New Domestic Violence Study Abroad Course in Italy!

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HLTH 389S is a three credit, interdisciplinary 10-day study abroad course from March 15-March 24, 2013 where students will travel to Rome and Sicily to learn about the issues surrounding domestic violence.  

Course Description:
Students enrolled in HLTH389S will learn about the dynamics of domestic violence including the power and control wheel, the cycle of violence and safety planning. Students will be expected to draw comparisons of the response to domestic violence between Rome, Sicily and the United States. Students will visit various community organizations to further their understanding of domestic violence in Rome and Sicily. Students will blog daily during the course and must be available to present on their experience during a Sexual Assault Awareness Month event on April 10, 2013.

Visits to Rome and Sicily will include:
· Community service and touring of a local domestic violence shelter
· Speaking with law enforcement officials
· Visiting a local university to learn about their domestic violence resources
· Speaking with community members
· Visits to major attractions

If you would like to find out more information on the trip we will be hosting an information session on December 3rd at 5:30pm in the University Health Center on the first floor in Sahet. During this session you will find out what the proposed itinerary looks like, discuss finances, have the opportunity to meet the professors,and ask any additional questions. Please know that snacks will also be provided. We hope to see you there and thanks again for expressing your interest in our program.

SAIS Bologna's new catalog

To contact us Click HERE
Courses, concentrations, degrees, student life, admissions requirements, our host city: a new catalog touches on each of these aspects of SAIS Bologna.

Even in the digital age there is something nice about a single, tidy document that answers most of your questions.

Wondering about the various degrees that are offered in Bologna? Turn to page 20 of the 2012-13 catalog and read about the MA, MAIA, MIPP, Diploma, Ph.D and dual degree programs.

Biographies of our resident faculty are scattered throughout the 45-page volume. Recent students, including Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor from last year's SAIS Bologna class, comment on their experiences in Bologna:

“I looked at the best programs in international
relations and SAIS was my top choice. I always dreamed of living in Italy, and I really like
the global dimension of SAIS’s Bologna program -- one year in the U.S. and one year in Europe.”

Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor
Budapest, Hungary
M.A. Candidate (B’12) European Studies
Henry Tesluk Fellowship Recipient

You can learn about the Bologna Center's history, student life, our campus, the city of Bologna and student services.

You might like to look at the list of internships that SAIS Bologna students landed last summer. They included jobs at Booz Allen, CSIS, JPMorgan, the OECD, UNESCO, the U.S. State Department and the World Bank.

Finally, for chapter and verse on admissions procedures, turn to page 17. A key date -- the deadline for applications for 2013-14 -- may stick out: January 7, 2013.

This new catalog focuses on SAIS Bologna -- one of three campuses in the global orbit of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Last month we ran a post on a new brochure that spells out what makes SAIS unique, including its global footprint.

Nelson Graves

SAIS Bologna's Halloween party: a slideshow

To contact us Click HERE
Bologna's venerable Palazzo Gnudi may never have seen such a cast of characters. And members of the SAIS Bologna Class of 2013 may never again celebrate Halloween in such a splendid venue.

Revelers left political correctness at the door but global politics was front and center during the class's Halloween bash, held in the sumptuous 18th century palace in the heart of the city.

Below is a slideshow that captures some of the costumes and glittering surroundings. Apologies to those who took the trouble to dress up but are not featured -- there were simply too many of you.

Thanks to photographers Reneé Wynveen, Ally Carragher, Ann Dailey, Caitlin Geraghty and Meng Meng, and to the organizing committee of Brenna Allen, Stephen Crosse, Ann Dailey, Katerina Lovtchinova, Kate Maxwell and David Payne.



If you are reading this via email, you can see the video by clicking here.

Nelson Graves

One man's circuitous route to SAIS Bologna

To contact us Click HERE
Students follow different paths to SAIS Bologna. Some come right out of undergraduate; others have heaps of professional experience. Today Tony Bonanno describes the circuitous route he took to end up at the Bologna Center after law school, military service and an international career.

I first learned of SAIS in 1965 when applying to attend Dickinson College’s junior year abroad program in Bologna for the 1966-67 school year.

Dickinson of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, had a very close relationship with SAIS at the time, with Dickinson classes conducted at the Bologna Center and Dickinson students like myself enjoying taking some SAIS courses.

Tony Bonanno

We were made to feel part of the SAIS community even though we were Dickinson undergraduates. For me the year in Bologna was transformational for my later life and career choices, and SAIS contributed to that. Besides learning about a different culture and beginning to learn the language, I loved the total Bologna experience and dreamed one day of returning to Bologna.

Soon thereafter, the U.S. Army intervened to delay my law school plans. I enlisted in the U.S. Army (it was the time of the Vietnam War) and to my surprise, because of my experience at Dickinson, SAIS and Bologna, I was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, for two years in 1970 and 1971. I made sure to take trips back to Bologna.

After law school in Washington, DC, I practiced law in Washington until 1983 when I transferred to my law firm’s office in London, where I practiced international tax law until my retirement at the end of 2010.

I was then faced with having to decide what to do in my retirement. The idea of returning to Bologna and SAIS seemed a good idea. My wife was very supportive, and I was excited about pursuing my life-long interest in international relations studies. I learned that SAIS had an MIPP program (Master of International Public Policy) which seemed to suit my desires exactly.

Returning to SAIS and Bologna as a retired lawyer was a great decision, and I highly recommend it for the “mature” student like myself.

One woman's "real world experience" before SAIS

To contact us Click HERE
SAIS Bologna is a diverse place by way of nationality, age, background, expertise and experience. Recently we published posts by Tony Bonanno, who came to SAIS Bologna after three decades as a lawyer, and Andreas Glossner, who came here after studying Physics at university.

