SAIS in print and cyberspace

I call your attention to two publications that give a glimpse into SAIS.

The latest edition of SAIS Reports notes that U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who graduated from SAIS in 1985, will be the speaker at the ceremony next month marking the end of the academic year at SAIS DC.

(For those unfamiliar with U.S. academic tradition, the ceremony celebrating a class's graduation is called "commencement". And if you haven't seen the movie The Graduate, you're in for a treat.)

Einhorn and Nasr

The publication also features an interview with outgoing SAIS Dean Jessica Einhorn, who joined SAIS in 2002 after nearly two decades in leadership roles at the World Bank.

"With a curriculum that combines regional and functional studies, SAIS is designed academically to offer what a young professional needs to learn about the world that is taking shape now," Einhorn says.

Einhorn will turn over SAIS's reins on July 1 to Vali Nasr, currently a professor at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. To listen to Nasr's recent remarks to the SAIS community, click here.

In a reminder of SAIS's multidisciplinary curriculum, SAIS Reports writes about a new program of study called the Global Politics and Religion Initiative, underwritten by a $440,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.

The second publication, Rivista, is a window into SAIS Bologna. It's geared mainly for alumni. But prospective applicants and admitted candidates will find articles on the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development and its initiatives in Bosnia and Ghana, and on the Bologna Institute for Policy Research.

It also notes that Austria's new ambassador to Athens, Melitta Schubert, is an alumna of SAIS Bologna. One of many SAIS graduates in a leading diplomatic post.

Nelson Graves

FAQs: Your questions answered

We're getting a flurry of questions from admitted candidates. It's only natural. We try our hardest to answer them.

Here are the most common queries:

Q: Will you be distributing more financial aid for 2012-13?
A: One of the most difficult aspects of assembling a new class is our inability to fully meet the financial needs of all of the students we would like to welcome. At the moment we have distributed all of the money available to us for scholarships. Later, when we know which admitted candidates will be attending SAIS, if sufficient money is returned to us we may be able to make additional grants, as we have in the past, but it is not something to count on.

Q: I have been offered aid for 2012-13. Will I receive the same amount in 2013-14?
A: There is no guarantee the same level of aid will be offered to each non-U.S. recipient in the second year. There is a pool of aid for non-U.S. students in their second year. The pool is greater in the first year than the second, in part because some special fellowships are available to non-U.S. students attending SAIS Bologna. All non-U.S. students in satisfactory academic standing are eligible to apply for aid for the second year. Awards are based mainly on performance during the first semester at the Bologna Center. Need and in some cases fellowship eligibility can also be taken into consideration. Students who perform especially well in Bologna -- whether or not they have received aid in their first year -- can present a strong case for aid in the second year. Competition for aid is lively, and we urge students to explore alternative sources for the second year as soon as possible to avoid missing deadlines which can fall one year in advance.

For more information on financial aid, click here. For potential alternative sources of funds outside SAIS's control, click here; please keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive and there are funds that we do not know about.

One of the alternative sources of funds for the second year for non-U.S. citizens could be the Fulbright Commission. There is no blanket authorization for the national commissions to accept applications from students who attend SAIS Bologna and who are looking for funding for a second year in Washington. Each country applies its own policies. However, a number of commissions in Europe have agreed to accept applications from students for their second year in Washington, and we would encourage those who are interested to try. Please keep us informed of your progress, and if you think that an intervention from us with your local Fulbright Commission might help establish your eligibility (not advance your candidacy), please provide us the name, email and/or telephone number of your contact person, and we will try to help . Also, keep in mind that this applies to funding for a second year in Washington. Fulbright does not offer scholarships to students studying in Bologna.

Q: I received no aid for 2012-13. Can I receive some for 2013-14?
A: Please see the answer to the preceding question. If you perform extremely well in Bologna, you're only doing yourself a favor. Give it a try.

Q: Can I defer enrollment?
A: Yes. We ask candidates who wish to defer to write to us, explaining why. You need a good reason to defer. Different people have different reasons for deferring; we will consider each case on its merits. In some cases, it is to work a job that directly enhances your subsequent experience at SAIS. A candidate who defers needs to decide by May 16 and to pay the 385-euro deferral fee to hold down the spot for the following academic year. The fee is eventually subtracted from the student's first-term tuition. If you want to defer, let us know as soon as possible.

