Pardee School Celebrates Dean’s Ambassadors
At a gala event held at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, Dean Adil Najam welcomed the 2016 class of Dean’s Ambassadors and charged them with a mission of representing the ideals and excellence of the Pardee School.
“As Pardee School Dean’s Ambassadors you have the responsibility of being the face – and often the voice – of the School to visiting guests, faculty, students, parents and the wider world,” said Najam at the event. “But we also ask from our Ambassadors their best effort and input on ideas of how to make the school a better place. We may not be able to do everything, but by God we will try.”
At the reception, students enjoyed a networking lunch and heard from senior Pardee School academic leaders, including Dean Najam, Associate Dean William Grimes, and Director of Graduate Studies Robert Loftis.
“Education happens on a personal level between teacher and student, and one of the reasons the Dean’s Ambassadors program is so wonderful is that it allows you to expand your education with personal contact with so many professors and guests,” Grimes said. “We are currently planning some very exciting experimental courses on subjects from terrorism to microfinancing. We’re always tweaking to meet where our field is going.”
In addition to being a Professor of the Practice of International Relations, Robert Loftis is himself a former ambassador to the African country of Lesotho.
“The role of an ambassador is to be a personal representative of your head of state, which in your case would be the dean,” Loftis said. “But it’s also to represent your nation, which in this case would be the Pardee School.”
The Pardee School Dean’s ambassadors are renewed on an annual basis and chosen in a rigorous process from among BA and MA program applicants. They serve as a liaison to the wider BU community as well as prospective students and families.
To see the 2016 Dean’s Ambassadors, click here.