The Ford School of Public Policy names 2023 Weiser Diplomacy Center (WDC) Fellows with deep interest in pursuing knowledge and practical policy skills related to diplomacy and foreign affairs: Joanna Bascom, Zakaria Bulus, and Elizaveta Dorofeeva. The competitive award provides tuition support and opportunities to meet with international policy practitioners and participate in WDC symposia, policy simulation exercises, workshops, and more.
“The fellowship represents an incredible opportunity to pursue the MPP program at Michigan and learn from the Center's experts and their wealth of experience as well as from the other WDC fellows,” Bascom said. “I'm looking forward to complementing my learning in the classroom with the hands-on foreign policy training from the WDC. I'm also looking forward to being a part of the close-knit community of students where we can discuss our specific interests within international policy and support each other's goals.”
The fellowship provides a springboard for those passionate about international policy to pursue career paths focused on international diplomacy, security, and humanitarian affairs.
“I see myself as a policy consultant in one of the international organizations,” said Dorofeeva. “Taking that, I am highly convinced that this fellowship will advance my communicative and diplomatic skills as well as give me a more holistic understanding of the global area with the help of various workshops, meetings with diplomats, and professional events.”
Meet the fellows
Bascom graduated from Calvin University where she received her BA in economics. Her time as a “Princeton in Africa” fellow at a public health NGO cemented her passion for health policy. She continued expanding her analytical experience in international affairs working on social research and monitoring and evaluation in Michigan, Zambia, and Mexico. As a WDC Fellow, Bascom hopes to explore her interests in global health policy and public participation in policymaking.
Bulus joins the University of Michigan with over ten years of development and humanitarian experience, providing technical support and capacity building to officials of government institutions and local partners in northeast Nigeria. He graduated with a BSc from Manchester University, Indiana, and a master's degree from Ohio University. Bulus has volunteered with Brethren Disaster Ministries (Ohio and Tennessee) and Islamic Relief USA (Houston, Texas). He is working to finalize his publication titled "The Politics of Local and International Actors in Development and Humanitarian Assistance."
Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, Dorofeeva received her BA from the Higher School of Economics majoring in political science and world politics and minoring in Data Science. Through exchange programs in Germany and the U.S., she has expanded her interest in international security. Her experience in advocating for a project centered on organizing the United Nations model enabled her to apply her passion for democratic principles. As a WDC Fellow, Dorofeeva looks forward to further exploring her interests in international security and U.S. foreign affairs in a time of crisis.
The 2022 WDC fellows continue to engage in a variety of Ford School opportunities, including internships all across the world. 2022 Fellows include Jacob Gillis (MPP ’24), Gerardo A. Méndez Gutiérrez (MPP ’24), Gabriel Sylvan (MPP ’24), and Oieshi Saha (MPP ’24).
Read more about the fellowship and all of the WDC fellows.