SFS Stories
News
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Inclusive Development Starts Within
“Diversifying the aid workforce, as well as the organizations we partner with, and becoming more attuned to the voices and needs of those we aim to help, is necessary.” Administrator Samantha Power, USAID On November 4, the GHD Program, in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition…
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USAID Administrator Samantha Power Discusses Vision for Global Development at SFS Event
The Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) welcomed USAID Administrator Samantha Power on November 4, 2021, to celebrate USAID’s 60th anniversary and share her vision for inclusive international development. Power’s latest visit to campus—she also spoke at Georgetown’s Own It Summit in 2020—builds on the school’s long-standing relationship with USAID and its international development and…
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Alumni Spotlight: Engineer Turned Development Practitioner – Rahul Mitra (GHD’15) Reflects on his GHD Experience
With an infrastructure engineering background, Rahul Mitra (GHD’15) approached graduate school with the hope of transitioning into the development sector, after his first-hand work experience with Engineers without Borders and seeing the impact that NGOs such as the Grameen Foundation and BRAC have made in his home country of Bangladesh. In order to break into the development and NGO sector, Rahul…
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After Helping to End “Virginity Testing” in Indonesian Army, Faye Simanjuntak (SFS’24) Continues Campaign for Women’s and Children’s Rights
Content warning: This article discusses sexual violence, trauma and human trafficking. When the Indonesian army announced in August 2021 that it would no longer subject its female recruits to so-called “virginity tests” — invasive and scientifically erroneous vaginal and cervical examinations — Faye Simanjuntak (SFS’24) was overjoyed. The women and children’s rights advocate also started planning for…
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“Not Only Possible, But Plausible”: Pelosi Scholars Work Toward Public Service Ambitions Through Internship Experiences
Many students are drawn to SFS for the school’s focus on public service and the opportunities its Washington location holds for those looking to make a difference in the world. For Hoyas in the 2021 cohort of the Paul F. Pelosi Scholars Initiative in particular, serving others is at the core of their academic and…
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SFS Alumnus Kono Taro (SFS’86) Comes Second in Party Leadership Race Determining Japan’s Next Prime Minister
SFS alumnus Kono Taro (SFS’86) has lost his bid for Japan’s premiership in a closely fought race for leadership of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Kono was defeated by party stalwart Kishida Fumio. The race was a consequential one for Japan. Under its parliamentary system, the national legislature is divided into upper and…
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“Every Single Hour Mattered”: Graduate Students Help Evacuate Hundreds from Afghanistan
As the Taliban swept into Kabul on August 15, Timothy “Tito” Torres (IBP’21) was at a hotel in Berlin. He had just finished a course module with fellow classmates enrolled in the Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) and McDonough School of Business Master of Arts in International Business and Policy (MA-IBP) program and had…
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MSFS Student Spotlight: Kevin Russell (’21)
Read an interview with second year MSFS student Kevin Russell as he discusses his experience at Georgetown and how he hopes to use the knowledge he has gained to continue working on economic development and social impact projects that address social inequalities after graduation. Why did you choose MSFS? In an increasingly globalized and diverse…
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MSFS Welcomes New Global Politics and Security Concentration Chair, Prof. Jodi Vittori
MSFS extends our welcome to Professor Jodi Vittori as the newest member of the program’s Leadership Team. Prof. Vittori will join MSFS as a Professor of Practice and co-chair of the Global Politics and Security (GPS) concentration. Professor Vittori is an expert on the linkages of corruption, state fragility, illicit finance, and U.S. national security.…
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MSFS Welcomes New Deputy Director, Ashley Thomas Lenihan
MSFS is thrilled to welcome SFS alumna Ashley Thomas Lenihan back to Georgetown as the new Deputy Director of the M.S. in Foreign Service program. Ashley Thomas Lenihan comes to MSFS as an expert on economic statecraft, foreign investment, and national security, and author of Balancing Power without Weapons. Her policy work in the U.K. and Europe…