Today Kate Maxwell tells us how she ended up at SAIS Bologna after graduating from a U.S. university and then working on Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

After graduating with my B.A. from American University’s School of International Service, I knew I wanted to take some time to get real world experience before pursuing a graduate degree. In my quest for a job that would give me some hands-on experience in the field of international relations, I ended up in the very last place that I expected: banking and finance.

Kate Maxwell

I started working in the executive office of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), an international organization of over 450 banks and other internationally active financial institutions. The IIF, in addition to conducting advanced economic research on a macro level, also examines the impacts of international banking and financial regulations on  industry and the economy.

About a year into my three-year tenure at the IIF, the world turned its attention to Europe and the mounting sovereign debt crisis, particularly in Greece.

The restructuring of Greek debt involved not only the EU, IMF and national European governments but also the private sector, including many IIF members.

The IIF became directly involved in representing the interests of the private sector and shaping the Private Sector Involvement (PSI) piece of the restructuring. Working directly on these issues gave me insight into the interplay between politics, economics, cultural differences and international cooperation between nations, international organizations and the private sector.

When I was looking at graduate programs, SAIS and particularly the SAIS Bologna Center really stood out to me for the opportunity to study both in the U.S. and in Europe and to gain a fuller understanding of the most pressing global issues.

The impressive and diverse student body at the Bologna Center lends an additional element of learning through their experiences, and I am able to contribute both in and out of the classroom thanks to my work experience before SAIS.

The multidisciplinary approach here makes sure all students are equipped with an essential economics toolkit which is crucial to the understanding of any international issue as well as allowing a focus in other areas.

In my case, I am able to pursue my interest in more effective international cooperation in the International Law and Organizations program and love the diversity of courses offered by studying on both the Bologna and Washington campuses.

SAIS Bologna's Halloween party: a slideshow

To contact us Click HERE
Bologna's venerable Palazzo Gnudi may never have seen such a cast of characters. And members of the SAIS Bologna Class of 2013 may never again celebrate Halloween in such a splendid venue.

Revelers left political correctness at the door but global politics was front and center during the class's Halloween bash, held in the sumptuous 18th century palace in the heart of the city.

Below is a slideshow that captures some of the costumes and glittering surroundings. Apologies to those who took the trouble to dress up but are not featured -- there were simply too many of you.

Thanks to photographers Reneé Wynveen, Ally Carragher, Ann Dailey, Caitlin Geraghty and Meng Meng, and to the organizing committee of Brenna Allen, Stephen Crosse, Ann Dailey, Katerina Lovtchinova, Kate Maxwell and David Payne.



If you are reading this via email, you can see the video by clicking here.

Nelson Graves

One man's circuitous route to SAIS Bologna

To contact us Click HERE
Students follow different paths to SAIS Bologna. Some come right out of undergraduate; others have heaps of professional experience. Today Tony Bonanno describes the circuitous route he took to end up at the Bologna Center after law school, military service and an international career.

I first learned of SAIS in 1965 when applying to attend Dickinson College’s junior year abroad program in Bologna for the 1966-67 school year.

Dickinson of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, had a very close relationship with SAIS at the time, with Dickinson classes conducted at the Bologna Center and Dickinson students like myself enjoying taking some SAIS courses.

Tony Bonanno

We were made to feel part of the SAIS community even though we were Dickinson undergraduates. For me the year in Bologna was transformational for my later life and career choices, and SAIS contributed to that. Besides learning about a different culture and beginning to learn the language, I loved the total Bologna experience and dreamed one day of returning to Bologna.

Soon thereafter, the U.S. Army intervened to delay my law school plans. I enlisted in the U.S. Army (it was the time of the Vietnam War) and to my surprise, because of my experience at Dickinson, SAIS and Bologna, I was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, for two years in 1970 and 1971. I made sure to take trips back to Bologna.

After law school in Washington, DC, I practiced law in Washington until 1983 when I transferred to my law firm’s office in London, where I practiced international tax law until my retirement at the end of 2010.

I was then faced with having to decide what to do in my retirement. The idea of returning to Bologna and SAIS seemed a good idea. My wife was very supportive, and I was excited about pursuing my life-long interest in international relations studies. I learned that SAIS had an MIPP program (Master of International Public Policy) which seemed to suit my desires exactly.

Returning to SAIS and Bologna as a retired lawyer was a great decision, and I highly recommend it for the “mature” student like myself.

One woman's "real world experience" before SAIS

To contact us Click HERE
SAIS Bologna is a diverse place by way of nationality, age, background, expertise and experience. Recently we published posts by Tony Bonanno, who came to SAIS Bologna after three decades as a lawyer, and Andreas Glossner, who came here after studying Physics at university.

Today Kate Maxwell tells us how she ended up at SAIS Bologna after graduating from a U.S. university and then working on Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

After graduating with my B.A. from American University’s School of International Service, I knew I wanted to take some time to get real world experience before pursuing a graduate degree. In my quest for a job that would give me some hands-on experience in the field of international relations, I ended up in the very last place that I expected: banking and finance.

Kate Maxwell

I started working in the executive office of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), an international organization of over 450 banks and other internationally active financial institutions. The IIF, in addition to conducting advanced economic research on a macro level, also examines the impacts of international banking and financial regulations on  industry and the economy.

About a year into my three-year tenure at the IIF, the world turned its attention to Europe and the mounting sovereign debt crisis, particularly in Greece.

The restructuring of Greek debt involved not only the EU, IMF and national European governments but also the private sector, including many IIF members.

The IIF became directly involved in representing the interests of the private sector and shaping the Private Sector Involvement (PSI) piece of the restructuring. Working directly on these issues gave me insight into the interplay between politics, economics, cultural differences and international cooperation between nations, international organizations and the private sector.

When I was looking at graduate programs, SAIS and particularly the SAIS Bologna Center really stood out to me for the opportunity to study both in the U.S. and in Europe and to gain a fuller understanding of the most pressing global issues.

The impressive and diverse student body at the Bologna Center lends an additional element of learning through their experiences, and I am able to contribute both in and out of the classroom thanks to my work experience before SAIS.

