News and Events

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Two Bard Graduates from Afghanistan, Rukhsar Balkhi ’23 and Edris Tajik ’23, Profiled in Times Union

Writing for the Times Union, Maria Silva profiles human rights major Rukhsar Balkhi ’23 and political studies major Edris Tajik ’23, two recent Bard College graduates who are part of a group of 250 student refugees from Afghanistan who received the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project to complete their education in the US. Both Balkhi and Tajik hope to make a positive impact on the world and will pursue master’s degrees in international affairs at Columbia University and international relations at the University of Chicago, respectively. Balkhi describes the shock of evacuating Kabul in 2021 and the transition to the US. “You have everything in your life and you have a lot of dreams. And you just suddenly forget everything and come to a country with literally nothing,” she said.

Post Date: 08-22-2023

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Bard Student Jackson Lopez ’24 Wins 2023 Hudson Political Studies Summer Fellowship and Hertog Fellowship in Security Studies

Jackson Lopez ’24, who is majoring in global and international studies with a focus on international relations, has been awarded the Hudson Political Studies Summer Fellowship and Hertog Fellowship in Security Studies in Washington, DC. During their six-week fellowship in the nation's capital, Hudson Political Studies Fellows take courses led by master teachers, policy workshops directed by field experts and experienced government officials, and a distinguished speaker series of exemplary figures from public life. Hudson fellows receive complimentary housing and a $3000 stipend. Lopez will also take two weeks of intensive seminars focused on the most difficult national security challenges the United States faces today as part of the Hertog Security Studies fellowship. “No matter my career track, I know a sound public policy foundation will be necessary to tackle complex questions,” says Lopez. Lopez has previously interned for the US Department of State and will be studying in New York City as part of the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program. After graduation, Lopez, who is from San Francisco, California, plans to pursue graduate studies abroad. 

Post Date: 06-27-2023

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Opinion: “Turkey’s Erdogan Is in the Fight of His Political Life” Writes Elmira Bayrasli for CNN

Turkey’s 2023 presidential election, held on Sunday, was the hardest-fought race that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced in decades and is now headed to a runoff between Erdogan and his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. For CNN, Elmira Bayrasli, director of the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program in New York City, traces Erdogan’s rise to power, his more combative orientation towards the United States and Europe, and his close alliance with Putin. “Whether Erdogan wins or loses, Ankara is unlikely to untangle itself from Moscow and turn back to the West,” she posits. In her opinion, “Washington and Brussels have to recognize that Turkey is a country literally and metaphorically at the crossroads. Not entirely in the West or the East, it is positioned to be both a difficult and useful partner.”

Post Date: 05-16-2023