Q: How do I get a visa to study in Italy?
A: If you are from a European Union member state, you do not need a visa. Otherwise, if you are a non-U.S. national, once you have matriculated (which requires a 385-euro payment), we will send you a letter in Italian that allows you to apply for a student visa ("Visto Tipo D" -- in English, Type D visa). You can apply at an Italian embassy or consulate in your home country. From there on, it's pretty straightforward. If you get on this early, you should not lose any sleep. But if you hit a snag, be sure to contact us.

Incoming students from the United States should be in touch with Erin Cameron (erin.cameron@jhu.edu) in the SAIS DC Admissions Office about their visas.

Q: Can I work part-time in Bologna?
A: Italian regulations say full-time students with a visa can work up to 20 hours a week, or 1040 hours a year. There are some jobs at SAIS Bologna such as research and teaching assistantships, library employment and the reception. Both the Bologna Institute for Policy Research and the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development employ a certain number of interns. There can be opportunities off campus, especially if you speak some Italian.

Q: When and how do I apply for a job at the Bologna Center?
A: It's best to wait for jobs to be posted. Some departments send out vacancy announcements over the summer while others wait until pre-term or the beginning of the academic year. In many cases job openings will be sent to incoming students via email. Research and teaching assistantships are managed by professors themselves, and the processes and timing depend on the individuals. If you are interested in a teaching or research assistantship, have a look at the biographies of professors and consider whether there is someone you would like to work with. Keep in mind that there can be a good deal of competition for these posts.

Q: What if my question is not answered here? Should I dash off an email to the friendly Admissions team?
A: We love email. But could we ask a favor? That you first check out the special page for incoming students and the guidebook for incoming students. If you still don't have an answer, please do write or call us.

Also, we'll be holding an online Q&A session on April 25. If you have been admitted and you'd like to participate, please send an email to admissions@jhubc.it. And don't forget our Open House in Bologna on May 3&4. All admitted students are welcome.

Q: How do I pronounce "Bologna"?
A: The "g" is soft. If you say "Bo-lon-ya", with the accent on "lon", you're off to a good start.

Nelson Graves

A prism on SAIS Bologna

A new book on Libya offers a window on intellectual life at SAIS Bologna.

The book, Libia: Fine o rinascita di una nazione? (Libya: End or rebirth of a nation?), was co-authored by Prof. Karim Mezran, who teaches Middle East Studies at SAIS.

Alice Alunni, who attended SAIS Bologna in 2008-09 and graduated from SAIS in 2010, wrote a chapter of the book and moderated the unveiling of the volume at a recent event in Bologna.

The book launch was part of a series organized by the Bologna Institute for Policy Research (BIPR), the research division of Johns Hopkins University in Bologna.

Varvelli, Alunni and Cremonesi

This confluence of research and writing on a current topic, teaching, teamwork and outreach is part of SAIS's mission and consistent with the mix of theory and practice that prepares students for challenges in the work place.

The book on Libya was a joint effort by SAIS professors, researchers and professors from Italian universities. It is one of the first in Italian that provides an analytical perspective on the oil-rich North African country. SAIS alumna Saskia Van Genugten, who is writing her Ph.D thesis on Libya, contributed a chapter on ties linking Libya, France and the United Kingdom.

I talked with Alice after the book launch, which was attended by co-author Arturo Varvelli of the IPSI research institute and Lorenzo Cremonesi of leading Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Since graduating from SAIS, Alice has worked at the International Labor Organization and at the Center for American Studies headed by Prof. Mezran. (You may remember our chat with Prof. Mezran at the outset of the Arab Spring). She is currently a junior associate fellow at SAIS Bologna.

Q: In a few words, what is the book about?
Alunni: The book analyzes the main social, political and economic aspects of the history of the country from the Ottoman domination till the present. Therefore, it allows the reader to understand the driving forces of current events.

Q: I understand you wrote a chapter of the book. What’s your chapter about?
Alunni: It’s about the relationship between Qaddafi's Libya and Middle Eastern and African countries. In particular, it analyzes the switch from pan-Arabism to pan-Africanism in Qaddafi's foreign policy and the socio-economic and political drivers that determined this process.

Q: Who would read the book?
Alunni: Anyone interested in learning more about what brought Libya to the situation it is in today. Many historical, social, political as well as economic factors have materialized into today’s events. The lack of a Libyan national identity, for instance, is discussed in the book, and this can help understand the centrifugal forces at work in Libya in 2012.

