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Acronym Salad: Part I – USAID

USAID Small Logo

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the U.S. Government’s primary agency for international development and humanitarian assistance.  Given the breadth of its programming, the agency and its workers will often use short-hand notation to describe the offices in which they work and the programs that are carried out within.

In this edition of acronym salad, we will discuss two primary acronyms of use to potential development workers, IQC (Indefinite Quantity Contracts) and PVO (Private Voluntary Organizations)

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What Language Should I Study?

“To prosper economically and to improve relations with other countries, Americans need to read, speak and understand other languages.”  U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, 8 December 2010.

While learning a second language is linked with a number of different benefits, including slowing brain aging, improving multitasking abilities, and the acquisition of another language, this somewhat elides the question of which language should one study for a career in public administration or international relations? Continue Reading

Boren, CLS, and Fulbright, Oh My!

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Logo
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Logo

On Thursday, August 21, the PAIA department was happy to host Professor Susan Wadley to speak about the Boren Fellowship, the Critical Language Scholarships, and the Fulbright Scholarship programs.  These opportunities, funded by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,   are of primary interest to students pursuing work that will take them overseas, there is an increasing need for professionals working on domestic issues to be able to understand best practices among international policy professionals.  Since the Application Period for 2015 -2016 Boren Fellowships just opened, it seems appropriate to speak about this now. Continue Reading

Allez Eric, Allez

A connective corridor bike lane.
Connective Corridor Bike Lane. Photo: SU News

Many of you have met Maxwell Alum Eric Ennis (MPA ’14), either through the MPA Colloquium or via participating in his 2015 Maxwell Syracuse Challenge.  Despite these notable achievements, Eric is also working on more innovative programming in his current role as the City of Syracuse’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) coordinator, including his role as the 40 Below Transit Task Force. Continue Reading

Interning with the Department of State

Seal of the US State Department
Seal of the US State Department

Each year, the MAIR program has a number of students pursue internships with the U.S. Department of State at home and abroad.  The class that entered in 2013 could count among their number students who worked in the US Embassy in Cyprus, the US Embassy in the Philippines, US Embassy in Singapore as well as colleagues in the bureaus of African Affairs, Conflict and Stabilization Operations, International Security and Non-Proliferation, and Population, Refugees and Migration. Since the Department’s Internship Application will open on Monday, September 2, 2014 and close on October 17, 2014, those of you interested in the opportunity will need to work quickly to make sure that your application materials are submitted on time. More information about State Department Internships is below the fold. Continue Reading

Building a Community at Maxwell

We just finished our 2014 MAIR Orientation.  As part of this, we were thrilled to welcome back several great alumni who shared tales of their time at Maxwell.  While all of them spoke fondly of their time at Maxwell, they mentioned that they valued the friendships they built the most.  One of the great things about studying at the Maxwell School  is that there is a great sense of community among the students.   This community supports all PAIA students as they move through their academic life at Syracuse and build their careers after they leave the Eggers complex.  Continue Reading

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!
Gabe Kaplan not included. Source: Wikipedia

Good morning everyone and welcome (or welcome back) to the Maxwell School for the fall semester of 2014.

Best of luck on your fall semester work, and please keep watching us for interesting tips on the job search, collecting alumni stories, and promoting the work of our graduate students at home and abroad.