Commencement Weekend May 15-17, 2009
This year, 164 students received professional degrees from The Fletcher School—159 master’s and five doctorates.
Fletcher Class Day on Saturday, May 16, featured awards presentations, including the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy to Susan Ziadeh of the U.S. Department of State. The Dean’s Medal was given to keynote speaker Leslie H. Gelb, A59, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, who then spoke to the graduates.
Gelb called on Fletcher graduates to bridge the gap between policy and action, to exercise common sense in foreign policy and to embrace American power through leadership. Contrary to popular jargon, he said that the world is indeed not flat and that we have not entered a post-American era in world affairs. Power and power structures are still important, and the United States remains the most powerful and influential country in the world, he said.
Eschewing ideology and embracing pragmatism, Gelb urged graduates to practice common sense in foreign policy. Goals that are achievable, evidence-based and moderate create tangible results on which further steps can be taken, he said.
On Sunday, Dean Stephen W. Bosworth spoke at the Fletcher commencement. He expressed optimism that despite the current economic crisis, with their Fletcher education and network, the graduates will play an important role in guiding the global issues of the future. Dahlia Shaham and Hasham Mehmood gave the student addresses, and the Paddock Award for Excellence in Teaching was presented to Professor Kim Wilson.
By Helene Ragovin with Erica Marrero, F09 (Reprinted from the Tufts Journal)