Examining Conflict Resolution in the Middle East

Aaron Zucker 
MA ’17
Conflict Management 
Recipient of the Presidential Management Fellowship

Aaron came to Johns Hopkins SAIS after working for three years as a writer for J Street, a group promoting U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East. He says that he learned a lot during that time, publishing articles and op-eds about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iran nuclear deal, and hoped to work on similar issues in the public sector. But first he wanted to deepen his knowledge of the Middle East, U.S. policymaking, and international economics, and Johns Hopkins SAIS was the perfect place to learn about all three.

Aaron says he really loves the school’s community—especially in the Conflict Management program—where he gets to spend every day debating and learning from friends who are so different from him. Last summer at an internship at the State Department, he had an opportunity to put some of his new skills into practice. And as a 2017 Presidential Management Fellow finalist, he says he is excited to find a place for himself in government where he can keep pursuing his passions while staying true to his values.