideals and Self-Interest in American Foreign Policy: Reassessing Global Risks and Opportunities,” borrowed from the title of the 1953 book by the late Robert E. Osgood, the third dean of SAIS and a respected foreign policy expert. Attendees examined the past, present and future of current international issues, including globaL jihadism, America’s intelligence infrastructure, the rise of China, U.S.-Latin American relations and globalization and financial markets.

The all-star lineup of speakers expanded the debate. R. Nicholas Burns ’80, under secretary of State for Political Affairs, assessed the United States’ positions, opportunities and challenges throughout the world. Former U.S. Representative Jim Leach ’66, newly appointed director of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, spoke on “The American Leadership Dilemma,” while Edward Morse B’66, ’66, managing director and chief energy economist at Lehman Brothers, explored U.S. international energy policy.

The highlight of the event was the cocktail reception and dinner with keynote address by Chester A. Crocker ’65, Ph.D.’69, former U.S. assistant secretary of State for African Affairs. He also received JHU’s Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service. Music for the evening was provided by the Ian Sims Trio, a jazz group from the university’s Peabody Institute.

“Alumni College was designed to reengage alumni of all ages and professional backgrounds for an experience that would bear the hallmarks of the best SAIS has offered students for 60 years—intellectual rigor, a combination of historical and current perspectives on critically important policy issues, opportunities for direct interaction with some of our most heralded faculty and, of course, fun,” said Roger Leeds ’70, Ph.D.’77, Alumni College faculty coordinator and research professor of International Finance. “My hope is that Alumni College will become an enduring SAIS tradition.”

In their post-program evaluations, attendees noted they came away on an academic “high,” with new friends and a renewed interest in SAIS. Back on campus for several days, they had opportunities to meet with current students, see changes the school has undergone since their own student days and learn about plans for the future.

To access audio of the Alumni College keynote addresses, go to www.sais-jhu.edu/alumnicollege. For more information or to offer suggestions and comments about next year’s program, contact alumnicollege@jhu.edu.