Go blue, go global!
Over spring break, annual policy study trips took undergrads to Brussels for the BA Global Engagement Seminar (above) and graduate students to Colombia for the International Policy in Practice seminar (below).
Cascading crises and prospects for peace
Former national security advisor H. R. McMaster delivered the 7th annual Arthur Vandenberg Lecture, hosted by Associate Professor of Practice Javed Ali. He shared insights from his career and emphasized the value of strategic competence, empathy, confidence, and learning from U.S. history.
"Speak out and do something"
"It's important for us to be more scared of the injustices than being scared of speaking out. If we stay still and silent, nothing will change. So speaking out and doing something is important." — Education activist and author Malala Yousafzai in conversation with Ambassador Susan D. Page about her book, Finding My Way
DC career days
In February, nearly 200 Ford School students and alumni connected for lively policy conversation at the annual DC networking event. Kohn Professor Sam Bagenstos’s keynote addressed Congressional authority and reclaiming the power of the purse.
Emanuel encourages national service
In a discussion with students and Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes, former Chicago mayor, White House chief of staff, and ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel recalled key moments of his extensive career and discussed the upcoming midterm elections.
Tools for common ground
U-M students learned new ways to lead difficult conversations and navigate conflict in the Ford School's Constructive Dialogue Facilitation workshop.
Across the aisle
Michigan State Senators Stephanie Chang (D-3) (MPP/MSW '14) and John Damoose (R-37) discussed bipartisanship in an increasingly polarized political landscape with professor Jenna Bednar.
← Read all stories in the spring 2026 edition State & Hill