Maxwell-in-Washington News and Events

"I just think that he [Biden] has been given, by his team, a false binary choice: either we stay indefinitely with a massive commitment, or we leave," says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean for Washington Programs who served in Afghanistan with both the Army and Navy reserves. "And there's a lot of areas in between, a lot of work we can do that is beyond that binary choice."

"It's likely that most are rolled back by Biden administration," says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean of Washington programs, about Trump's changes at the Pentagon. "But the point is all of these cost money, waste time and hamper the ability of the national security establishment to focus on the real threats the United States faces," he adds.

Kristen Patel will teach undergraduate courses in policy studies and graduate courses in public administration and international affairs. 

Mark Jacobson, assistant dean of Washington programs says that "the [John] Kerry pick [as Biden's special presidential envoy for climate] is really incredible from a structural standpoint." His selection, Jacobson says, is "an admission that our mid-20th century national security structures were not designed to deal with some of the more holistic and potentially existential threats, in this case, climate change."

Mark Jacobson, assistant dean for Washington programs at Maxwell School, commented on the firing of Defense Secretary Esper by Donald Trump. He said "Our enemies are going to take note of that, they know that now is a particularly vulnerable time"

"The further away, the less likelihood of being fired," says Assistant Dean Mark Jacobson of U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper's frequent travel amid persistent rumors that he will either quit or be fired after the election. 

The way Roza Vasileva sees it, the future is data: in particular, data gathered by governments—local, regional, national, international—and shared with citizens to make their communities, and their countries, better. Roza’s desire to make the world a better place drove her to study in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar and to launch a career spearheading open data in more than a dozen countries. What made that happen, more than anything, were her experiences at the No. 1 ranked Maxwell School of Syracuse University.

“The UPA program in Washington is a great two-way learning experience,” said Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. “I easily learn as much from the participants as they glean from me.”

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) program's reputation and Washington location provide Maxwell students and faculty regular access to a range of leaders and practitioners—to an extent not feasible in Syracuse,” says University Professor and Phanstiel Chair Sean O’Keefe ’78 M.P.A., who is charged with developing opportunities to further nurture Maxwell/CSIS collaboration.

“We’re thrilled to welcome this diverse group of accomplished professionals to be among the first to join the program” says Ryan O. Williams, assistant dean for Washington programs at the Maxwell School, about the twelve students who  have enrolled in this semester’s first-ever offering of the Washington, D.C.-based Executive Master in International Relations degree.

The Maxwell School changed, grew and celebrated during Dean Steinberg’s five-year term. 

“The complexity of today’s global environment demands an interdisciplinary and practical understanding of the threats and challenges facing the international community,” says Dr. John Hamre, Center for Strategic and International Studies president and CEO. “We want to create a space where innovative ideas can surface and where the next generation of leaders can start to contribute meaningful policy ideas.”