The multidisciplinary approach here makes sure all students are equipped with an essential economics toolkit which is crucial to the understanding of any international issue as well as allowing a focus in other areas.

In my case, I am able to pursue my interest in more effective international cooperation in the International Law and Organizations program and love the diversity of courses offered by studying on both the Bologna and Washington campuses.

The Statement of Purpose: "Stay True to Yourself"

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The statement of purpose is a crucial component of an application for admission. It's a chance for the candidate to say why SAIS Bologna is right for them and why they are right for SAIS. A year ago we published a post on the statement, and it has become our second most read item. Today we turn the podium over to Nora Sturm, a current student at SAIS Bologna.

The statement of purpose is probably the most challenging but also most rewarding part of the application process.

Nora Sturm

It’s a chance for you to think about what you’re interested in, what you want to do and how a degree from SAIS can help you achieve that goal.

The process of self-reflection is important, in and of itself. It’s easy and tempting to go through life without giving these questions their due consideration. Once you have done so, the writing is comparatively easy!

I would not worry too much about what kind of structure or style to adopt. There are many different ways of organizing your writing. You can approach it as you would a cover letter and show how your past experiences make you a promising candidate. Or you can focus on the linkages between your aspirations and the skills that SAIS will teach you.

There is no one-size-fits all approach. The structure you choose should reflect where you are in your career and what you want out of your educational experience.

The same goes for style. Provided they are relevant, short anecdotes can offer the reader insight into your experiences. But if you would feel more comfortable keeping the text formal, that’s fine too. (In any case,  make sure your statement is free of grammatical and spelling mistakes because those are sure to stick out.)

Permit me to give an unoriginal piece of advice: Stay true to yourself. If you are, your statement will be more convincing. If not, your writing will come across as contrived and trumped up.

It helps to remember that the Admissions Committee has to read mountains of letters. So the easier and more enjoyable you make it for them, the better.

Did you miss our online information session? Not to worry

To contact us Click HERE
Yesterday we held an online information session with several dozen prospective candidates who asked excellent questions.

We know that not everyone can attend these sessions and that many would like to know what was discussed.

We recorded most of yesterday's session, including the meaty Q&A that touched on some very important issues: the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, language requirements, the analytical essay, among others.


If you are interested in listening to a recording of the session and seeing the questions that were sent in via chat, please send us an email at admissions@jhubc.it, and we will send you the relevant URL.

One very important question was asked: Does it make a difference which box I check when I'm asked if I'd like to start my SAIS studies in DC or Bologna, or if I would be open to starting at either campus?

From the standpoint of your chances of admission, it does not make a difference which box you check. We hold candidates to the same high standards, whether they start in Bologna or DC.

My recommendation would be to check the box that reflects your true feelings. If you're keen to start in Bologna, check that box. If you'd like to spend two years in DC, then choose DC. If you are truly open to starting at either campus -- and keep in mind that in this case the Admissions Committee would choose your campus for you if you were admitted -- then check the "open-ended" box.

As we approach the business end of the application process, we know that candidates have lots of questions. Remember, you can always contact us directly.

In the meantime, here are some posts and guidelines that address specific aspects of the application:

- statement of purpose
- analytical essay
- letters of recommendation
- English language requirements
- foreign language requirements

Our next online information session -- and the last one before the January 7 deadline for applications -- is set for Wednesday, December 19 at noon Italy time (1100 GMT). We'll have a special guest to discuss the analytical essay. We'll post information on how to connect to the session on this journal early in December.

Nelson Graves

Not quite PC (Definitely NOT)

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I got sacked last night from the Salvation Army soup kitchen, ungrateful
sods.
All I said was, 'Hurry up for christ's sake, some of us have got homes to go
to!'

Christmas is like any other day for me, sitting at the table with a big fat
bird who doesn't gobble any more.

Women should be like golf caddies, either holding your balls or getting your
tee ready!

Last night I was sitting on the sofa watching tv
when I heard my wife's voice from the kitchen, 'What you like
for dinner my love, chicken, beef or lamb?' I said, 'Thank
you, I'll have chicken'. She replied, 'You're having soup you
fat bastard, I was talking to the cat!'

Not every flower can say love, but a rose can. Not every flower can
survive thirst, but a cactus can. Not every vegetable can
read, but bless you for having a go!

Got myself a new Jack Russell puppy, he's mainly black and brown with a
small white patch, so I've called him Birmingham.


In an Indian restaurant last night having a meal, waiter came
over and says, 'Curry ok?' I said, 'Go on then, just one song
then bugger off'

I was sat in a restaurant and got hit on the back of the head by a prawn
cocktail. I looked round and this bloke shouts, 'That's just for starters!'

Firemen have just rescued an Irish man with his penis stuck in a condom
machine. They asked him what happened and he said, 'The sign says,
insert £2 and push knob in'.


Yoko Ono has been signed up for the next series of 'I'm a
celebrity, get me out of here'. Show Biz sources think she'll
do really well since she's been living off a dead Beatle for
the last thirty years.

Conversion

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Each Friday night after work, Santa would fire up his outdoor grill & cook a
tandoori chicken & some meat kebabs. But, all of his neighbors were strict
Catholics.. & since it was Lent, they were forbidden from eating chicken &
meat on a Fridays.The delicious aroma from the grilled meats was causing
such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their
Priest. The Priest came to visit Santa & suggested that he become a
Catholic.After several classes & much study, Santa attended a Mass.. & as
the priest sprinkled holy water over him, he said, You were born a Sikh, &
raised a Sikh, but now, you are a Catholic!"
Santa's neighbors were greatly relieved, until Friday night arrived. The
wonderful aroma of punjabi tandoori chicken & delicious meat kebabs filled
the neighborhood. The Priest was called immediately by the neighbors.. & as
he rushed into Santa's backyard, clutching a rosary & prepared to scold him,
he stopped & watched in amazement.
There stood Santa, holding a small bottle of holy water which he carefully
sprinkled over the grilling meats & chanted: "Oye, you were born a chicken,
& you were born a lamb, you were raised a chicken & you were raised a lamb,
but now you are a potato & you a tomato..!!"
The Priest fainted....:-) :-

Daytime TV

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Let the weekend begin!