Q: What role has SAIS played?
Alunni: I finished my studies at SAIS a couple of years ago. Through SAIS I was able to nurture my interest for North Africa. And BIPR gives me the opportunity to carry out the research.

Q: What will your next work be?
Alunni: I’m finishing an article for the BC Journal of International Affairs. The topic this year is power shifts, and I’m co-authoring the article on power shifts in the North African region with Prof. Mezran. I’m also working with him on the case study on Libya for a project conducted by the Clingendael Institute and directed by SAIS Prof. William Zartman called “Negotiations in Transition”, which focuses on the role of negotiations among local actors during the Arab Spring.

Amina Abdiuahab

Books by SAIS Bologna professors: Perspectives on the world

In an earlier post, Kathryn Knowles of the Bologna Institute for Policy Research mentioned a series of faculty book presentations in the Spring semester.

Yesterday, Mark Gilbert, a history professor at SAIS Bologna, kicked off the presentations by launching his new book, European Integration: A Concise History, at Feltrinelli International, Bologna's top international bookshop.

Prof. Gilbert's was the first of six book presentations by SAIS professors from now through October. The other professors releasing books are John Harper, Karim Mezran, Richard Pomfret, David Unger and David Ellwood. Stay tuned for more details on their presentations.

Before his book launch, I sat down with Prof. Gilbert and asked a few questions.

Professor Gilbert discusses his book

Q: In a few words, what is your book about?
Gilbert: It's the story of how European countries pooled their national sovereignty first in the European Community, and since 1992, in the European Union. It is an attempt to look at the complexities of this historical process as far as possible objectively.

Q: How did the book come about? What inspired you? 
Gilbert: I was curious. This book is a revised and updated edition of an earlier work I published in 2003. At the time I was living in two countries, Italy and the UK, which had very contrasting views on the European Union. Italy was very positive about European unity whereas the UK was not. I wanted to research in more detail to understand what could lead the two nations to have such different views on the European Union.

Q: How does this book differ from your earlier works?
Gilbert: It's more complex and it has a broader scope than my previous books, which concentrated on specific moments of Italian history and politics. This edition of the book is also very different from the first edition. It is more dubious about the European Union's prospects and to some extent can be read as a "revisionist" account of the EU's history.

Q: Who would read your book?
Gilbert: This book will mostly interest students of European politics and contemporary European history. That said, I think it's a book for anyone who wants to learn about the European Union and the policies of integration. I would like school teachers to read it.

Q: Why school teachers?

Gilbert: Too often school teachers come to a halt in 1945 and treat more recent times as current events.

Q: In your introduction you thank a SAIS Bologna alumna. What role did she play?
Gilbert: Marijn Hoijitink, was my research assistant last year. Her diligence and competency were a great contribution to the book. She helped me improve a couple of chapters by finding published sources I hadn't used in the first edition and by updating the chronology at the beginning. She proof-read several chapters.

Q: And finally, what will your next book be?
Gilbert: The next book will be about "Europe in the Cold War." The idea is to give an overview of the main phases of the Cold War as it affected European countries, but to concentrate on the intellectual debates generated by the conflict. It is still in its early stages, however. I have about 60,000 words, and a detailed road map, but have a tendency to go off the route set for me. Still, I usually get to my destination in the end!

Amina Abdiuahab

The SAIS Bologna Seminar Series: an intellectual buffet

SAIS Bologna students hunger for knowledge. To help sate their appetite, they supplement course work with seminars and lectures on a wide range of topics.

Here are some of the subjects that speakers will tackle in December and January at SAIS Bologna:

• economic integration in Asia
• economics and global warming
• the peace movement in Germany in the 1980s
• Rio +20
• war, technology and the rise of the West (1450-2011)
• the Middle East and human trafficking
• the fall of the Celtic tiger
• "theory" at SAIS
• anticipating global challenges
• Mitterrand and German unification
• building Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Libya after the fall of Qaddafi

For a peek at the list of speakers for December and January, click here.

For the full list of events at SAIS Bologna for this academic year, go here. For an RSS feed of upcoming events, click here.

Finally, for reports on our speakers, you can turn to the Bologna Institute for Policy Research (BIPR). Interns at BIPR, who are students at SAIS Bologna, churn out the reports, which include a summary of each seminar, a recording of the event as well as a brief interview with the speaker. A tidy way to keep informed.

I attend as many seminars as I can, both for the intellectual content and to observe the widely differing styles that speakers adopt. Call it a form of continuing education.

