Beyond The Classroom
Navigating Gray Zones
For students of international relations, few experiences rival the intensity of stepping into a geopolitical hotspot and hearing directly from the policymakers, military leaders, and civil society actors navigating the challenges on the frontline.
From the Classroom to the Battlefield
Each academic year, the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS organizes domestic staff rides, which are student-led trips where participants are assigned to research and act as important figures from a significant historic event and deliver first-person presentations.
Gas Extraction, Gender, and Justice
SAIS Students Uncover the Risks Facing Environmental Defenders in Mozambique
SAIS Students Relive World War II History in Gibraltar and Morocco
In March 2025, 50 Johns Hopkins SAIS students and faculty embarked on an ambitious international staff ride to Gibraltar and Morocco to study the World War II-era Operation Torch and the subsequent Casablanca Conference.
SAIS Students Experience Officer Candidates School at Marine Corps Base Quantico
From April 4-5, 2025, 15 Johns Hopkins SAIS students participated in one of the most grueling initiatives of the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies.
Study Trip Enriches Knowledge of Brazil’s Public Opinion Landscape
In March 2025, 16 Johns Hopkins SAIS students in a capstone course—Public Diplomacy, the U.S., and Public Opinion—travelled to Brazil to deepen their knowledge of the country and better understand how public opinion research can be applied to formulate foreign policy.
Senior NATO Officials Intensify Discussions with SAIS Students, Balkans Youth Leaders
Alarmed by mounting crisis in the Balkans, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Šekerinska held urgent meetings in the region in mid-March.
Study Trip Offers an Immersive View of Colombia’s Most Pressing Challenges
During the 2025 spring break, 16 Johns Hopkins SAIS students participated in a study trip to Colombia as part of their Latin America Research capstone, visiting the cities of Bogotá and Medellín from March 15–23.
Students Examine Women’s Political Participation and Gendered Political Violence in Study Trip to Mexico
As part of the SAIS Women Lead capstone program, a team of four SAIS students traveled to Mexico City in April 2025 to examine a growing but often overlooked threat to democracy: the social media-facilitated harassment of politically active women.
SAIS Students Conduct Insightful Research on Nigeria’s Care Economy
From September 2024 to April 2025, four Johns Hopkins SAIS students participated in a multi-phase research practicum as part of the SAIS Women Lead program.