Yesterday, I was supposed to be grading.  And I was, slowly, with the TV on.  That was a mistake, because I wasn't in the mood to watch football or sappy movies, or even more than one Hitchcock movie.  So I ended up with this show about people who are basically worried about a sort of catastrophe and getting ready so that they'll survive it.  It was like watching a car wreck.

Each of the people profiled worried about a specific sort of catastrophe, and their readiness was specific to their sort of catastrophe.  Except the catastrophe and preparations were, well, not really realistic.  Even the tv show voiceover that judges their readiness acknowledged that whatever sort of catastrophe the person was worried about was pretty unlikely.

So, instead of someone in, say, LA being worried about a major earthquake, and putting together a few days supply of water, some candles, food, and first aid stuff, they showed someone worrying that that earth's magnetic field would reverse and nothing electrical would work.  Instead of having someone here in the northwoods worry about a massive blizzard, and storing up some fuel, food, blankets, and so on, they had someone worried about the total financial collapse of the world, which would result in no one selling (or bartering anything), and so on. 

My favorite, weirdly, was this woman who was worried about a flu pandemic.  That's actually not so unrealistic.  But instead of starting with flu vaccines, she has this absolutely overwhelming supply of medical stuff.  And food.

One of the people, it may have been the flu woman, said they have over $100K of supplies.  My mind boggles.

The worst was that these people imposed their readiness stuff on their families, and you could tell the family members had either gone along and joined the crazy, or hadn't, but were too young or dependent to get out of the situation.  There was a cruel bit where the sister in law (?) of the flu woman came late to a preparedness drill, carrying her toddler looking kid, and the flu woman insisted they be put in a special quarantine area.  The sister in law looked like her patience was tried, but the poor little kid looked so scared.

Or maybe the worst was the level of fear the people seemed to have.  I mean, they seem completely convinced that everyone will be coming to kill them when the disaster hits.  They're all armed to the teeth.

I can't decide if this or the show about hoarding is a worse grading show for me.  At least the hoarding show inspires me to clean out a closet or junk drawer once in a while.

Being a Professor: Surprise!

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When I was in grad school, I vaguely knew professors had committee responsibilities.  After all, someone had to decide who to let into the grad program.  But I didn't think much beyond that.  So, I think the part of the job that I was most surprised by and least prepared for was committee work.

In my first job, I'd never taken minutes for a meeting, and suddenly I was taking minutes for a meeting with the dean in the first weeks of the first term.  (I took notes that were WAY too detailed, and had a quick lesson in taking minutes.  I still tend to put in more detail than is absolutely necessary.)

In my current job, we try to give first year TT folks a year without committee or service responsibilities (though we're not always successful).  And then we pretty much expect them to jump in.

I like committee work that actually gets stuff done.  I'm frustrated by committee work that's basically a rubber stamp of administrative decisions, and I'm frustrated by committee work that's just rehashing without progress.

This week, I have an overwhelming amount of committee work, most of it in meetings, but some of it prep or writing a report.

And I'm wondering, thinking about job search stuff, how grad programs might (should?) prepare students to be ready to take on committee responsibilities?

For those with committee responsibilities, what's the most important thing you think job searchers should know?

Three-Ring Circus

To contact us Click HERE
I was working in a class the other day, and asked students to get out their copy of the assignment handout, which I'd given out several days before.  Most of them opened up a binder of some sort, or a folder thing, and started flipping through loose sheets, trying to find the paper, with varying degrees of success.

And suddenly it struck me, in one of those "holy cow, how can I not have seen this before" ways, that their binders looked pretty much exactly like my junior high binder had looked, with no organization, just piles of loose papers through which I'd flip and try to find whatever it was I'd lost and forgotten about until I was in trouble for not turning in homework.  (Yes, I was that student.)

At some point, though, I switched to an organizational system which basically included a light cardboard folder for each class that had bendable metal pieces to form basically a two ring booklet to which I could add stuff easily (or take it out less easily).  And that system pretty much got me through college.  It wasn't perfect, or at least my use of it wasn't, but I used a hole punch to punch holes in handouts, and dated them, and every few days would put things in order, with handouts, my notes, and so on in the folder.  And at the end of the term, I had a little booklet that included my notes and such for the whole term.

My students, though, even the most prepared students, have no organizational method for handouts beyond just putting them loose in the pockets of a binder or something. 

One of my students was in my office this morning, just a few minutes ago, digging through her binder for her class stuff, and I thought to ask if she would put things in the binder if I gave them to her already punched.  And she thought she would.  And then I asked her why she didn't punch them herself.  And she looked at me like I was a total idiot, and said she didn't have a three hole punch, and didn't have a car to go get one.  Which, of course, I said was a poor excuse, since she could get one cheaply at the campus store, which is between my office and the dorms, and so not something she'd need a car for.  And she looked at me like I am a total idiot.

Now I'm wondering: should I start doing the three hole punch for handouts in hopes that students will actually keep them in some sort of minimally meaningful order in their binders?  Can they really not manage this minimal effort themselves?

Should someone (me?) tell my students that actually keeping notes in some sort of minimally meaningful order might be useful, and give them some hints on how to do so?  Have they never been told this before?

SAIS Bologna's new catalog

To contact us Click HERE
Courses, concentrations, degrees, student life, admissions requirements, our host city: a new catalog touches on each of these aspects of SAIS Bologna.

Even in the digital age there is something nice about a single, tidy document that answers most of your questions.