We consider the seminar series to be a crucial and valuable element of a SAIS education. We think you would too.

Nelson Graves

Meeting our faculty: Prof. Jones

Erik Jones is professor of European Studies at SAIS Bologna. He is also the director of the new Bologna Institute for Policy Research (BIPR).

One of the most viewed posts in this blog's 10 months of existence is a video chat with Prof. Jones in which he discussed the interviews that we conduct with all applicants. You might enjoy watching it.

While you're at it, check out Prof. Jones's work on the eurobond proposal.

Your degrees?
AB, Princeton
MA and PhD, SAIS

What courses are you teaching?
West European Political Economies, Central and East European Political Economies, Risk in the International Political Economy, European Research Seminar

Where have you taught?
Central European University, University of Nottingham, SAIS Bologna Center

How long have you been teaching at SAIS Bologna?
Since February 2001 – in residence since September 2002

A link to a recent publication/oped/academic work by you?
See http://www.jhubc.it/facultypages/ejones for publications

Anything special about SAIS Bologna?
The community atmosphere. I don’t know any place that has as tightly knit a group of students and scholars as we do.

Anything special about Bologna?
The combination of young and old. You have about 100,000 university students living and studying in a place that has a 900 year old university.

Your favorite book?
If you want fiction, then I read a lot of junky sci-fi (Robert Heinlein) and fantasy (Robert Jordan). My reading age varies between 13 and 16. I read the Game of Thrones books in about a month. I am now working on a series by David Weber. If you want non-fiction, then I would probably go with Richard Bookstaber’s Demon of Our Own Design or Robert Schiller and George Akerloff’s Animal Spirits. But I also enjoy books on US foreign policy and am working my way (slowly) through the various Republican candidates.

Hobby?
I like to swim, either long-course or open water. Sometimes I get afraid of what else might be in the open water – particularly when I cannot see the bottom.

A quote?
Churchill was pretty good with the one-liners. Take your pick.


Nelson Graves

No ivory tower

SAIS Bologna is first and foremost an academic experience. But don't expect an ivory tower.

Erik Jones

Our faculty have their feet on the ground and are engaged in some of the world's most pressing issues. Students benefit from the mix of theory and practice, not least of all when they speak to potential employers who are looking for savvy, plugged-in graduates.

If you have a few minutes, read this newspaper column by Prof. Erik Jones. Many of our readers know already that Prof. Jones heads the European Studies department at SAIS Bologna. He is also in the throes of launching the Bologna Institute for Policy Research.

Yet his head is anywhere but in the clouds, as you'll see from the article. There is no more pressing issue in Europe right now than the future of the euro zone and of the European Union. The kind of issue that is tackled full on by Prof. Jones and students at SAIS Bologna.

If you have a few more moments, you might like to check out contributions by other SAIS Bologna professors to the understanding of global current events.

Nelson Graves

SAIS Bologna's new offspring: Bologna Institute for Policy Research

Who needs another think tank? Or another acronym?

Well, SAIS Bologna.

In fact the Bologna Institute for Policy Research is not a think tank. According to its director, Erik Jones, it is an organic extension of SAIS Bologna's mission and will help spread an understanding of the work that is done at the Bologna Center.

Prof. Erik Jones,
BIPR director

The Institute -- BIPR for short -- is the brainchild of SAIS Bologna Director Kenneth Keller. "The idea behind the Institute is to take what we do at the Bologna Center and do it a little bit better," Prof. Jones explains in the video below.

That means leveraging research done by SAIS Bologna faculty, both resident and adjunct professors, and making it more widely known.

"We want people to know what is going on in the Bologna Center," said Jones, who is professor of European Studies.

You'll see on our visit of the Institute that it's still in its infancy. Kathryn Knowles, who is helping get BIPR on its feet, takes us on a brief tour. The hope is that the Institute, housed near SAIS Bologna's main building, will begin to hit its stride by the start of the academic year in early October.

What's in it for SAIS Bologna students? The Institute will offer opportunities to learn from some of the world's leading experts. It will promote the name of SAIS Bologna beyond the confines of the Bologna Center. That cannot hurt students when they start looking for a job.

And for those seeking to earn a few euros while at SAIS Bologna, the Institute will offer part-time work.

This year's students have the good luck to observe BIPR spread its wings and to benefit from the opportunities it will make available.



If you are receiving this blog post through email, click here to see the video.

Nelson Graves