This is not about Groundhog Day

Boris Yeltsin was born on this day. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran after 15 years in exile on this day. In 1793, France declared war on England and Netherlands on this day.

And, yes, applications to SAIS Bologna from non-U.S. citizens are due this day -- February 1.

We mention this not to put applicants' feet to the fire any more than necessary. Most applicants do not need the reminder.

But this does give me a chance to make one important point: If you are facing the February 1 deadline and you think one or more elements of your application will not make it to us in time, tell us now.

There can be circumstances beyond an applicant's control which prevent a piece of the application puzzle from reaching us on time. Referees -- or authors of letters of recommendation -- can be forgetful. Test scores can take time to trickle in.

We try to be understanding where we can without being unfair to the other applicants. And it is a lot easier to be accommodating if we are briefed on the circumstances.

A couple of related points:

• We will not be telling applicants when elements of their application reach us. That would pin us down for days. But we will be contacting you after February 1 if something is missing.

• I understand that there has been discussion among some applicants about how long a CV should be. I wrote about this in November. While I'm a big fan of one-page CVs, we don't require them to be one page. Like a good news story (remember, I was a wire service journalist for 24 years), a CV should be as long as it has to be and no longer. Don't inflate it and don't waste words. And remember, unlike a cold call for a job, you are guaranteed other opportunities in your application and in your interview to flesh out your story. So you needn't say everything in the CV.

Looking past February 1, what do we expect to write about in this journal in coming weeks?

Obviously many applicants will be interested in the interview. Just what goes on during an interview? What is the purpose? How long will it last? How should I dress? Is it better in person or on the phone?

We'll be writing about financial aid -- another important topic. We'll try to spell out clearly the time line for the Admissions Committee's decisions and what is expected of applicants.

So do keep reading this journal if these topics interest you and if you still want to learn more about SAIS Bologna (and SAIS DC). And keep in mind that we've addressed many of these issues in the past year. You can search for topics using the search engine in the upper right-hand corner of the journal. And each post has labels, or tags, capturing the topics.

What have been the five most popular posts since we launched this journal 13 months ago?

1. The Analytical Essay
2. The Statement of Purpose
3. What is in a name?
4. Seeing how you think
5. A video peek at SAIS DC

Nelson Graves

Former senior IMF official joins SAIS

John Lipsky, who until recently served as the number two at the International Monetary Fund, is joining SAIS.

Lipsky will start teaching at SAIS from January 1 as a distinguished visiting scholar with the school’s International Economics program.

Lipsky served for five years as the IMF’s first deputy managing director. Most recently, he was a special adviser to Managing Director Christine Lagarde, helping to direct the fund’s preparations for last month’s G20 Leaders Summit in Cannes, France.

"John’s service at the IMF coincided with the most challenging era for the international economy in the past 70 years," SAIS Dean Jessica Einhorn said. "During this historic time, he was a dedicated and effective advocate for international cooperation and coordination to heal and restore the global economy."

Before rejoining the IMF in 2006, Lipsky had spent more than 20 years in the private sector, including serving as JPMorgan’s chief economist and Chase Manhattan Bank’s chief economist and director of research. Earlier he had spent a decade at the IMF, where he helped manage the Fund’s exchange rate surveillance procedure and analyzed developments in the international capital market.

Lipsky's appointment underscores SAIS's strong stable of academics and practitioners who know their way around academia and global policy making.

For a copy of the Johns Hopkins press release of Lipsky's appointment, click here. For the IMF's profile of him, click here.

Nelson Graves

Professor calls SAIS Bologna students "a breed apart"

What do SAIS, economics and global warming have in common? Charles Pearson's expertise.

Pearson studied at SAIS. Later he taught at SAIS and headed the International Economics department for 17 years. He taught at SAIS DC, SAIS Bologna and Hopkins-Nanjing.

We spoke to Prof. Pearson while he was in Bologna this week teaching a three-part seminar on economics and the challenge of global warming. The seminar is one of several "mini courses" that are longer than the traditional 90-minute lecture but more compact than a semester course. His most recent book is "Economics and the Challenge of Global Warming".

In our interview below, Prof. Pearson, who now lives in Thailand and teaches at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, discusses changes at SAIS, his mini course and the connection between economics and climate change.

What has changed most at SAIS since he was a student? A SAIS education now costs more, he says, and students want to make sure it can lead to a good job. Solid training in economics helps land such jobs, he says.