Wondering about the various degrees that are offered in Bologna? Turn to page 20 of the 2012-13 catalog and read about the MA, MAIA, MIPP, Diploma, Ph.D and dual degree programs.

Biographies of our resident faculty are scattered throughout the 45-page volume. Recent students, including Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor from last year's SAIS Bologna class, comment on their experiences in Bologna:

“I looked at the best programs in international
relations and SAIS was my top choice. I always dreamed of living in Italy, and I really like
the global dimension of SAIS’s Bologna program -- one year in the U.S. and one year in Europe.”

Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor
Budapest, Hungary
M.A. Candidate (B’12) European Studies
Henry Tesluk Fellowship Recipient

You can learn about the Bologna Center's history, student life, our campus, the city of Bologna and student services.

You might like to look at the list of internships that SAIS Bologna students landed last summer. They included jobs at Booz Allen, CSIS, JPMorgan, the OECD, UNESCO, the U.S. State Department and the World Bank.

Finally, for chapter and verse on admissions procedures, turn to page 17. A key date -- the deadline for applications for 2013-14 -- may stick out: January 7, 2013.

This new catalog focuses on SAIS Bologna -- one of three campuses in the global orbit of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Last month we ran a post on a new brochure that spells out what makes SAIS unique, including its global footprint.

Nelson Graves

SAIS Bologna's Halloween party: a slideshow

To contact us Click HERE
Bologna's venerable Palazzo Gnudi may never have seen such a cast of characters. And members of the SAIS Bologna Class of 2013 may never again celebrate Halloween in such a splendid venue.

Revelers left political correctness at the door but global politics was front and center during the class's Halloween bash, held in the sumptuous 18th century palace in the heart of the city.

Below is a slideshow that captures some of the costumes and glittering surroundings. Apologies to those who took the trouble to dress up but are not featured -- there were simply too many of you.

Thanks to photographers Reneé Wynveen, Ally Carragher, Ann Dailey, Caitlin Geraghty and Meng Meng, and to the organizing committee of Brenna Allen, Stephen Crosse, Ann Dailey, Katerina Lovtchinova, Kate Maxwell and David Payne.



If you are reading this via email, you can see the video by clicking here.

Nelson Graves

One man's circuitous route to SAIS Bologna

To contact us Click HERE
Students follow different paths to SAIS Bologna. Some come right out of undergraduate; others have heaps of professional experience. Today Tony Bonanno describes the circuitous route he took to end up at the Bologna Center after law school, military service and an international career.

I first learned of SAIS in 1965 when applying to attend Dickinson College’s junior year abroad program in Bologna for the 1966-67 school year.

Dickinson of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, had a very close relationship with SAIS at the time, with Dickinson classes conducted at the Bologna Center and Dickinson students like myself enjoying taking some SAIS courses.

Tony Bonanno

We were made to feel part of the SAIS community even though we were Dickinson undergraduates. For me the year in Bologna was transformational for my later life and career choices, and SAIS contributed to that. Besides learning about a different culture and beginning to learn the language, I loved the total Bologna experience and dreamed one day of returning to Bologna.

Soon thereafter, the U.S. Army intervened to delay my law school plans. I enlisted in the U.S. Army (it was the time of the Vietnam War) and to my surprise, because of my experience at Dickinson, SAIS and Bologna, I was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, for two years in 1970 and 1971. I made sure to take trips back to Bologna.

After law school in Washington, DC, I practiced law in Washington until 1983 when I transferred to my law firm’s office in London, where I practiced international tax law until my retirement at the end of 2010.

I was then faced with having to decide what to do in my retirement. The idea of returning to Bologna and SAIS seemed a good idea. My wife was very supportive, and I was excited about pursuing my life-long interest in international relations studies. I learned that SAIS had an MIPP program (Master of International Public Policy) which seemed to suit my desires exactly.

Returning to SAIS and Bologna as a retired lawyer was a great decision, and I highly recommend it for the “mature” student like myself.

One woman's "real world experience" before SAIS

To contact us Click HERE
SAIS Bologna is a diverse place by way of nationality, age, background, expertise and experience. Recently we published posts by Tony Bonanno, who came to SAIS Bologna after three decades as a lawyer, and Andreas Glossner, who came here after studying Physics at university.

Today Kate Maxwell tells us how she ended up at SAIS Bologna after graduating from a U.S. university and then working on Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

After graduating with my B.A. from American University’s School of International Service, I knew I wanted to take some time to get real world experience before pursuing a graduate degree. In my quest for a job that would give me some hands-on experience in the field of international relations, I ended up in the very last place that I expected: banking and finance.

Kate Maxwell

I started working in the executive office of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), an international organization of over 450 banks and other internationally active financial institutions. The IIF, in addition to conducting advanced economic research on a macro level, also examines the impacts of international banking and financial regulations on  industry and the economy.

About a year into my three-year tenure at the IIF, the world turned its attention to Europe and the mounting sovereign debt crisis, particularly in Greece.

The restructuring of Greek debt involved not only the EU, IMF and national European governments but also the private sector, including many IIF members.

The IIF became directly involved in representing the interests of the private sector and shaping the Private Sector Involvement (PSI) piece of the restructuring. Working directly on these issues gave me insight into the interplay between politics, economics, cultural differences and international cooperation between nations, international organizations and the private sector.

When I was looking at graduate programs, SAIS and particularly the SAIS Bologna Center really stood out to me for the opportunity to study both in the U.S. and in Europe and to gain a fuller understanding of the most pressing global issues.

The impressive and diverse student body at the Bologna Center lends an additional element of learning through their experiences, and I am able to contribute both in and out of the classroom thanks to my work experience before SAIS.

The multidisciplinary approach here makes sure all students are equipped with an essential economics toolkit which is crucial to the understanding of any international issue as well as allowing a focus in other areas.

In my case, I am able to pursue my interest in more effective international cooperation in the International Law and Organizations program and love the diversity of courses offered by studying on both the Bologna and Washington campuses.

