By Donis Sadushaj, GSD Student Body President Exchange student at Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, class of 2018
Not by chance I chose this as the title as it symbolizes the conjunction of the Geneva School of Diplomacy’s and Georgetown University’s mottos, respectively ‘Serviendo Guberno – that to govern is to serve’ and the Integrity prescribed in the Georgetown values which comprise Honor, Commitment, and Community. As an Albanian that has lived in a transitional period, from one of the harshest communist regimes to democracy, I comprehend the sheer significance of the good governance, social justice, and accountability. These are simply the tenets that I acknowledged throughout my irreplaceable education period at GSD and now in Georgetown University at the Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS).
Since when I was in High-School in 2006, my dream was to study at Georgetown, as I had a keen interest in Law studies, but as time passed I decided to join one of the most reputable Law Universities in Albania. I graduated from a degree in Law, pursued a Master of Science in Civil and Commercial Law and had the great opportunity to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Albania. Becoming a part of the diplomatic domain allowed me to engage in issues I was deeply passionate about: International Law and International Affairs. It was my last year of studies when I decided to join GSD, this time for another Bachelor in International Relations. Undoubtedly, these three years at GSD have made possible the exploration of new opportunities in a rapidly changing and evolving world. Admittedly, the overarching program of GSD along with its location in the most diplomatic city in the world, Geneva, and the opportunities it offers to join the United Nations system, or even to engage in exchange programs, such as the one I am currently pursuing at Georgetown University, makes it one of the most respectable academic institutions in the world for Diplomacy and International Relations.
It is extremely challenging to sum up in just a few words the experience in Geneva and Washington, but markedly living in these two international cities besides experiencing their captivating histories, also avows the chances to harness networking. The city of Washington which holds two of the most important institutions of the Bretton Woods’ system, the IMF and the World Bank, is also known for its spellbinding museums, thanks to the Smithsonian Institute. Being vast in numbers, I am still struggling to visit them all during my time here in Georgetown. On the other side, the density of the international institutions in Geneva emulates the free and numerous museums in Washington. Beyond enriching my knowledge on history in both cities, my time at Georgetown and GSD has broadened my intellectual capacity and have pioneered me through analyzing world issues, established my consciousness on social injustices and have unquestionably prepared me to serve the international community in the near future.
Georgetown University and GSD are both state-of-the-art institutions. The latter, relatively ‘new’, but full of expertise and diplomatic culture within, and the former plentiful of history and embodying most of the U.S Foreign Service. I have had the chance to be taught by UN professionals, Ambassadors, high-officials from International Organizations and other renowned professors at GSD and I am currently being taught by former CIA officers, former U.S. Military officials, IMF’s economists, and others. Currently, I am attending four classes: International Trade, Science & Entrepreneurs, Military as an Instrument of National Power, and Technology & Intelligence. All of them taught by well-known professors who combine theory and practice and who are insistent on academic excellence and contemplation in action. Moreover, being in Georgetown and surrounded by public figures, I had the chance to participate in a brilliant conversation with the former U.S. Secretary of State, the Hon. Madeleine K. Albright, on her newly published book ‘Fascism: A warning’.
Graduating from GSD and Georgetown is an honor and all of my friends who graduated before me will not rebuff this assertion. For a student of International Relations, studying at GSD and exploiting the opportunity to join SFS for a semester, is the best you can get. Without protracting my long statement on this unforgettable experience, I have an open invitation to all my friends in which I truly believe, part of GSD’s family: ‘Benefiting from our education, let us make the world a better place. Let us govern while serving our communities with honor and commitment.’