Asked about SAIS Bologna, Prof. Pearson says he has always been envious of Bologna Center students, calling them "a breed apart".

No disagreement there from us in Bologna.



If you are reading this on email, you can view the video here.

Nelson Graves

What's new? A blog and a catalog

Here are two sources of information on SAIS that you may find useful and even entertaining.

A new blog

First, our colleagues at SAIS DC have launched a blog. You will find theirs a bit different from ours -- here's to diversity -- but similar because it, too, gives voice to students' views and provides practical information, in a friendly way, on applying.

We would encourage prospective applicants to keep tabs on both blogs. Almost all SAIS Bologna students end up spending time studying in Washington before graduating from SAIS, and so it's important for applicants to the Bologna Center to know what goes on in DC.

Permit me to remind our readers that the SAIS Bologna and SAIS DC Admissions offices handle different pools of applications:

• All U.S. citizens, as well as non-U.S.citizens wishing to start their studies in Washington, have their applications managed by SAIS DC.
• Non-U.S. citizens who want to start in Bologna have their application managed by SAIS Bologna.

We broached the complicated issue of one program/two Admissions offices in a recent post. If you have questions on the different procedures, you can always drop us a line at admissions@jhubc.it.

A new catalog

The second new source of information is SAIS Bologna's  academic catalog. If you are considering applying to SAIS Bologna, you might want to download the catalog so you can refer to it from time to time.

The catalog includes information on a range of subjects:

• SAIS Bologna life
• SAIS Bologna services
• Admissions
• Degrees
• Curriculum
• Faculty

Academic catalogs have come a long way from my days as a student (OK -- keep your comments to yourselves). Back in those days, the catalog was a hefty and colorless tome that included fine print on the courses, a word or two on intellectual honesty and, if you were lucky, an academic calendar.

We think the new SAIS Bologna catalog tackles a greater range of issues and gives a more rounded picture of our institution than the run-of-the mill brochure.

(I can hear your question: Why are you publishing the 2011-12 academic catalog now? Here's the short answer: It takes time to edit, synthesize, cut down the number of pages and save trees!)

Last thing: Some of you may have noticed that we have launched a Twitter feed called @SAISBolognaBlog. To follow it, click on this icon in the upper right-hand section of the blog:

Nelson Graves

From BC to DC

What's it like to be a SAIS student who spends a year in Bologna and then moves to Washington, DC?

I took advantage of a brief stopover in the U.S. capital last month to speak to two students who recently settled in Washington after studying last year in Bologna. Who better to describe the experience that about one half of SAIS students share: a first year of study in Italy followed by a second and final year in DC?

Marcus Watson worked in London for three years as a corporate lawyer before starting SAIS in the autumn of 2010. His concentration is International Development -- little wonder given experiences he has gained working in Tanzania and Uganda.

Even before Shoko Sugai graduated from college in 2009, she had helped victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and of the 2006 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Her concentration is Conflict Management.


View Larger Map

In the short film below shot on the SAIS DC campus, Marcus and Shoko discuss the challenges of moving from Bologna to Washington: difficulties finding housing and the "bidding system" to get into popular classes. Shoko says it's a "little bit chaotic" living for nine months in Italy and then picking up stakes for the U.S.

Any regrets?

"I really do believe that if you go to Bologna and then come to DC, you get the best of both worlds," Shoko said.

"I think the experiences definitely complement each other," Marcus said.



If you are reading this on email, you can view the video here.

Nelson Graves

SAIS students on SAIS

SAIS students put out a special publication in April that offers prospective applicants a window on our graduate school.

The SAIS Observer edition includes a range of vantage points: accounts of trips by students to China, Sri Lanka, Spain, Panama and Costa Rica; articles on life at SAIS Bologna and at Hopkins-Nanjing; descriptions of concentrations and student clubs.

There is a tongue-in-cheek piece on dating at SAIS: "Dating at SAIS or rather within SAIS is like dating in 9th grade except everyone is taller and the acne is gone."

In a note to prospective students, the three editors wrote that "the best way to predict what SAIS is like is to continue talking to current students and alumni and to be vigilant about reaching out to departments, professors, leaders and others."

Sound advice.

Mia Warner, writing about her year at SAIS Bologna in 2009-10, said "the really fascinating part was listening to my fellow classmates' questions and comments. I was in awe of the range of perspectives that other students presented."

If it's true that students are SAIS's best ambassadors, then we offer up this publication as a very good way for prospective applicants to learn more about what makes this program different.

