January

In 2024, it is estimated that roughly half the world's population were able to head to the polls. At SIS, our scholars possess a deep well of expertise on the politics and contexts of countries around the world, some of which were highlighted in "2024: An Important Year for Global Elections" and via our Global Elections Initiative. 

On the event front, we began the semester by welcoming distinguished scholar Julian Go, Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, to offer a postcolonial historical sociology of police militarization in Britain and the United States.

This month's podcast: SIS professor Omekongo Dibinga joined us to discuss his new book, Lies About Black People: How to Combat Racist Stereotypes and Why it Matters, and explain how we can improve on our antiracist journeys.

February

Iran’s influence can be felt in multiple ongoing conflicts in the Middle East due to its use of terrorist groups as proxies. To learn more, we asked SIS professor Joe Young to explain Iran’s use of these groups.

This month's podcast: SIS professor Stephen Silvia joins Big World to discuss the evolution of the labor movement, the significance of the recent United Auto Workers strike and recent organizing attempts by both Starbucks and Amazon employees, and what the future holds for unions.

March

The exact moment of the vernal equinox sets off celebrations of Nowruz, the Persian new year, for more than 300 million people around the globe. We sat down with SIS professor Shadi Mokhtari, CAS professor Zohreh Mirsharif, and Barzani Scholar-in-Residence at SIS Yerevan Saeed to learn more about Nowruz.

This month's podcast: In this episode, School of International Service professor Shadi Mokhtari joins Big World to discuss the history of protests in Iran, the unprecedented international reaction to Mahsa Amini’s death, and the greater impact of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

April

April marked the 20th anniversary of the Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (NRSD) master’s program at SIS. To celebrate this milestone, we caught up with some of NRSD’s founders, faculty, and alumni.

This month's podcast: School of International Service professor Claudine Kuradusenge-McLeod joins Big World in this episode marking the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide.

May

May ushers in a month of celebrations for all of our Spring graduates who get to walk across the stage and head into the next chapter of their life. Attendees of this year's ceremony got to hear from Anastasiia Baydyuk, SIS/MA ’24, and Jeremy Acaba, SIS/BA ’24, while our readers got to know their back story in our article features.

This month's podcast: School of International Service professor Patrick Thaddeus Jackson joins Big World to discuss imperialism, post-conflict societies, and the parallels between the Star Wars universe and our own.

June

For academic year 2024-2025, SIS was honored to welcome five new full-time faculty members. Each faculty member is an expert in their field and brings extensive research and practical experience to the classroom.

This month's podcast: SIS online programs professor and intercultural consultant Melissa Hahn joins Big World to discuss the importance of fostering strong interpersonal relationships in the global workforce. 

July

In their first published ratings since 2018, Foreign Policy magazine once again lists the School of International Service (SIS) in the top tier of international relations programs around the world at the undergraduate, masters, and PhD levels as evaluated by faculty at international relations schools. True to history, both our undergraduate and graduate programs ranked in the top 10. 

This month's podcast: American University School of Public Affairs professor, lawyer, and reproductive rights and policy expert Jessica Waters joins Big World to discuss the status of abortion access and bodily autonomy in the US two years after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

August

For students, faculty, and staff at SIS, the summer months offer a prime opportunity to gain internship and career experience, travel abroad, and complete research. As a new semester begun at SIS, we asked a few members of our SIS community to share details about how they spent the summer months away from campus.

This month's podcast: Cue the fanfare: in this new episode, School of International Service professor Robert Kelley joins Big World to talk about sports diplomacy and the soft power of the Olympic Games.

September

The School of International Service is now accepting applications for fall 2025 and beyond for our revamped Master’s in Global Governance, Politics, and Security (GGPS) program, offering an immersive curriculum focused on global perspectives, interdisciplinary exploration, and data analytics—tools that will prepare the next generation of students for careers of impact after they leave SIS.

These curricular revisions are designed to offer our students enhanced flexibility, allowing them to pursue intersectional areas of interest in the realm of international affairs. 

This month's podcast: Sara Jones, the director of the SIS Office of Career Development joins Big World to discuss the topic at the forefront of many international affairs students’ minds: how to get a job. 

October

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, SIS highlights two fantastic community-building opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff of Latine and Hispanic ethnicity. First up, we spotlighted Latinos En Acción, a chapter of United We Dream, the largest youth immigrant-led network in the United States. Then, in true DC fashion, we highlighted the networking opportunities available from the AU Latino & Hispanic Faculty and Staff Affinity Group's mentoring program.

This month's podcast: Shaking things up on the podcast this month, we introduced our newest host, Madi Minges, who led a conversation with SIS Distinguished Diplomat in Residence and former US Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne, who joined Big World to discuss Mexico’s recent election and US-Mexico relations.

November

First-generation students can face unique and challenging barriers in higher education. Colleen Cohen, SIS/MA ’25, and Johnnie Lee Fielder, SIS/MA ’25, understand this well.

Cohen and Fielder leveraged their own experiences as first-gen students to found and lead the First-Generation Graduate Society (FGGS), an affinity group for American University students who are the first in their families to attend graduate school.

December

SIS understands the importance of hands-on experiences. That’s why our coursework provides students the opportunity to gain practical research experience in the classroom before they enter the global workforce.

During the fall semester, thanks to an Academic Centers of Conflict Anticipation and Prevention (ACCAP) initiative with the US Department of State, SIS students got a new opportunity to conduct research with international impact.