By Matt Acosta
Summer 2013
Being in DC for the summer has truly opened my eyes to a wide range of possibilities and opportunities. At BU, my major is Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Marketing. However, being in such a policy-minded environment, attending think tank events, and reading up on global affairs has made me realize the strong passion I have for foreign policy. Specifically, I am very interested in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. In DC, I have had the opportunity to attend amazing events at the Middle East Institute, Capitol Hill, and the Brookings Institution that have fueled these interests. I have also been learning as much as possible about the countries in these regions and the pitfalls or strides they are currently facing.
The issue that I have been following most while in DC is the recent Iranian presidential elections. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been president of Iran for eight years, and has garnered a significant amount of controversy. After he was reelected in 2009, protests broke out across the country about the legitimacy of the election and Ahmadinejad’s close relationship with the Ayatollah, the Supreme Leader of Iran. Recent issues that have arisen during his presidency involve Iran’s nuclear program, and the United States’ crusade to crush it.
On June 14, new elections were held in Iran to determine the new president. While many people believed that the candidate closest to the Supreme Leader would win, the moderate candidate, Hassan Rouhani came out on top. Personally, I think that this is a victory for both the democratic process and the country as a whole. Rouhani has expressed a willingness to work with Western powers and to establish closer relationships. I also think that Rouhani is much more willing to negotiate in terms of Iran’s nuclear program, while maintaining Iran’s sovereignty as a nation.
This issue is important to me because I would love to see Iran become a more open country in the global sphere. As my interest in this region grows, I am learning more and more about the rich culture that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries have to offer. As the summer continues, I will still be following the issue in Iran, as I am curious about what changes will be made before Rouhani assumes his new position. I am cautiously optimistic about the new president and the future of the country as a whole.
I really enjoyed the Newseum. This is a photo of me on the Newseum balcony.
Matt is a rising senior at the BU School of Management. He is interning at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland.
Matt at the Newseum