Thanksgiving in Bologna

To contact us Click HERE
More than 150 students, faculty, staff and their families gathered at the Bologna Center on November 24 to celebrate the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday with a feast organized by the Student Government Association. The pièce de résistance -- 15 turkeys. Accompanied by an assortment of side dishes and topped by an array of desserts. Entertainment by the Dance Club. Below SAIS Bologna student Felix Amrhein of Germany writes about his first ever Thanksgiving. (Thanks to photographer Maxwell Cohen.)


Turkeys were carved, potatoes were mashed, vegetables were roasted.

After three months of pasta, pizza and panini, SAIS Bologna students displayed their culinary skills and offered a wide variety of traditional dishes at the annual Thanksgiving dinner.

As a European who has never lived in the United States, I experienced my first Thanksgiving. I had heard of it, of course. But apart from a passing knowledge of its basic history, I knew little about the tradition. I could not help but think it was a pretext to eat insane amounts of mostly greasy but delicious food.

Boy, was I wrong.

I spent my first Thanksgiving with friends who obviously had been doing little else that day but standing in the kitchen and preparing food.

The U.S. students were horrified by the thought that classes would be held at SAIS Bologna on Thanksgiving, which of course is not a holiday in Italy. As long ago as August I had heard desperate conversations on how to tackle this dilemma. The solution: hold the dinner on a Saturday afternoon.

Ever since the end of midterms, the main topic of conversation was what to cook for Thanksgiving, how to get hold of turkey in Italy, where to gather and how to get a U.S. TV feed to watch the requisite football game.

(I could not help but notice that Americans tend to get a bit lost as the year progresses. It seems they need public holidays to tell them what to do and how to act. After a long preparation for Halloween, the next event is Thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving over, Black Friday starts the countdown for the Christmas season. Black Friday is the most intense display of consumerism I have ever seen and falls just a day after the commemoration of what we are thankful for.)

The Dance Club performed a flash Gangnam Style routine

It took me two hours in the kitchen, three helpings of food, 20 fellow SAIS students and a good two hours of food coma to grasp the importance of this holiday for the Americans.

Never have I seen so many people Skype or call their families at once. It brought home to me that this holiday is about spending time with loved ones, enjoying the company of one's family and expressing thanks.

It's clear that Thanksgiving means more than I may have thought: a day with close friends and family, enjoying a fine meal and remembering what we can be thankful for.

I am thankful for having had the chance to enjoy this day with the SAIS family.

Recent PSYC grad with a neuroscience background? Apply to be a Research Assistant with the Children's National Medical Center!

To contact us Click HERE
Research Assistant   
The Laboratory of Joshua Corbin
Children's National Medical Center

The laboratory of Joshua Corbin, PhD in the Center for Neuroscience Research at Children’s
National Medical Center seeks a full time laboratory research assistant at any level of experience.

Responsibilities:
• Providing experimental support for ongoing NIH and foundation funded projects exploring various aspects of mammalian brain development. Experimental approaches will include, but not limited to standard molecular and cellular neurobiology techniques such as tissue cryosectioning, gene expression analyses,DNA construct design, etc.

• Basic lab management duties such as coordinating lab ordering, lab protocol organization, etc.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Previous lab wet lab experience with above techniques, including rodent handling are
preferred, but not required.
• Candidate should hold at least an undergraduate degree in neuroscience or related biological science.
• Ability to dedicate a minimum of 40 hours/week.
• Interest in developmental biology or neurobiology.
• Ability to work both well within a team and independently.
• Attention to detail, strong work ethic and desire to learn.

How to Apply:
The position will be open starting Spring 2013. Interested candidates should send a CV
along with contact for 3 letters of reference to:

Joshua Corbin, PhD
Associate Professor
Center for Neuroscience Research
Children’s National Medical Center
111 Michigan Avenue, NW
Washington DC, 20010
JCorbin@cnmcresearch.org

SAIS Bologna's new catalog

To contact us Click HERE
Courses, concentrations, degrees, student life, admissions requirements, our host city: a new catalog touches on each of these aspects of SAIS Bologna.

Even in the digital age there is something nice about a single, tidy document that answers most of your questions.

Wondering about the various degrees that are offered in Bologna? Turn to page 20 of the 2012-13 catalog and read about the MA, MAIA, MIPP, Diploma, Ph.D and dual degree programs.

Biographies of our resident faculty are scattered throughout the 45-page volume. Recent students, including Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor from last year's SAIS Bologna class, comment on their experiences in Bologna:

“I looked at the best programs in international
relations and SAIS was my top choice. I always dreamed of living in Italy, and I really like
the global dimension of SAIS’s Bologna program -- one year in the U.S. and one year in Europe.”

Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor
Budapest, Hungary
M.A. Candidate (B’12) European Studies
Henry Tesluk Fellowship Recipient

You can learn about the Bologna Center's history, student life, our campus, the city of Bologna and student services.

You might like to look at the list of internships that SAIS Bologna students landed last summer. They included jobs at Booz Allen, CSIS, JPMorgan, the OECD, UNESCO, the U.S. State Department and the World Bank.

Finally, for chapter and verse on admissions procedures, turn to page 17. A key date -- the deadline for applications for 2013-14 -- may stick out: January 7, 2013.

This new catalog focuses on SAIS Bologna -- one of three campuses in the global orbit of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Last month we ran a post on a new brochure that spells out what makes SAIS unique, including its global footprint.

Nelson Graves

SAIS Bologna's Halloween party: a slideshow

To contact us Click HERE
Bologna's venerable Palazzo Gnudi may never have seen such a cast of characters. And members of the SAIS Bologna Class of 2013 may never again celebrate Halloween in such a splendid venue.

Revelers left political correctness at the door but global politics was front and center during the class's Halloween bash, held in the sumptuous 18th century palace in the heart of the city.

