SSE students in Washington, DC – had dinner with former US Deputy Secretary of State
This year with Course Director Dr. Carl Ritter, the students of AH767 have already joined academic sessions with world-leading lecturers at the Engelsberg Ironworks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Västmanland, and at the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge, one of CSSC’s partner centers in the Ax:son Johnson Institute for Statecraft and Diplomacy.
In Washington the cohort was hosted by another CSSC partner, the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Students engaged in lectures and discussion with global leaders in statecraft and diplomacy, including Professor Francis Gavin, the inaugural Director of the Kissinger Center and Dr. Kori Shacke, a senior fellow and the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Students were also hosted for dinner by the Honorable James Steinberg, Dean of the School of Advanced International Studies and former US Deputy Secretary of State, who generously shared his insight into the way history can shape policymaking at the highest levels of government.
Applied History students had the opportunity to take in the sights and landmarks of Washington, DC. The class enjoyed a tour of the United States Capitol and visits to the Washington Monument, the National Mall and the Smithsonian. The CSSC was also proud to represent Sweden, however, including over a visit with staff at the impressive Swedish embassy.
Taking inspiration from their surroundings, the students engaged in a rigorous study of contemporary issues of diplomacy and world order – engaging with experts on themes as varied as nuclear statecraft, secret intelligence and the rise of China. With three international and thought-provoking sessions behind them, all that remains is for students to put the knowledge and insights they have developed toward their final essays on applied history which, as in past cohorts, will be officially published in a yearly anthology.
Good luck students and well done!
