Pardee School Welcomes Students to a Semester Unlike Any Other

The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University (BU) welcomes back its undergraduate and graduate students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some of our students have returned to campus while others have elected to take classes remotely through BU’s Learn from Anywhere (LfA) program. The Pardee School faculty and staff offer their warmest welcomes to both our remote and on-campus students.

“In some ways this fall semester will be different from the past, but one thing that has not changed is our strong commitment to our students and learning,” said Henrik Selin, Associate Dean for Studies and Associate Professor of International Relations at the Pardee School. “Faculty and staff in the Pardee School of Global Studies are eager to engage with both returning and new students — whether in person or remotely — and help our students meet their educational goals.”

The Pardee School and BU community have been preparing all summer to facilitate an engaging and exciting academic year despite COVID-19. Over the summer, BU built out a robust system with LfA to ensure remote and international students still have full access to a quality education. University-wide measures have been put in place for in-person undergraduate and graduate students to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. Extensive COVID-19 testing has been implemented for BU students, faculty, and staff, and everyone on campus will be required to follow the thorough testing and reporting regulations. COVID-19 testing results are available to all through the COVID-19 Testing Data Dashboard.

“The biggest thing that will be different this semester is an unrelenting focus on safety and carefulness,” said Adil Najam, Dean of the Parade School, “and for that we will need everyone in the community to help.” He adds, “BU has put in a strong set of measures including a stringent testing and tracing regime where most students will be tested twice a week and most faculty once a week. In addition, we have restructured all classroom spaces around the need for distancing, de-densification, and enhanced air flow and ventilation. But ultimately, it will have to be a whole community – students, faculty, and staff – coming together to demonstrate how a learning and knowledge institution can act together to create an environment where all are not just careful but caring of each other.”

It goes without question that this academic year will be unlike any other before. Although it may seem that everyone and everything seems out of touch or impossible to reach, the Pardee School wants to assure its students that we are here for you. Our goal is to ensure that our student body can safely foster enriching connections with faculty and fellow students.

Our faculty are always available to assist our students, so please reach out to them as needed. In addition, our Students Affairs and Services team is available to answer any questions regarding your academic or professional path, and they will continue offering academic advisory meetings via Zoom. In addition, undergraduate advisors have implemented virtual drop-in advising for those in immediate need of assistance. Just because we have to remain socially distant doesn’t mean we have to be disconnected! We encourage you to follow and engage with us on social media for all the latest out of the Pardee School.

In the period following BU’s campus closure in March, the Pardee School continued working to address the most pressing issues of our age. We hosted virtual panels discussing the importance of global studies and civil-military relations; our centers and institutes continued to hold engaging panel discussions with international leaders; our faculty pressed forward with their global research; and Dean Najam convened thought-leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities we will face in our post-coronavirus future in The World After Coronavirus interview series. We encourage all our students to participate in upcoming virtual events hosted by the Pardee School, its affiliate centers, and research programs.

“This will not be a normal semester, but that’s one of the things that makes it so heartening to see students returning to classes, whether in person or remotely,” said William Grimes, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Pardee School. “I am impressed by the grit and resilience of our students, determined to ensure that they get the best education available. I am also certain that Pardee School students are particularly well positioned to make the pandemic and its social, political, and economic effects into a valuable learning experience. I am confident that the Pardee School students will rise to the challenge, with the full support of our faculty and staff.”

While guidelines for the return to campus have been laid out, ultimately it falls on all of us to comply with university and state coronavirus protections to make sure the BU community remains safe. BU students have already come together to hammer home the importance of wearing protective masks, social distancing, isolating, testing, and other COVID-19 precautions. By complying with these and other university guidance regarding large gatherings/parties and frequency of COVID-19 testing, we can ensure that our community remains safe and connected.

At a time when the world seems more divided than ever, global studies and a global perspective are essential. Our students represent the best and brightest young scholars who want to make the world a better place, and our goal is to provide them with the knowledge to do just that. Whether you are joining us on campus or remotely from your homes around the world, we thank you for your understanding, your support, and your enthusiasm. Together we can make this semester as rewarding and enlightening as any other.

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