Global Leadership Forum 2015
From October 25-29, the BU Fellows and coordinators traveled to Washington, DC and gathered with the cohorts of fifteen other campuses, State Department officials, Institute of International Education officers, distinguished Program alumni, and others for the Humphrey Fellowship Program’s annual Global Leadership Forum.
The theme of this year’s GLF was “Resilience in the Face of Climate Change.” Each cohort presented on climate change as it impacts their respective fields; the BU Fellows presented on “Green Finance”.
Two distinguished alumni were invited to address the Fellows, and both of them were Humphrey Fellows in the Boston area. Ms. Shanta Nagendram of SkillFocus Consultancy in Malaysia was a Fellow at Tufts University, and Mr. Sujeev Shakya of beed Management in Nepal is one of our most cherished alumni from BU.
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan hosted a grand reception at the State Department. Also during the Forum, the Fellows were addressed by Paul Schelp and John Sedlins of the State Department’s Office of Global Educational Programs, Humphrey Program Director Judy Gibson, Humphrey Family Representative (and BU Alumna) Anne L. Howard-Tristani, and others.
The week ended with a jubilant night of cultural performances and a dance party.
Following the conclusion of the GLF, the BU cohort made professional visits to the World Bank and the State Department. At the World Bank, Speakers Bureau Head Angelica Silvero gave a broad introduction to the Bank’s mission, history, and current activities. Jovita Tamosaityte, a Humphrey Fellow from Lithuania and currently a CSR Strategy Adviser at the World Bank (and associate director of the Our Global Communities project), also attended and provided insight into working at the Bank from the perspective of a Humphrey Alumna. At the State Department, we met with branch chiefs and staff of the Youth Programs Division and Office of English Language Programs. They each provided introductions to those branches of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and then engaged in discussions with the Fellows about activities in their respective countries and possibilities of future collaborative endeavors.