Below is a slideshow that captures some of the costumes and glittering surroundings. Apologies to those who took the trouble to dress up but are not featured -- there were simply too many of you.

Thanks to photographers Reneé Wynveen, Ally Carragher, Ann Dailey, Caitlin Geraghty and Meng Meng, and to the organizing committee of Brenna Allen, Stephen Crosse, Ann Dailey, Katerina Lovtchinova, Kate Maxwell and David Payne.



If you are reading this via email, you can see the video by clicking here.

Nelson Graves

One man's circuitous route to SAIS Bologna

To contact us Click HERE
Students follow different paths to SAIS Bologna. Some come right out of undergraduate; others have heaps of professional experience. Today Tony Bonanno describes the circuitous route he took to end up at the Bologna Center after law school, military service and an international career.

I first learned of SAIS in 1965 when applying to attend Dickinson College’s junior year abroad program in Bologna for the 1966-67 school year.

Dickinson of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, had a very close relationship with SAIS at the time, with Dickinson classes conducted at the Bologna Center and Dickinson students like myself enjoying taking some SAIS courses.

Tony Bonanno

We were made to feel part of the SAIS community even though we were Dickinson undergraduates. For me the year in Bologna was transformational for my later life and career choices, and SAIS contributed to that. Besides learning about a different culture and beginning to learn the language, I loved the total Bologna experience and dreamed one day of returning to Bologna.

Soon thereafter, the U.S. Army intervened to delay my law school plans. I enlisted in the U.S. Army (it was the time of the Vietnam War) and to my surprise, because of my experience at Dickinson, SAIS and Bologna, I was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, for two years in 1970 and 1971. I made sure to take trips back to Bologna.

After law school in Washington, DC, I practiced law in Washington until 1983 when I transferred to my law firm’s office in London, where I practiced international tax law until my retirement at the end of 2010.

I was then faced with having to decide what to do in my retirement. The idea of returning to Bologna and SAIS seemed a good idea. My wife was very supportive, and I was excited about pursuing my life-long interest in international relations studies. I learned that SAIS had an MIPP program (Master of International Public Policy) which seemed to suit my desires exactly.

Returning to SAIS and Bologna as a retired lawyer was a great decision, and I highly recommend it for the “mature” student like myself.

One woman's "real world experience" before SAIS

To contact us Click HERE
SAIS Bologna is a diverse place by way of nationality, age, background, expertise and experience. Recently we published posts by Tony Bonanno, who came to SAIS Bologna after three decades as a lawyer, and Andreas Glossner, who came here after studying Physics at university.

Today Kate Maxwell tells us how she ended up at SAIS Bologna after graduating from a U.S. university and then working on Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

After graduating with my B.A. from American University’s School of International Service, I knew I wanted to take some time to get real world experience before pursuing a graduate degree. In my quest for a job that would give me some hands-on experience in the field of international relations, I ended up in the very last place that I expected: banking and finance.

Kate Maxwell

I started working in the executive office of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), an international organization of over 450 banks and other internationally active financial institutions. The IIF, in addition to conducting advanced economic research on a macro level, also examines the impacts of international banking and financial regulations on  industry and the economy.

About a year into my three-year tenure at the IIF, the world turned its attention to Europe and the mounting sovereign debt crisis, particularly in Greece.

The restructuring of Greek debt involved not only the EU, IMF and national European governments but also the private sector, including many IIF members.

The IIF became directly involved in representing the interests of the private sector and shaping the Private Sector Involvement (PSI) piece of the restructuring. Working directly on these issues gave me insight into the interplay between politics, economics, cultural differences and international cooperation between nations, international organizations and the private sector.

When I was looking at graduate programs, SAIS and particularly the SAIS Bologna Center really stood out to me for the opportunity to study both in the U.S. and in Europe and to gain a fuller understanding of the most pressing global issues.

The impressive and diverse student body at the Bologna Center lends an additional element of learning through their experiences, and I am able to contribute both in and out of the classroom thanks to my work experience before SAIS.

The multidisciplinary approach here makes sure all students are equipped with an essential economics toolkit which is crucial to the understanding of any international issue as well as allowing a focus in other areas.

In my case, I am able to pursue my interest in more effective international cooperation in the International Law and Organizations program and love the diversity of courses offered by studying on both the Bologna and Washington campuses.

Ph.D. Program Spotlight: Developmental and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Boston!

To contact us Click HERE

The PhD program in Developmental and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Boston is accepting applications, with a December 14th deadline.

This is the only program in the Neurosciences at a public institution in Boston. The DBS program is an intensive, developmentally-focused, research-based program. Core faculty (Jane Adams, Erik Blaser, Vivian Ciaramitaro, Tiffany Donaldson, Richard Hunter, Zsuzsa Kaldy, Celia Moore, Jin Ho Park, Mohinish Shukla, and Susan Zup) engage in research ranging from cognitive development and psychophysics to neuroendocrinology and behavioral genetics. Students may follow a Cognitive specialization investigating functional changes in perceptual and cognitive abilities or a Behavioral specialization investigating neural and hormonal correlates of behavior. New lab spaces for the program will be housed in the under-construction Integrated Sciences Building (completion date 2013), part of our campus on the Columbia Point peninsula. This location is just a few miles south of downtown Boston, neighbors the city’s world-class research universities, and offers wonderful views of the city and Boston Harbor. Successful applicants will likely have significant research experience. We especially encourage members of underrepresented populations in neuroscience to apply.

For more information or to apply, please visit http://dbs.psych.umb.edu

SAIS Bologna's new catalog

To contact us Click HERE
Courses, concentrations, degrees, student life, admissions requirements, our host city: a new catalog touches on each of these aspects of SAIS Bologna.

Even in the digital age there is something nice about a single, tidy document that answers most of your questions.

Wondering about the various degrees that are offered in Bologna? Turn to page 20 of the 2012-13 catalog and read about the MA, MAIA, MIPP, Diploma, Ph.D and dual degree programs.

