To celebrate the Class of 2020’s COVID-delayed in-person Commencement celebration, student profiles have been updated to reflect their journeys since leaving the Hilltop two years ago.
After graduating, Somerville (MAGES’20) worked for almost two years at SFS as the publications editor at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD). There, he contributed to ISD’s leading research on “the New Global Commons,” which tackles some of the world’s most pressing issues ranging from food security to misinformation and disinformation.
Recently, Somerville has begun a new role working on communications for the United Nations Secretariat in DC. Somerville is looking forward to exploring these new horizons beyond the Hilltop: “I’m excited for what the future could hold!”
Original Story
When Alistair Somerville (MAGES’20) was looking at graduate programs in Washington, D.C., Georgetown was the obvious choice. “I wanted to study in Washington and be close to where so many decision-makers are working on international issues, but in a context with which I was previously unfamiliar,” says Somerville.
With this criteria in mind, the British international student submitted an application to the Master of Arts in German and European Studies (MAGES) program at SFS. He had been impressed with the opportunities the program offered to connect to the transatlantic policy world.
“The opportunity to pursue academic courses alongside more policy-focused classes was a big appeal of MAGES,” he says. “The emphasis on interdisciplinarity was a big draw compared to programs in the UK and elsewhere.”
Since arriving on the Hilltop, Somerville has taken advantage of a myriad of opportunities at Georgetown to pursue new interests and projects, including founding The Europe Desk, a podcast sponsored by the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown. The podcast brings together leading experts to discuss important U.S.-Europe policy issues.
Now, Somerville is set to continue his career at Georgetown, where he will take up the position of Publications Editor at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD).
Somerville will continue to work with Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy after graduating.
At a Glance
Hometown: London, U.K. Program: M.A. in German and European Studies Certificate(s): Diplomatic Studies Abroad Experiences: Trips to present at conferences in Belgium and the UK; Archival research in Germany On-Campus Activities: Various Research Assistantships in SFS, the History Department and the Law Center; Graduate Fellow, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy; Research and Communications Assistant, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy; Founder/Co-Producer of The Europe Desk Podcast; European Horizons Initiative; Big Buddies Mentoring Program Non-GU Activities: Intern, United Nations Information Center
Finding a Supportive Network of Mentors and Peers
Somerville and fellow MAGES students with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon.
Upon arriving on campus, Somerville was particularly struck by the diversity of perspectives and expertise of his classmates.
“I think the sheer range of experiences and interests is reflected in the range of topics that people in MAGES are working on for their capstone projects, from promoting cycling initiatives in German cities to the Turkish energy market to populism in Spain,” he says.
He also appreciates the fruitful conversations he often had in class. One of Somerville’s favorite SFS experiences was taking Professor Anna von der Goltz’s Divided Germany class. “I loved the historical deep-dive into the politics and culture of East and West Germany during the Cold War,” he explains.
“I pretty much left every week’s discussion with multiple ideas for new topics to explore, or new things to write. That, to me, is the sign of a great class,” he added.
Somerville was also able to tap into a supportive Georgetown community, both within and beyond the MAGES program. “The faculty and staff at the Center for German and European Studies have been incredible supporters and mentors over the last few years—to all the MAGES students—especially with the pandemic in recent weeks,” he says.
He also credits Roland McKay, who was a State Department Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, with being “a great mentor” to him throughout his time at graduate school.
Somerville founded the CGES-sponsored podcast The Europe Desk during his time at SFS.
Pursuing a Passion Project
One thing that Somerville says stands out to him about SFS is the faculty and administration’s support for student initiatives, which he discovered while working on The Europe Desk. These kinds of student-led projects are particularly valuable, Somerville says, as they give students “additional opportunities to learn new skills and meet great people outside of classes and internships.”
Through the podcast, Somerville has had the opportunity to interview numerous leading voices in transatlantic relations, though one experience was particularly memorable. ”Getting to interview the German Ambassador and the three Baltic Ambassadors on the stage of Riggs Library for the podcast to mark thirty years since the Baltic Way was pretty cool,” he says.
Outside of campus, Somerville has taken full advantage of having D.C. on his doorstep. “My favorite way to engage D.C. is to hop on the GUTS bus to Dupont Circle and head to an event on ‘Think Tank Row,’” he says. “You rarely regret taking the time away from the library to hear some new perspectives.”
Graduating at a Historic Moment
Somerville, like all his fellow SFS Class of 2020 graduates, is embarking on a new chapter in his life in the midst of a historic moment for the world. As COVID-19 has transformed how communities across the globe work, study and interact, Somerville has been reflecting on how the pandemic will affect the field in which he plans to pursue his career: foreign policy.
“People are obviously talking a lot about shifts in the global order as a result of the pandemic,” he says. “I think it’s too early to tell what the outcome will be on that front, but I think it will shape the way decision-makers choose to interact with each other—will there be a move away from travelling the world for ministerial meetings out of concern for the planet, while at the same time realizing that there are some diplomatic processes that can only be conducted in person?”
He also thinks that COVID-19 will renew interest in public health as an important facet of international affairs and security. “In terms of how we study international affairs, I think that those of us who never appreciated it before will have to be much more mindful of the global health angle to national security problems,” he says.
His personal experience of how Georgetown has adapted to lockdown measures has offered Somerville a hopeful reminder of how technology can be leveraged to mitigate crises. He notes that the recent proliferation of online and cloud-based software has softened the impact somewhat for the university. “There is no way that Georgetown could have continued to function as well as it has if this pandemic had occurred five to ten years ago,” he says. “It is easy to forget that progress in a time like this.”
This software has also helped Somerville stay connected with his friends at Georgetown, and to continue producing his podcast. “Everyone is becoming pretty proficient with Zoom at this point. We kept producing The Europe Desk too, so that has been a good way to continue discussions on European issues in spite of social distancing,” he says.
The Europe Desk team with former ABC News Anchor Sam Donaldson.
Looking to the Future
Somerville won’t be away from Georgetown for long after he graduates. On June 1st, he will begin his new role at ISD. The career move reflects how his ambitions and interests have been shaped by his two years at SFS.
“I came into MAGES thinking I would likely go straight onto a PhD program,” he explains. “But as time went on, I knew I wanted to work in a role with a focus on research, U.S.-UK relations and European foreign policy, but not to go down the PhD route, at least for the time being.”
“I want to develop my career at the intersection of research, think tanks and media, so I’m very happy to kick start this at a research institute working on such a range of global issues,” he adds. “Ultimately, I would love to work at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office on relations with the EU and the U.S.”
As he prepares to celebrate graduation virtually, Somerville is reflecting on the potential positive aspects that could come out of the Class of 2020’s unique experience.
“I’m hoping to be able to look back on it as a time where we learned to better appreciate delayed gratification,” he says. “I’m hoping that means we will be able to look back in ten years and remember an in-person graduation that was just delayed by a few months, and maybe that we appreciate the time spent in-person with family and friends as a result. But of course, we may be looking back on this time as a time of loss and heartache too, so I’m sure there will be mixed emotions involved.”
