Each year, SAISPHERE represents the best of SAIS. The articles, written by professors and other members of the SAIS community, reflect the depth and breadth of our faculty—and showcase why SAIS ranks as the nation’s No. 1 master’s degree program for young professionals pursuing a policy career in international relations, according to a recent poll reported in Foreign Policy magazine.
The school has achieved this success through a combination of superb teaching and exceptional students. More than that, SAIS has reached that pinnacle because of the many alumni and friends who have supported the school over the years. From endowing a chair that honors a professor to establishing a new area of study to funding a fellowship for a talented student, these gifts have enabled SAIS to prosper and grow.
Last year, generous individuals endowed two new professorships: Laurence Hirsch ’05 established the Hirsch Professorship in European Studies, and Mohinder Sambhi, a term professorship in Indian Studies. Through an institutional gift from the Korea Foundation for International Economic Policy, we were able to establish a professorship in Korea Studies. And with other donations, we recently added 10 new fellowships to help students pursue graduate work in international development, international health policy and American foreign policy, as well as in regional studies focusing on Korea, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Seeking Financial Aid for Students We annually enroll more than 250 students to the Washington, D.C., campus and almost 200 students to the Bologna Center. We are constantly seeking financial aid to help students pursue their academic work, including the many worthy students who attend classes in Bologna their first year and want to return to Washington to complete their master’s degree. Every year, we lose talented applicants because our financial aid packages cannot compete with those of our peer institutions. This is one of our most daunting challenges, and we rely on our alumni and friends to help. This support, whether through endowment or current use, is tangible and immediate and has enormous impact for the school.
An area that is becoming increasingly important to SAIS and to students preparing for future careers is practical experience—a key to landing a meaningful job after graduation. More and more SAIS programs are challenging students to apply concepts learned in the classroom in real-life settings, and the school is helping them do this. Through internships and intersession and spring-break trips, we are able to supplement classroom learning and experience.
In our drive to improve student life and the quality of the SAIS degree, we have developed an innovative way to contribute called the Dean’s Opportunity Fund. Eight of our most committed alumni and friends have each pledged $300,000 over three years to create a fund to help Dean Jessica P. Einhorn direct resources where they are needed most. This fund already has made possible student fellowships, internships, the recruitment of top faculty talent and special initiatives, such as the 2005 “Year of Energy” and the current “Year of China.” The Dean’s Opportunity Fund also supports special, promising initiatives that are on the drawing board, providing the venture capital needed for their launch and development. Alumni Involvement Over the past year, we have examined how we interact with our alumni—our true partners in SAIS’s growth and development. We conducted a survey to understand the issues we face in reaching our domestic graduates and our very international alumni audience. Through this process, we have completely reworked our alumni relations efforts and are creating new and specific ways in which we can engage our alumni in the life of the school. In the coming months, look for increased alumni involvement in identifying internship opportunities for our current students and full-time positions for our newly minted graduates. We also are seeking assistance among our alumni to help us attract an increasingly diverse group of students to SAIS. We recently completed a strategic planning process called “Rolling Back the Future.” The results promise to provide a roadmap of the needs of SAIS over the next 10 years. And the plan offers guidance for how SAIS alumni and friends can be most effective in helping the school and our students stay competitive—thereby ensuring that the school maintains its premier place in graduate education. As we move forward in the coming months, we hope you will stay in touch with us and be involved with the school. We face many challenges ahead, and our alumni and friends are critical to SAIS’s continued success. We value your input and support and look forward to hearing from you.
Contact Our StaffFor information about endowing and naming a professorship, internship or fellowship, or to discuss other ways to support the school, contact Scott Rembold, 202.663.5630, srembol1@jhu.edu.
To suggest or discuss corporate or foundation support for SAIS, contact Margel Lindzey Highet ’86, 202.663.5645, mhighet@jhu.edu.
Does your employer have a matching gift program? Don’t know? We can help you find out. Many employers will double or even triple your gift to SAIS! Contact Spencer Abruzzese, 202.663.5646, spencera@jhu.edu.
To update your alumni records, locate other alumni in your area, start an alumni chapter in your region or inform the Alumni Relations Office of interesting facts and accomplishments for publication in SAISPHERE, contact Suzanne Henderson, 202.663.5631, saisalum@jhu.edu.
To plan for SAIS in your estate or to request information on setting up a life-income agreement, for example, a trust or annuity, contact Christopher Massi, 202.663.5640, cmassi@jhu.edu.
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