Biographies of our resident faculty are scattered throughout the 45-page volume. Recent students, including Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor from last year's SAIS Bologna class, comment on their experiences in Bologna:

“I looked at the best programs in international
relations and SAIS was my top choice. I always dreamed of living in Italy, and I really like
the global dimension of SAIS’s Bologna program -- one year in the U.S. and one year in Europe.”

Judit Vásárhelyi-Kondor
Budapest, Hungary
M.A. Candidate (B’12) European Studies
Henry Tesluk Fellowship Recipient

You can learn about the Bologna Center's history, student life, our campus, the city of Bologna and student services.

You might like to look at the list of internships that SAIS Bologna students landed last summer. They included jobs at Booz Allen, CSIS, JPMorgan, the OECD, UNESCO, the U.S. State Department and the World Bank.

Finally, for chapter and verse on admissions procedures, turn to page 17. A key date -- the deadline for applications for 2013-14 -- may stick out: January 7, 2013.

This new catalog focuses on SAIS Bologna -- one of three campuses in the global orbit of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Last month we ran a post on a new brochure that spells out what makes SAIS unique, including its global footprint.

Nelson Graves

SAIS Bologna's Halloween party: a slideshow

To contact us Click HERE
Bologna's venerable Palazzo Gnudi may never have seen such a cast of characters. And members of the SAIS Bologna Class of 2013 may never again celebrate Halloween in such a splendid venue.

Revelers left political correctness at the door but global politics was front and center during the class's Halloween bash, held in the sumptuous 18th century palace in the heart of the city.

Below is a slideshow that captures some of the costumes and glittering surroundings. Apologies to those who took the trouble to dress up but are not featured -- there were simply too many of you.

Thanks to photographers Reneé Wynveen, Ally Carragher, Ann Dailey, Caitlin Geraghty and Meng Meng, and to the organizing committee of Brenna Allen, Stephen Crosse, Ann Dailey, Katerina Lovtchinova, Kate Maxwell and David Payne.



If you are reading this via email, you can see the video by clicking here.

Nelson Graves

One man's circuitous route to SAIS Bologna

To contact us Click HERE
Students follow different paths to SAIS Bologna. Some come right out of undergraduate; others have heaps of professional experience. Today Tony Bonanno describes the circuitous route he took to end up at the Bologna Center after law school, military service and an international career.

I first learned of SAIS in 1965 when applying to attend Dickinson College’s junior year abroad program in Bologna for the 1966-67 school year.

Dickinson of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, had a very close relationship with SAIS at the time, with Dickinson classes conducted at the Bologna Center and Dickinson students like myself enjoying taking some SAIS courses.

Tony Bonanno

We were made to feel part of the SAIS community even though we were Dickinson undergraduates. For me the year in Bologna was transformational for my later life and career choices, and SAIS contributed to that. Besides learning about a different culture and beginning to learn the language, I loved the total Bologna experience and dreamed one day of returning to Bologna.

Soon thereafter, the U.S. Army intervened to delay my law school plans. I enlisted in the U.S. Army (it was the time of the Vietnam War) and to my surprise, because of my experience at Dickinson, SAIS and Bologna, I was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, for two years in 1970 and 1971. I made sure to take trips back to Bologna.

After law school in Washington, DC, I practiced law in Washington until 1983 when I transferred to my law firm’s office in London, where I practiced international tax law until my retirement at the end of 2010.

I was then faced with having to decide what to do in my retirement. The idea of returning to Bologna and SAIS seemed a good idea. My wife was very supportive, and I was excited about pursuing my life-long interest in international relations studies. I learned that SAIS had an MIPP program (Master of International Public Policy) which seemed to suit my desires exactly.

Returning to SAIS and Bologna as a retired lawyer was a great decision, and I highly recommend it for the “mature” student like myself.

One woman's "real world experience" before SAIS

To contact us Click HERE
SAIS Bologna is a diverse place by way of nationality, age, background, expertise and experience. Recently we published posts by Tony Bonanno, who came to SAIS Bologna after three decades as a lawyer, and Andreas Glossner, who came here after studying Physics at university.

Today Kate Maxwell tells us how she ended up at SAIS Bologna after graduating from a U.S. university and then working on Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

After graduating with my B.A. from American University’s School of International Service, I knew I wanted to take some time to get real world experience before pursuing a graduate degree. In my quest for a job that would give me some hands-on experience in the field of international relations, I ended up in the very last place that I expected: banking and finance.

Kate Maxwell

I started working in the executive office of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), an international organization of over 450 banks and other internationally active financial institutions. The IIF, in addition to conducting advanced economic research on a macro level, also examines the impacts of international banking and financial regulations on  industry and the economy.

About a year into my three-year tenure at the IIF, the world turned its attention to Europe and the mounting sovereign debt crisis, particularly in Greece.

The restructuring of Greek debt involved not only the EU, IMF and national European governments but also the private sector, including many IIF members.

The IIF became directly involved in representing the interests of the private sector and shaping the Private Sector Involvement (PSI) piece of the restructuring. Working directly on these issues gave me insight into the interplay between politics, economics, cultural differences and international cooperation between nations, international organizations and the private sector.

When I was looking at graduate programs, SAIS and particularly the SAIS Bologna Center really stood out to me for the opportunity to study both in the U.S. and in Europe and to gain a fuller understanding of the most pressing global issues.

The impressive and diverse student body at the Bologna Center lends an additional element of learning through their experiences, and I am able to contribute both in and out of the classroom thanks to my work experience before SAIS.

The multidisciplinary approach here makes sure all students are equipped with an essential economics toolkit which is crucial to the understanding of any international issue as well as allowing a focus in other areas.

In my case, I am able to pursue my interest in more effective international cooperation in the International Law and Organizations program and love the diversity of courses offered by studying on both the Bologna and Washington campuses.