A peek at SAIS Bologna Open House

Today a group of admitted candidates had a close-up look at SAIS Bologna. We've captured a few of the moments of Open House on video, to share with those who may have wanted to come but could not make it.

Those who were able to participate came from 14 different countries, a reflection of their commitment and interest. They met faculty, students and staff. The hope is that they were able to get to know the Center better and to get answers to their questions.

My apologies for the quality of the video. It was by necessity done in haste so that I could spend time with the candidates. As I told them during one of the sessions, this is my first year in this job and so this is the first incoming class for me -- a very good feeling for someone whose job it is to help young people realize their dreams.

Towards the end of the video, you will hear Elan Bar, who is president of this year's Student Government Association, and Chidiogo Akunyili discuss their experiences as SAIS Bologna students and their expectations of their second year in Washington, which will start in a matter of months now. How time passes quickly.



Nelson Graves

Alumni & SAIS Bologna - "a real community"

Last weekend we enjoyed an annual celebration at SAIS Bologna -- Alumni Weekend.

Alumni play a special role at SAIS. Like alumni of many institutions, they help support SAIS financially. But they are also a critical resource for recruiting of new students and in helping current students forge career paths. Applicants become students who become alumni -- it is a virtuous circle, the lifeblood of the institution.

Below is a video of some of the weekend, which attracted alumni from all over the world. SAIS Bologna Director Kenneth Keller gives an update on the Center and discusses what sets it apart. Student Government representatives Elan Bar and Ezra Kidane outline a student initiative.

Then there are reminisces from John Harper, who received his M.A. and Ph.D from SAIS and has taught students at the Bologna Center for 30 years (including this correspondent), and Pierre Hassner, who also taught generations of SAIS students while heading research at CERI-Sciences-Po in Paris.

Finally, Prof. Harper and Dana Allin, who also received his Ph.D at SAIS and is now Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, discuss what the Bologna Center has meant for them and whether it remains relevant 56 years after its founding.

Tomorrow: Two alumnae, from classes 50 years apart, discuss their experiences at SAIS Bologna.



Nelson Graves

The glue that keeps students together

Today our guest writer is Elan Bar, president of the Student Government Administration.  The SGA has five members who are elected by the student body at the beginning of the academic year. The Association has an important role to play: it organizes student clubs and activities, and serves as a link to the faculty and the administration. Although the SGA's members change every year, its essence remains the same -- it gives voice to student views and concerns, and is the glue that keeps the student body together.
Amina Abdiuahab

The Student Government Administration is the elected representative body of each year's class. The SGA reflects the class’s dynamics and personality, and becomes an amalgamation of 200 students.

This year, we have made it our priority to foster initiative among students. We have tried to create an environment in which students seek opportunities for personal enrichment. In our opinion, that enrichment is invaluable to the class in two specific ways:

• It creates a diverse and intellectually stimulating environment in which different individuals pursue different areas of interest. This has allowed for more intimate discussions and more heated debates.
• It encourages students to explore the unique opportunities made available to them within Italy and Europe.

The SGA at last week's Student General Meeting

This year we have had a student organize a career trip to Vienna, while another one took charge of our annual trip to Sarajevo. One of our classmates went to a remote locale in the Dolomites to learn about Somali pirates, while another attended the NATO summit in Lisbon. We have three students who are organizing a trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories in connection with a course being offered at SAIS BC this semester.

It would be inexcusable to discuss student initiative and not mention our illustrious Austrians. Each year they organize nearly 200 of us (most of whom cannot Sprechen Sie Deutsch), get us up to Vienna, organize sleeping arrangements and plan a night (and early morning) of sophisticated black-tie frivolity at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. This year’s group was no exception -- they were outstanding.

Three of the five SGA members
From right Elan, Tish and John

We feel that student initiative does not need to be only academic in nature. We want students to share their passions, hobbies and esoteric knowledge with the class. These events often take on a more leisurely form. Among other activities, we have had Scotch and wine tastings, yoga classes, cooking courses and trips to vineyards and ski areas organized by our classmates. Just last weekend, 50 of us sat down to dinner together in Venice for Carnevale.

The SGA, in the end, serves two fundamental purposes. First, we try to provide stability. We want students to feel that their needs are being addressed and their desires listened to. Second, we try to enrich the experience of our classmates here in Bologna by encouraging their ideas and supporting their pursuits. 

Elan Bar