Nelson Graves

Our new online application system -- and where to mail documents

There is some good news for applicants to SAIS Bologna.

In the past, we used a paper-based system. It was trusty and allowed us to carry out our jobs: to admit excellent candidates. But it was also old-fashioned and cumbersome.

We have now moved to an online system that will make things considerably easier for applicants and for us. You can create an account that will allow you to start your application, save it and go back to it when you are ready. You can upload documents including your statement of purpose, CV and financial aid form. Your referees can submit recommendation letters online.

(To enter into the online application system, click here.)

There will still be some documents to be mailed by "snail mail" (the post). What documents? And where should you send them?

The postman will need to send us your transcripts, standardized test scores and letters of reference if the authors of the letters decide not to use the online system.

Where you send these documents will depend on two things: (1) where you want to study during your first year at SAIS and (2) your nationality.

Here is how it works:

• SAIS Bologna manages applications from non-U.S. applicants who wish to be in Bologna for their first year of study. 
• SAIS Washington manages applications from all U.S. citizens and permanent residents, as well as from candidates with other nationalities wishing to start their studies in DC.

If you are a non-U.S. citizen and you want to start your SAIS experience in Bologna, you will mail any paper documents to:

Admissions Office
Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna

via Belmeloro, 11

40126 Bologna

Italy

If you are U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or if you wish to start your studies in DC, regardless of your nationality, you will mail your documents to:

Admissions Office

Johns Hopkins SAIS Washington

1740 Massachusetts Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20036

USA

One thing: if you are a U.S. citizen who wants to start at SAIS Bologna, your application will be managed by the SAIS DC Admissions Office, but the Bologna Admissions team and our Director Kenneth Keller are involved in the process and key decisions.

If you have questions about where you should send your documents, send us an email, reach out to us on Skype (jhubc.admissions) or give us a ring (+39 051 029 17 811). 

Amina Abdiuahab

Meet Prof. Gianfranco Pasquino

What course are you teaching?

Contemporary Italian Politics (Fall semester)

Political Systems of the Developing World (Spring semester)

Your degrees?

SAIS, MA in International Relations, 1967 (very proud of it)

Where have you taught?

U. of Bologna, U. of Florence, UCLA, SAIS DC, SAIS Bologna Center since, at least, 1976

How long have you been teaching at SAIS Bologna?

Hence, about 35 years

A link to a recent publication/oped/academic work by you?

My University of Bologna Profile: http://www.unibo.it/docenti/gianfranco.pasquino

Anything special about SAIS Bologna?

Exceptional: it changed my life. I am a SAIS Bologna alumnus from 1966.

Anything special about Bologna?

Small and beautiful with a great University (and the Bologna Center)

Your favorite book?

"Auto da fé," by Elias Canetti

Hobby?

I am a moviegoer.

A quote

"Il cielo stellato sopra di me; la mia coscienza in me." - Immanuel Kant

SAIS graduations -- on the Web and in photographs

The academic year is drawing to a close at SAIS, both in Bologna and Washington, DC.

Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, will speak on Thursday at the graduation ceremony at SAIS DC. Her speech will be on "Transformational Leadership in a Flat World."

If you are interested in watching the ceremony and following Sheeran's speech, you can do so by going to www.sais-jhu.edu. The ceremony will be broadcast live starting at 3 pm Washington time (GMT-5) on Thursday.

Graduation -- also called "Commencement" in the United States -- at SAIS Bologna will be this Saturday, May 28. While we will not offer a Webcast of the event, we do plan to post a selection of photographs next week, to honor those moving on and to give incoming students and prospective applicants a sense of the occasion.

Nelson Graves

Meet Sidney Jackson

Today we introduce you to Sidney Jackson, who heads the Admissions Office at SAIS DC.

Mr. Jackson's office handles all applications from U.S. citizens, as well as those from citizens of other countries who want to study during their first year in Washington. So he knows most SAIS students before they ever start their studies, whether in Washington or Bologna.

(The SAIS Bologna Admissions office handles applications from non-U.S. citizens who want to attend the Bologna Center. Each year about one half of SAIS Bologna students come from outside the United States.)

We took advantage of a visit by Mr. Jackson to Bologna to chat with him about the 2011-12 SAIS DC class. He also discusses his impressions of SAIS Bologna and the city of Bologna.

Note his advice to U.S. students coming to Bologna: Be prepared to be challenged.



Nelson Graves

Visas

Here are some questions and answers about an important topic for students coming to SAIS Bologna from outside of Italy.


