Globalization Reimagined
January 17, 2026
SAIS Foresight 2026 Event Convenes Leaders in Singapore
On January 17, 2026, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies hosted its annual Foresight event in Singapore. The gathering brought together close to 150 attendees including SAIS alumni, Johns Hopkins University alumni from other divisions, donors and prospects, current and prospective students, and members of the Hopkins community based in Asia.
Established in 2017 to foster a SAIS-led forum for the Asia region, this year’s Foresight event served as a vital hub for the global Hopkins community to tackle the theme, “Globalization Reimagined: Cooperation, Competition, and the Road Ahead.” Organized in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the program served as a bridge between the university’s storied past and its future and included a closing toast to honor the 150th Anniversary of Johns Hopkins University and the 40th Anniversary of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (in Nanjing, China).
The program opened with welcome remarks from alumni leader Andrew Pince, ’21, and SAIS Dean James Steinberg, who shared updates from SAIS and introduced the keynote speaker, Ted Osius, former U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, and former president and chief executive officer of US-ASEAN Business Council. The discussions that followed reflected the interdisciplinary strength of Johns Hopkins University.
A panel featuring Keshia M. Pollack Porter, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explored the future of global public health, while a second session, moderated by Dean Steinberg, examined the complexities of navigating a global economy in transition.
The audience at Foresight 2026 was a testament to the school’s expansive reach. Attendees travelled to Singapore from China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States. Among them were 21 current SAIS students who were in Singapore for a career trek, representing the school’s three campuses: Washington, D.C.; Bologna, Italy (SAIS Europe); and the Hopkins-Nanjing Center.
The toast to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Johns Hopkins University and the 40th Anniversary of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center was a moment of profound reflection.
Ehianata Arheghan, a student at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center who plans to study at SAIS Europe next year, shared how the school’s unique geographic footprint shapes the next generation of leaders. “These opportunities to study at any of three campuses across three continents allow us SAIS students to grow into the best, most well-rounded, culturally competent versions of ourselves as we go out into the world,” Arheghan said. “As Johns Hopkins and SAIS reach higher milestones, I am confident that the community will continue to rally the support that prepares SAIS students to lead the way in the increasingly challenging times we all live in.”
In addition to the public program on January 17, the Foresight event weekend included a leadership meeting the following day with alumni leaders, which provided an opportunity to engage directly with SAIS Dean James Steinberg and the SAIS Development and Alumni Relations staff on new initiatives and future regional collaboration.
