Event Recap

4-5 June, 2021

SAIS Europe celebrated Alumni Weekend virtually on June 4-5, 2021. Once again, the pandemic prevented alumni from gathering on the Bologna campus, but it did not stop them from reconnecting with classmates and engaging in lively discussions about current events.

Two hour-long Back-to-Class Debate sessions marked the start of the weekend. During this time, alumni engaged with up to two of the following SAIS Europe faculty members to discuss a pre-recorded lecture on a timely topic related to their specific research area: David Ellwood, Senior Adjunct Professor of European and Eurasian Studies on Vaccine Diplomacy: Hard or Soft Power Competition; Justin O. Frosini, Adjunct Professor of Constitutional Law on From Sovereignty of Parliament to Sovreignty of the People: The Constitutional Revolution of Brexit; Mark Gilbert, Professor of History and International Studies on Back to the Future: The Place of Europe in World Politics; Nina Hall, Assistant Professor of International Relations on Transnational Advocacy in the Digital Era?; Sara Pennicino, Adjunct Professor of International Law on Human Rights Protection in the EU vis a vis Democratic Degradation in Member States; Andrea Presbitero, Vera and Stefano Zamagni Professor Associate Professor of Economics on Borrowing Costs after Sovereign Debt Relief; Sergey Radchenko, Professor of International Relations on China and Russia: Rivals or Allies; and Simone Tagliapietra, Adjunct Professor of Energy, Resources and Environment on Geopolitics of the European Green Deal.

Following the debates, Michael G. Plummer, Director of SAIS Europe, moderated the weekend's welcome ceremony, which included remarks from Dean Eliot A. Cohen and a brindisi. Alumni capped the first day of events by attending class reunions.

Director Plummer opened the second day with brief remarks prior to a faculty panel discussion titled "The Israel-Gaza War: Causes, Context, Consequences," featuring Raffaella Del Sarto, Associate Professor of Middle East Studies; Romano Prodi, Robert Abernethy Professor of the Practice; Eugene Finkel, Associate Professor of International Affairs; and Sir Michael Leigh, Senior Adjunct Professor of European Studies. The second day events concluded with other class reunions.

Nearly 350 alumni from more than 35 countries representing 13 classes participated in Alumni Weekend. A unique fundraising record of about $175,000 has been set by SAIS Europe alumni who generously made new gifts and commitments around the weekend. This alone would make the 2021 Alumni Weekend an unprecedented success, but in addition, most of these gifts will have a double impact as they will be matched 1:1 by the generous matching program offered by JHU Trustee, Bologna alumnus, and Advisory Council Chair James Anderson. These funds benefit 33 different projects, including, among others, twenty class fellowships, the Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, the C. Grove Haines Chair and Ken Keller Professorship.

Attendee List