Who needs a visa?
Anyone who is not a citizen of a European Union member state needs a visa to study in Italy. If you are a dual citizen, with one citizenship in a EU member state, you will not need a visa.

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident you can use the SAIS Washington visa service. This service is available until May 31.

If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and need a visa, we will provide you with a letter that you can present to the Italian embassy or consulate in your home country.

What kind of visa do I need?
You will need a visto per motivi di studio. This is a type-D visa that allows you to stay in Italy for the academic year.

How long should my visa be valid for?
The visa should allow you to stay in Italy for at least the full academic year. In the letter we provide, we ask the authorities to grant you a 12-month visa, leaving you time at the end of the academic year to organize your move to Washington and, in some cases, to work an internship in Europe during the summer between Bologna and Washington. However, whether or not you receive a visa for 12 months depends on your nationality.


Which documents do I need to make the visa request?
The documents can vary from country to country. In most cases you will need to provide a letter of admission, proof that you can support yourself financially, health insurance, passport-size photographs and last but not least: your passport. Please make sure to check the website of the Italian Embassy of your home country to make sure you have the right documents.

When do I receive the Italian visa request letter?
We will send you the visa request letter via email after you matriculate.

What if I am asked to provide proof of accommodation?
Some countries may require you to provide proof of accommodation in Bologna. If that is the case, please contact us as soon as possible.

What if I am not granted the visa?
This is unlikely to happen. But if you have been refused the visa, please contact us.

What if I already have a visa to a Schengen country?
If you currently hold a visa to another Schengen country, you may find getting a visa to Italy difficult. The rule is you cannot have two valid visas at the same time. Thus if you have a visa to a Schengen country valid to, for example, September 2011 you may not be able to get a visa to Italy valid from August 2011. If are in such situation, be sure to contact us as soon as possible.

Can I get a visa if I am not in my home country?
Our experience shows that getting a visa from outside your home country can be complex. Some people have managed to do so, while others have not. The process can take more time. And you face the risk of not obtaining the visa. So it's best to avoid applying from outside your home country if possible. Again, if you have questions on this, please contact us.


What about the second year visa to the U.S.?
We have a consultant come in from Washington every year. He usually comes in late March to advise and help students in getting their visa to the United States. Most students get their visa without travelling back to their home country.

I am sure you will have more questions on visas -- it's a complicated business. If you do, please comment on this post or send us an email and we will respond to your queries.

Amina Abdiuahab 

A chat with Professor David Calleo

The Bologna Center was founded in 1955, a decade after the end of World War Two. It was created against a backdrop of political, social and economic upheaval in Europe and mounting tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Relations between Washington and Europe were evolving rapidly.

It's easy with hindsight to see why European Studies was from the start a key component of the Bologna Center curriculum. With the changes since then, foremost among them the disintegration of the Soviet Union, is European Studies still relevant?

Meet David Calleo. Professor Calleo has been teaching at SAIS for more than four decades. He was appointed director of European Studies in 1968, Dean Acheson professor 20 years later and JHU University professor in 2001. You can take a glimpse at his accomplishments and publications here.

If anyone has a perspective on SAIS and European Studies, it is Prof. Calleo. I took advantage of a swing through Washington to chat very briefly with him.



Nelson Graves

A glimpse of the SAIS DC Open House

Today was Open House at SAIS Washington for students who have been admitted to the 2011-12 academic year.

Some of those who have been admitted to next year's program at the Bologna Center were able to attend. But by no means all. So I have filmed a bit of today's event. It is anything but comprehensive. Nonetheless, we thought it would give those who were not able to attend, and also those who might be considering applying for 2012-13, a taste of the event.

A reminder: the Bologna Center Open House is set for May 5&6 in Bologna. We'll be circulating a detailed program in a day or so to admitted candidates. But please mark that on your calendar if there is any chance of your making it. It is a great way to learn more about SAIS Bologna.



Nelson Graves

Weekly quiz

I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I need to thank you for your loyal readership. (Who remembers what a "record" is?)

We have set pageview records for seven straight days. Our readership this month is up more than 50% from last month, which was well up from January. Such participation on your part helps motivate us.

A small request: If you have a question that you think we should examine in a post, consider sending us a note or posting a comment. If there is a technique you think we should use, send us an example. If we are doing something wrong or just badly, tell us. We are brand new at this, and we can learn from your social media expertise.

An update on the admissions process: Many of you have been interviewed already. Some will be interviewed in the next few days. The Bologna Admissions Committee will meet before the end of the month, and all candidates will be notified in the first week of April by email.

