Bologna Center of the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

Institution	The Bologna Center of the Johns Hopkins Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Established	1955
School Type	Private
University	The Johns Hopkins University
Director	Kenneth H. Keller, PhD
Location	Bologna, Italy

The Bologna Center of The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a full-time U.S. graduate school of international affairs located in Bologna, Italy. The Center offers an interdisciplinary academic program that emphasizes international economics, international relations, specializations either in functional areas or in regional studies, and languages. SAIS is based in Washington, DC, one of nine schools of the Johns Hopkins University, which is based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
The Center
*Offers an unsurpassed student experience: an American program situated in Europe with about 185 students from more than 35 countries

*Fosters a lively learning environment with small classes taught by a core resident faculty, complemented by world-renowned adjunct and visiting professors

*Provides an evolving multidisciplinary academic program applicable to topical issues, while retaining fundamental emphasis on international economics, political science and history

*Serves as the European face of the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, one of the most distinguished U.S. graduate schools preparing future leaders for careers in international relations

Academics and Degree Programs Offered

Since its creation in 1955, the Bologna Center has built a truly international community of students, faculty and staff. During a typical academic year, the Center is home to faculty and students from more than 35 countries.
The Bologna Center’s core resident faculty maintains continuity, assures curriculum quality, relevance, and coherence, and provides continual student mentoring. They are supplemented by nearly 40 adjunct professors, visiting faculty, and research fellows who travel to Bologna from around Europe and beyond, representing world renowned universities and institutions, think tanks, international NGOs, consulting firms, and financial institutions.
Students learn in the American lecture and seminar style, and all classes are conducted in English. The academic structure follows the American university model, emphasizing informal seminars, open dialogue between professors and students, and a progressive course of study requiring regular exams and papers during each semester. Most classes consist of 10 to 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio is approximately 6 to 1.
Degree Programs Offered:
*Master of Arts in International Relations - M.A.(two-year program in Bologna and Washington, D.C.)

*Master of Arts in International Affairs - MAIA(two-year program in Bologna)

*Master of International Public Policy - MIPP(one-year program in Bologna for mid-career professionals)

*Bologna Center Diploma in International Studies(one-year diploma in Bologna)
In addition to the diplomas offered at the graduate level, SAIS offers joint degrees with universities in the United States. The Bologna Center also has two agreements that offer students combined degrees:

* MAIA-MBA Program: Bologna Center and Bocconi School of Management (Milan)

* MAIA and MAIS Program: Bologna Center and the Diplomatische Akademie Wien (Vienna)

History of the Center

More than 50 years ago the Center was founded as the European branch of SAIS Washington, D.C. Since that time the Center has become known as the top American graduate school for international affairs in Europe. It offers a unique educational environment that distinguishes it from typical exchange or joint multi-institution programs. In a recent poll reported in Foreign Policy magazine, SAIS ranked as the no. 1 master’s degree program for those pursuing a career in international relations.
In 1955 a small group of scholars, led by C. Grove Haines, founded the Bologna Center. Their goal was to educate future leaders to reach beyond national boundaries and biases, and to work cooperatively toward common international goals in the post-war period—a time when the world needed rebuilding and uniting. Home to the oldest university in Europe, Bologna’s tradition of education, cultural heritage, and political vitality made it an attractive location for SAIS’ European branch.
In 1961, the Center moved to its present location on Via Belmeloro in the historical city center. A major renovation was completed in 2007 updating the building’s facilities, technology and physical plant.

Faculty

Academics and practitioners, participants and observers, the Center’s faculty and scholars have witnessed firsthand and shaped the trends, ideas and events that have changed our world. Their expertise covers the spectrum of economic trends, foreign policy developments, and political debates in Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Russia. Known for the breadth of their interests, the depth of their experience, and their ability to engage the Center’s diverse students, faculty members and scholars come from several countries and have worked, taught and lived around the world. See [http://www.jhubc.it/experts] for profiles of the Center’s faculty.
In 2006, Kenneth H. Keller, PhD was named Director of the Bologna Center where he is also a Professional Lecturer in Science and Technology. Keller is President Emeritus of the University of Minnesota. He earned his doctorate degree in chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Research Council Board on Life Sciences. Keller’s current research interests include the impact of science and technology on international politics and economics, the policy issues raised by high technology medicine, and the role of American institutions of higher education in research and development. Dr. Keller has published widely and taught on issues related to Science, Technology and International Relations.

tudents

Each year, approximately 185 students are enrolled at the SAIS Bologna Center. With an average age of 27, Bologna Center students come from around 35 countries and from all walks of life. With student organized clubs, performances, athletic teams, lectures, special events and travel opportunities, SAIS Bologna Center’s student life is as diverse as the student body.
For over 12 years, Bologna Center students have produced the Bologna Center Journal of International Affairs allowing them to contribute to a forum for scholarly discourse and academic discussion about current issues and new ideas of interest to the international affairs community. The Journal is self-funded. Themes from recent issues of the journal include The End of the Enlightenment?; States, Non-States, and Supra-States; Global Governance and Interdependence; and Transatlantic Relations: 60 Years Later.

Address and Contact

Johns Hopkins University
SAIS Bologna Center
Via Belmeloro 11
40126 Bologna
Italy
Tel: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

Facility

After a major effort to renovate and expand the Bologna Center, staff and faculty greeted the Class of 2008 without the sights and sounds of major construction. The 2007-08 class was the first to occupy a completely renovated and expanded building.
The Bologna Center thanked its supporters and the Bologna community February 22, 2007 when it inaugurated the building. Dr. Kenneth H. Keller, director, welcomed guests by noting that the Bologna Center’s new facilities were “a tangible connection to our past and a magnificent space into which to embark upon the future.”
During the ceremony, the importance of the institution’s links to the city was noted in greetings from the political, educational and commercial sectors of Bologna. Keynote speaker for the event was Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, CEO of Fiat, and president of Confindustria, Ferrari and BolognaFiere. Naneen H. Neubohn, chair of the BC advisory council, presented the Johns Hopkins University Presidential Medal to di Montezemolo. The medal, given at the discretion of the university’s president, is awarded to individuals who have achieved unusual distinction in government, industry, education and the arts. The February and May 2007 ceremonies recognized the many supporters of the Bologna Center whose generous contributions helped make the project a reality.

On The Web

* [http://www.jhubc.it SAIS Bologna Center]
* [http://www.jhubc.it/catalog SAIS Bologna Center Academic Catalog]
* [http://www.jhubc.it/policyandresearch SAIS Bologna Center Policy and Research Initiatives]
* [http://bcjournal.org/2008 Bologna Center Journal of International Affairs]
* [http://www.jhubc.it/upload/documents/GuidetoBolognaLiving.pdf SAIS Bologna Center Guide to Living in Bologna]
* [http://www.sais-jhu.edu SAIS Washington DC]

References

* [http://www.jhubc.it SAIS Bologna Center]
* [http://www.sais-jhu.edu SAIS Washington DC]
* [http://www.jhubc.it/upload/documents/GuidetoBolognaLiving.pdf SAIS Bologna Center Guide to Living in Bologna]