The Fletcher School is a Leader in International Affairs

(c) 2003 Reprinted from the Korea Times
November 18, 2003

The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, U.S., is striving to produce professionals who will lead the international community in the 21 century.

"The Fletcher School has long been regarded as one of the leading schools of international affairs in the U.S. For instance, the Washington D.C.-based Association of International Educators said in its report in April this year that Fletcher is one of 10 schools that do 'excellent work' in the area of international relations," Terry Ann Knopf, media relations director of the graduate school, said.

Noting that the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, founded in 1933, was the first graduate school of international affairs in the U.S., she said, "The Fletcher School, whose founding was rooted in an internationalist view of the world, has a three-fold mission that will continue through the 21st century.".

"Firstly, we are making best efforts to educate professionals from around the world and prepare them for positions of leadership or influence in the national and international arenas," Knopf said in a written interview with The Korea Times.

"Secondly, we are going all-out to help students increase their understanding of international problems and concerns though teaching, research, and publications. Thirdly, we are serving local, national, and international communities in their search to develop relationships of mutual benefit, security, and justice in an increasingly interdependent world," she explained.

Asked about the number or percentage of international students at The Fletcher School, she said, "We are proud to say that in an increasingly global world which is ever more connected and interdependent, our school has a strong international flavor. We have approximately 400 students enrolled currently in The Fletcher School. Of that figure, 174 or 44 percent are from abroad. Indeed, they come from every corner of the world - from Lebanon to Kenya, from Malaysia to Mexico, from Kazakhstan to Korea.".

Commenting that Asia is well represented at Fletcher, she said, "Forty-nine students came from Asia, with Japan followed by South Korea. Of the seven students from South Korea, two are Ph. D. candidates.".

On its affiliation with any Korean universities, Knopf said, "We are working in partnership with Yonsei University. Yonsei University's Graduate School of International Studies was actually modeled on The Fletcher School, along with about 10 other universities in Korea, including Seoul National University and Korea University.".

Saying that the original philosophy of the Fletcher curriculum is to help students prepare for the exacting professions of international law, the diplomatic and consular services, foreign business and finance, historical and economic research, and the teaching of these various branches, she said, "The Fletcher School will continue to provide the framework for the interdisciplinary study of international affairs in the years ahead.".

The media relations director added, "Indeed, Fletcher continues to turn out leaders in a wide variety of fields, including government, diplomacy, international law, business, economics, defense, international security, negotiation and conflict resolution, human rights, non-governmental organizations, the environment, even journalism. Our graduates live and reside in more than 130 countries around the world.".

The Fletcher School currently has 350 full-time master's students, 40 more in a new global master's program that is taught primarily over the Web, and 90 others pursuing Ph.D.s.

Fletcher logged a record 1,833 applicants last year, with applications from American citizens up 93 percent and applications overall up by more than half.

Noting that other schools of international affairs also saw a surge in applications, none was as great as Fletcher's, she said, "This was not due to patriotism alone. The sluggish U.S. economy and fewer offers from the corporate world also made graduate school a more attractive destination for many college graduates.".

Knopf also said, "Fletcher is neither a law school, nor simply a training academy for future diplomats. Few Fletcher graduates actually become lawyers and more go into the private sector than into the foreign-service sector. Fletcher's most illustrious graduate did become a diplomat as well as senator and scholar.".

The Fletcher School also cosponsors seminars with the Massachusetts Global Education Program to train teachers on international issues, brings in more than 100 guest lecturers from around the world each year, and sponsors a dozen other centers and institutes that explore issues, including forced migration and international security.

For more information about The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, contact Terry Ann Knopf at (617)-627-2778 or the e-mail address, terry.knopf@tufts.edu.