Now, the quiz.

What does this photograph depict? And what does it have to do with SAIS?

Next week we hope to have posts on cooperative programs, our various concentrations and a mock interview session held in Bologna this week to help current students prepare for career chats.

Nelson Graves

Welcome

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to the U.S. candidates who have been admitted to the Bologna Center for the next academic year. It's been a pleasure following your candidacies, and I look forward to welcoming you in person for what -- judging from the experience of 6,500 of your predecessors-- will be a momentous year for you in Bologna.

Some of you may be wondering, "Candidates have been admitted? I haven't heard anything!"

A word of explanation. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who want to attend SAIS Bologna apply through the Admissions Office in Washington. The admissions procedure and timeline are a bit different. Candidates were notified earlier this week.

Non-U.S. citizens who want to go to the Bologna Center apply through SAIS Bologna. The Bologna Admissions Committee will be meeting at the end of this month, and decisions will be communicated to candidates in early April.

So this post is aimed at those of you who learned earlier this week that you have been accepted to SAIS with the possibility of studying at the Bologna Center starting in the fall.

(I actually don't remember the day I learned I had been admitted to SAIS Bologna. That does not mean it was not an important moment for me. It's simply buried in the mists of time. In hindsight I can say the SAIS experience changed my life. Some of our readers will already know that SAIS was the springboard for my career as a foreign correspondent. The first stop on that career was covering international finance in Washington. Without my two years at SAIS, could I have made a serious stab at that job? No way.)

Enough personal stuff. Those of you who have been admitted -- congratulations and here's to your future.

A couple of housekeeping matters:

• Admitted candidates, whether they passed through the DC or Bologna offices, will have many questions. Before turning to email or the phone, please read your admissions packet carefully. If you don't find your answer there, do feel free to contact the appropriate office.

• There will be an Open House for admitted candidates on Wednesday, April 13, at SAIS Washington. Information on this is in the admissions packet.

• On Thursday, April 14, there will be a reception at SAIS Washington for Bologna Center alumni. Those of you who have been admitted to SAIS Bologna will be invited to the reception. Not everyone lives near DC. But if you've been admitted and are nearby, come meet SAIS Director Kenneth Keller, alumni and fellow admitted candidates at the reception. (I'll be there too ...)

• On May 5 & 6 in Bologna, we will be holding an Open House for admitted students. Again, not all admitted candidates live near Bologna. But if you can make it, we'd love to have you here. More information will be made available later.

I can't help thinking about those candidates who were not offered admission. I could say a lot of trite things: It happens. Don't take it personally. Keep a stiff upper lip.

But I won't. I do intend, however, to offer a post soon on rejection -- and how to get the most out of it. I know a thing or two about rejection. I'm almost an expert. So I hope my thoughts will be helpful to those who took the trouble to apply, whose desire to attend may be every bit as strong as those who were admitted, but who fell short. Let's make the most out of it.


Nelson Graves

Weekly quiz

We started this blog without quite knowing where it would go. We hope it's been informative and occasionally entertaining. We've noticed a steady rise in readership, followers and comments. Last week we had record readership again, and pageviews were up 27% during the first four days of this week compared to the same period last week, so we were on track to set another record. We have topped 10,000 pageviews since we launched in December.

A number of readers have sent us suggestions. We like to have feedback and comments because they help us know what our mini-community wants to read. It's pretty clear that readers remain focused on the application process, especially the interview. Posts on the interview have drawn the strongest interest.

Remember that there are several ways to keep in regular touch with this blog. You can sign up to have posts emailed to you by filling out the area marked "Subscribe via email" on the right side of the page. You can also receive the blog via RSS feed. To do so, go to the bottom of a post and follow the directions under "Subscribe to".

Feel free to drop us a line with your thoughts so we can tailor this to your wishes.

Our weekly quizzes have been a fun means of engaging readers. We'd like to use other ways of interacting: If you have any suggestions, pass them along.

Week in and week out, readers have found a way to penetrate the mysteries of SAIS to find the answer to the weekly quiz. Last week, Andreas was the first to identify Paul H. Nitze, U.S. statesman and co-founder of        SAIS, in the photograph. Don't ask me how he found out so fast.

So here is this week's teaser.

What is depicted in these pictures, and what does it have to do with SAIS?

Nelson Graves

A video peek at SAIS DC

Earlier this week we introduced you to Chidiogo Akunyili, a Bologna Center student from Nigeria. Several readers commented on her strong qualifications, including her five languages and substantial work experience.

