Johns Hopkins SAIS Names SAIS Europe’s Inaugural Rector
The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) has announced the appointment of Dr. Renaud Dehousse as the Inaugural Rector of SAIS Europe and Vice Dean of SAIS. He will begin the role in January 2024, after the completion of his term as president of the European University Institute (EUI).
Renaud Dehousse
“Dr. Dehousse’s distinguished scholarly career and his long involvement in European and transatlantic public policy, along with his deep academic administrative experience, make him an exceptional addition to our leadership team.” said SAIS Dean James B. Steinberg. “We are delighted that he has agreed to lead SAIS Europe at this pivotal time in international affairs; and I look forward to working with him to fulfill our vision for the future of SAIS Europe as the go-to institution for research, teaching, and public engagement on pressing global challenges.”
Dehousse comes to Johns Hopkins with a unique connection to the SAIS community, as he spent the first year of his life in Bologna while his father, Jean-Maurice Dehousse, studied at SAIS Europe. "I am delighted and humbled to return to Bologna as SAIS Europe’s new Rector. The institution's legacy of fostering critical thought and global perspectives resonates deeply with the spirit of this remarkable city.”
Consistently ranked as one of the top institutions for graduate study in international relations, Johns Hopkins SAIS currently enrolls more than 1,100 students in over 20 programs; and it has well over 20,000 alumni in leadership roles around the world, of whom 8,500 spent at least one year of their education at the SAIS Europe campus in Bologna.
SAIS Europe was founded in 1955 with a focus on international affairs and the frameworks for transnational cooperation and peace at a critical moment in the development of the post-war world order. Today, SAIS Europe’s campus location in Bologna offers a unique bridge to different parts of the world, not only in direct partnership with SAIS’ flagship campus in Washington, D.C., USA, and longstanding program in Nanjing, China, but also at the intersection of academic, research, and convening activities in Europe, neighboring countries in Africa and the Mediterranean basin, and beyond.
SAIS Europe recently announced a transformative $100 million gift from philanthropists James and Morag Anderson, making it the largest private contribution to a university in Italy and opening doors to new opportunities for students and faculty alike. Dehousse’s appointment reflects the university's forward-looking vision, as the SAIS Europe campus in Bologna evolves into a global hub for research and collaboration.
"SAIS Europe holds a special place in the hearts of so many of us," said James Anderson, a 1981 SAIS Europe alumnus who is currently the chair of the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe Advisory Council and a member of the university’s Board of Trustees. “I join others in full support of the new Rector as he leads efforts to realize ambitious goals for SAIS and SAIS Europe.”
SAIS Professor Peter Lewis led the international search for the new Rector. “The pool of candidates we had for the SAIS Europe Rector position was truly exceptional, comprising highly accomplished and competitive individuals. It was a challenging task, but we are delighted that in Renaud we’ve found someone who embodies the vision and leadership qualities needed to excel in this role.”
Before becoming EUI president, Dehousse was a professor and holder of the Jean Monnet Chair of European Law and Policy Studies at Sciences Po Paris, where he founded and directed the Centre for European Studies. He chaired Sciences Po’s Board from 2013 to 2016.
After studying law at the University of Liège (Belgium), he obtained a doctorate at the European University Institute. Before joining Sciences Po in 1999, he taught at the European University Institute, then at the University of Pisa. He was a visiting professor at the Universities of Florence (Cesare Alfieri), Cologne, Rome (LUISS), Lausanne, the College of Europe and at the University of Michigan Law School.
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Johns Hopkins SAIS
For eight decades, students have come to the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) to learn from renowned faculty and distinguished policy practitioners, build their professional networks, and gain hands-on work experience.The school was founded in 1943 by Paul H. Nitze and Christian A. Herter, statesmen who sought to prepare the next generation of leaders to meet the complex challenges the U.S. and the world would face following World War II. A distinguished faculty of scholars and policy experts developed an innovative curriculum that emphasized international politics, economics, and foreign languages. That program, combined with skills training and experiential learning, helped prepare students to make a difference in government, civil society, and the private sector. In 1955, SAIS established a campus in Bologna, Italy, and in 1986 the school initiated one of the first Western university programs in the People’s Republic of China in Nanjing.
Today, SAIS carries on this tradition, preparing students for the emerging challenges of the 21st century. Johns Hopkins SAIS alumni number more than 20,000 graduates, a network of professionals working across the globe. From private-sector executives to entrepreneurs, leaders of nongovernmental organizations to ambassadors, and international media correspondents to energy consultants, SAIS alumni are defined by their innovative thinking, analytical approach, and policy expertise. They are leaders in their fields, lifelong students committed to the betterment of the world.
For more information, visit sais.jhu.edu or on X @SAISHopkins
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Date:
Monday, August 28, 2023