Keough School of Global Affairs
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| Keough School of Global Affairs | |
|---|---|
| Name | Keough School of Global Affairs |
| Established | 2014 |
| Type | Graduate school |
| Parent | University of Notre Dame |
| Location | Notre Dame, Indiana |
| Dean | Sonali Shah |
Keough School of Global Affairs The Keough School of Global Affairs is a graduate professional school at the University of Notre Dame founded to train leaders in international engagement, humanitarian response, and development policy. It emphasizes interdisciplinary instruction linking practice and research, partnering with institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Union, and NGOs like Médecins Sans Frontières, International Rescue Committee, and Oxfam. The school integrates perspectives from scholars and practitioners affiliated with organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF, and World Health Organization.
History
Founded in 2014 through an initiative supported by donors including the Keough family and inspired by figures associated with the Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation, the school was created amid global debates shaped by events such as the Syrian Civil War, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the Paris Agreement. Its formation drew on Notre Dame precedent from units like the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, and the Mendoza College of Business. Early leadership engaged with policymakers from the US Department of State, diplomats from the United Kingdom Foreign Office, development experts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and practitioners from CARE International, Save the Children, and World Vision.
Academic Programs
The school offers a Master of Global Affairs alongside certificate programs and executive education targeted at careers in diplomacy, peacebuilding, humanitarian affairs, and international development. Curricula incorporate case studies involving entities such as the International Monetary Fund, the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, NATO, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, and examine crises like the Rwandan Genocide, the Bosnian War, and the Afghanistan conflict (2001–2021). Courses bring practitioners from United Nations Development Programme, UNHCR, Transparency International, Interpol, and World Trade Organization, and reference works by authors linked to Harvard University, Stanford University, London School of Economics, Columbia University, and Oxford University.
Research Centers and Initiatives
Research housed at the school engages with centers and initiatives collaborating with partners such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Projects address topics connected to the Sustainable Development Goals, climate diplomacy linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, conflict resolution referencing the Dayton Accords and the Good Friday Agreement, and migration studies tied to the Global Compact for Migration and events like the European migrant crisis. The school's initiatives often partner with funders and collaborators such as the Rockefeller Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, UN Women, USAID, and European Commission research programs.
Faculty and Administration
Faculty combine scholars and practitioners drawn from institutions like Yale University, Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, and international organizations including the World Bank Group, International Labour Organization, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Administrators liaise with diplomats from the United States Agency for International Development, ambassadors accredited to the United Nations Security Council, and former officials from the US National Security Council. Visiting fellows have included leaders from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Global Fund, and former ministers from countries such as Kenya, Ireland, India, and Jordan.
Student Life and Admissions
Students at the school engage in practica, internships, and field placements with partners like UNICEF, UNICEF Country Offices, UNHCR Regional Bureaux, the World Food Programme, Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps, and government missions to the United Nations. Admissions emphasize experience similar to cohorts from Rotary International, Peace Corps, Teach For America, and professional backgrounds at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Bloomberg LP. Student organizations collaborate with campus entities such as the Notre Dame International, the Tobar Mhuire community, faith-based partners like Caritas Internationalis, and extracurricular groups that host speakers from Nobel Prize laureates, former heads of state, and leaders from International Monetary Fund boards.
Notable Alumni and Impact
Alumni have taken roles across diplomacy, humanitarian response, and international organizations, including postings at the United Nations Development Programme, UNHCR, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and national foreign ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ireland, Ministry of External Affairs (India), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kenya). Graduates have joined NGOs and think tanks including Oxfam, International Rescue Committee, CARE International, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Brookings Institution, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and have contributed to policy processes around instruments like the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Compact on Refugees, and humanitarian responses to crises such as the Yemen Civil War and the Horn of Africa droughts.