Today I'd like you to meet Rebekah Lipsky. Rebekah attended the Bologna Center last year and now is at SAIS DC, in her second year. We met up in Washington, where she showed me around the SAIS DC campus and the surrounding area of Dupont Circle.

Rebekah grew up in Seattle and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in Communications Studies. She did public relations work in the entertainment industry in California before deciding to apply to SAIS -- and a host of other schools -- with a determination to make a career in international relations. You can read more about her here.

A couple of things to note. First, Rebekah made a radical change in direction when she came from California to SAIS. Not everyone has the willpower or the qualifications to do that, but it is by no means impossible. (A personal note: I taught high school after college, then decided SAIS would be a springboard for an international career. After SAIS, I worked in six different countries as a foreign correspondent. If I can do it, there is certainly hope for others, too.)

Second, Rebekah has not lost her poise in front of a camera despite having left California. Her tour was so flawless, and my video editing skills are so modest, that the video below is quite literally uncut. My apologies to Rebekah for not improving on the unedited version, but in fact I think it's a tribute to her professionalism and love of her studies at SAIS just as it is.

Some of you may remember that we offered a tour of SAIS Bologna in January. Now you have a chance to see SAIS DC, where almost all of the Bologna Center master's candidates spend their second year.

A big thanks to Rebekah for taking time out from her studies to show us around SAIS DC.



Nelson Graves

"It changed my perspective on the world"

Today our guest is Bonnie Wilson, who is the Associate Dean for Student Affairs at SAIS. She is based in Washington but attended the Bologna Center before she received her Ph.D from SAIS.

In addition to SAIS, Bonnie has worked at The Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, the J.W. Rouse Company, the Fund for Fine Arts and The Johns Hopkins University.

Today Bonnie spoke to me about why she decided to attend SAIS Bologna, what it meant for her career and what SAIS is looking for in its students.

Nelson Graves

U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner to speak at SAIS

A short post to alert our readers to a speech by U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner at SAIS Washington on Wednesday, January 12 at 1330 GMT.

A 1985 SAIS graduate, Geithner will speak on "The Path Ahead for the U.S.-China Economic Relationship". His speech comes a week before Chinese President Hu Jintao goes to Washington for a bilateral summit.

Geithner's speech will be webcast at www.sais-jhu.edu. If you are living in Europe and on Central European Time (GMT +1), the speech will start at 2:30 pm.

SAIS DC and SAIS BC

In yesterday’s post, I explained the names of our two different campuses and noted that SAIS is part of The Johns Hopkins University. So you might ask: What are the differences between SAIS Washington and SAIS Bologna?

First, some crucial similarities:

• On both campuses, graduate students undertake a challenging English-language course of study in international relations.
• A common interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes economics and requires proficiency in at least one foreign language.
• SAIS provides a professional education that allows students to concentrate in either a region of the world or a functional area such as international development.
• Graduates from both go on to a wide variety of jobs; many take advantage of SAIS's global network of alumni.
• Both campuses are self-contained and independent units, with SAIS DC on Massachusetts Avenue (also called Embassy Row) in the U.S. capital, and SAIS Bologna in its own building next to the University of Bologna.
• Both campuses are very international, with students and faculty coming from dozens of countries.

We often say that SAIS is one school with two campuses. About half the students start in Bologna and the other half in DC. When they leave, they are prepared for a host of professional challenges.

The main differences relate to geography and administration.

Bologna is a medieval city with a long academic history – the University of Bologna is believed to be the oldest continually operating university in the world. Washington is the capital of the United States. For many students, the opportunity to be exposed to a European and Mediterranean perspective in Bologna for one year, with another year in Washington, is a unique educational experience. We believe it is one of the key differentiators for SAIS.

Each campus has its own Administration. As the admissions requirements and procedures differ somewhat, both campuses have their own Admissions Office, reflecting mainly divergent educational traditions in and outside of the United States. Please keep in mind:

• U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. apply through the SAIS DC Admissions Office, whether they want to attend SAIS DC or SAIS Bologna.
• Other nationalities apply through either DC or Bologna, depending on the campus they wish to attend during their first year.

For more information on applying to SAIS Bologna, click here. For SAIS DC, click here.

Beyond the differences and similarities, we remain convinced that SAIS Bologna and SAIS DC offer experiences and outlooks that complement each other for the betterment of our students.

Nelson Graves