As I reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and think to the future, I feel a tremendous sense of pride about the impact the Jackson School makes locally, nationally and internationally, and its important role in attracting and training exceptionally talented students who are determined to make a positive impact in the world. Of course, all of this would not be possible without the support of generous friends, like you. Your support of the school is valued by all of us in Thomson Hall and throughout campus.
It is my pleasure to share with you the 2016-2017 Jackson Report, which details the many activities of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, including the achievements of our students, faculty and staff. On behalf of our faculty, staff and student body, I want to thank you for the impact you have made and hope you enjoy reading the Jackson Report.
We were fortunate to successfully recruit five new faculty members in 2016-17. With this addition, we have reinforced our traditional areas of strength in Japan and China, and added the new areas of teaching in Taiwan and Israel Studies. Seeing their names in our rosters and interacting with them in Thomson Hall fills me with hope about the future of our School.
The most significant accomplishment of the past year was the upturn in the number of students who are taking our classes, enrolling in our majors, and applying to our graduate programs. To a certain degree this sets us apart from both our peer institutions and also from most of the Social Science departments at the University of Washington. I believe the rigorous and innovative teaching the Jackson School is famous for has something to do with this.
In particular, both in our undergraduate and graduate programs we have found ways of linking our curriculum with leading edge international opportunities that exist in our community. Admittedly, being located in one of the fastest growing urban centers in the world helps us and we are doing all we can to take advantage of what Seattle is offering.
In addition to the Master’s in Applied International Studies and Ph.D. programs, both of which are in their fourth years, we started a new International Policy Institute in the Jackson School with the help of a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. As a result, we’ve been able to make significant progress in creating collaborative networks among academics and policymakers, producing research on cybersecurity, religion in a cross-cultural context and the Arctic as areas presenting some of the most intractable issues in international affairs.
Our success is due to a large extent from the continuing support of our friends. We have highlighted several of the recent gifts we were fortunate to receive this year. These gifts are making it possible for us to shore up our existing strengths and move in new directions.
Wishing you warm wishes this holiday season. Thank you again for your interest and all that you do for the Jackson School. We hope to see you often during 2018.
Reşat Kasaba
Director – Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
Stanley D. Golub Chair of International Studies