Dean’s Speaker Series
The Dean’s Speaker Series is the school’s highest profile series, featuring a diverse array of prominent international affairs practitioners and business leaders for insightful perspectives and thought-provoking discussions on international relations, leadership, and other relevant topics that impact our focus areas.
During the academic year 2020-21, the series will highlight distinguished experts discussing the following themes:
- U.S. Democracy and Foreign Policy after the 2020 Election
- International Order after Coronavirus
- Targets of Opportunity in the Global Arena
- Race Relations, Civic Engagement, and Global Social Movements

Mar 9 10:00 am - 11:00 am Online SAIS Event
A Conversation with Wes Moore
Join Dean Eliot A. Cohen and renowned author, motivational speaker, and Johns Hopkins alumnus Wes Moore for a dynamic discussion on leadership, equity, and anti-poverty efforts in America.
Wes Moore...

Mar 10 9:00 am - 10:00 am Online SAIS Event
Literature and Leadership: A Conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Samet
Join Dean Eliot A. Cohen and Dr. Elizabeth Samet for a discussion on how literature can build character and foster critical-thinking skills for future leaders in politics, business, law, medicine,...

MAR 18 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Online SAIS Event
Hard Histories: A Conversation with Martha S. Jones
Join Dean Eliot A. Cohen and Martha S. Jones, the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, Professor of History, and Professor at the SNF Agora Institute at The Johns Hopkins University...

2021 Black History Month Celebration
The SAIS Diversity Council, SAIS Student Diversity Coalition and SAIS Black Student Union hosted a variety of virtual activities celebrating African-American culture and history in honor of Black History Month.

You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of the Vietnam War
The school hosted a discussion with journalist and author Elizabeth Becker on her new book looking at the work of three women journalists during the Vietnam War.

JHU SAIS Europe 66th Anniversary America is Woke: Can the Biden Administration Keep Us That Way?
Johns Hopkins SAIS Alumna, Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, joined the school for a conversation on equity and diversity in government leadership.
About Dean Eliot A. Cohen
Dean Eliot A. Cohen was appointed the ninth dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS in 2019. He has been a respected member of the school’s faculty since his appointment as the Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies in 1990. Prior to his appointment as dean, he founded and directed the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies and served as Executive Vice Dean. He has twice won the school’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Dean Cohen is a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned his PhD in political science. Dean Cohen later served as Assistant Professor of Government and an Assistant Dean at Harvard. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the U.S. Army War College.
Dean Cohen served for two years as Counselor of the Department of State where he advised the Secretary on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia, as well as general strategic issues. For his leadership of The Gulf War Air Power Survey, he received the Air Force’s decoration for exceptional civilian service. He has also served as a member of the Defense Policy Advisory Board, the National Security Advisory Panel of the National Intelligence Council, on the Council of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and on the Committee on Studies of the Council on Foreign Relations. Dean Cohen has authored several books, including “The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power and the Necessity of Military Force” and “Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in Wartime.” He is also a contributing editor at The Atlantic.
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about the Dean’s Speaker Series, please contact:
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF
Danielle Khan
Special Assistant to the Dean
+1 (202) 963-8865
dkhan@jhu.edu
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Jason Lucas
Communications Manager
+1 (202) 663-5620
jlucas27@jhu.edu