By Adam DuBard The members of the SAIS Crowell Committee. Photo credit: Dawalola Shonibare As protests against police brutality and racial inequality took place in every state across the nation in the summer of 2020, organizations of all kinds reacted to address diversity, or the lack thereof, in their ranks. The killings of George Floyd,... Continue Reading →
A Complicated Past: Universities & The Legacy of Slavery
By Richard Pedersen On December 9th, 2020, President Daniels shared an email with the Johns Hopkins community that shattered previously-held notions regarding our institution’s founder and namesake. For decades, the Hopkins community believed its founder had been an ardent abolitionist dedicated to human freedom and equality. However, the reality is more complicated. Research on Johns... Continue Reading →
Vice Dean Campante Confirms New Tech and Culture Focus Area
By Zachary Wheeler In an interview with The SAIS Observer, Vice Dean for Education and Academic Affairs Filipe Campante discussed the formation of the new Technology and Culture concentration arriving with SAIS’s academic overhaul next fall. By building on the initiatives of current SAIS faculty, this new program aims to prepare future SAIS students for... Continue Reading →
The Evacuation of Friendship and Knowledge 一场友谊与知识的撤离
By Austin Frenes 冯翱森 HNC students evacuated from China last year (clockwise from top left): Cooper Brehm, Nick Kaufman, Daniel Wethli, and Austin Frenes 去年从中国被撤离的中美中心学生：裴治雄，高宁，文丹，冯翱森 NANJING, CHINA — Strange doctors on subways, an evacuation car ride through the countryside, quarantine on a military base, tears in Bangkok, and a normal train ride to Shanghai. This... Continue Reading →
SAIS’s Role in US-China Dialogue
By Qianrong Ding Intercultural communication has never been more important than today given the turbulent US-China relationship. The SAIS US-China Dialogue contributes to this effort through a series of meaningful discussions on pressing issues, helping to foster understanding between China and the United States. The US-China relationship is one of the most complex bilateral relationships... Continue Reading →
SAIS Virtually Hosts First Muslim-American Ambassador M. Osman Siddique
By Adam DuBard On October 20th, the SAIS Global Security and Conflict Management and the South Asia club co-hosted M. Osman Siddique, a Bangladeshi immigrant who rose to become the first Muslim-American ambassador when President Bill Clinton appointed him to serve as the United States Ambassador to Fiji. Ambassador Siddique joined SAIS over Zoom and... Continue Reading →
Court of Repeal: How the Supreme Court Might Impact Hopkins Healthcare
By Richard Pedersen The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare. Their ruling could have a significant impact on the health coverage of SAIS students, as well as much of the broader American public. State attorneys general, led by Texas Attorney General... Continue Reading →
The Flaws of SAIS’ Class Bidding System
By Alex Kessler At the beginning of every semester, SAIS students gamble on their education through a complex bidding system. Popular classes such as Illicit Finance, Risk Modeling, and The Rise of Economic Nationalism drive a competitive auction, often resulting in a clearing price above 1000 points. While bidding exists to allocate finite classroom seats... Continue Reading →
Foreign Policy and Voting: Do Presidential Candidates Waltz Before Blind SAISers?
By Zach Wheeler In 1989, John H. Aldrich of Duke University outlined three conditions which must be present to enable an American to weigh considerations of foreign policy while voting: voters must possess a fundamental attitude toward foreign affairs, voters must have an ability to analyze issues in foreign affairs, and candidates must present voters... Continue Reading →
SAIS Pandemic Finances – The Odd School Out
By Richard Pedersen SAIS Pandemic Finances - The Odd School Out Over the coming year, SAIS students will navigate a graduate experience largely devoid of student interaction, deprived of necessary academic facilities, and disrupted by online learning difficulties, all at a higher tuition price. SAIS faculty, staff, and administrators are not much better off, facing... Continue Reading →