Category: Current Affairs

…I will tell you that Wintersession 2013 and the year 2013 in general have been pretty great so far!

The 2013 Albright Institute kicked off yesterday with a presentation by the director of the program, S. Joanne Murray, a Wellesley College alumna (1981), followed by a surprise Skype call from Madeleine Albright herself! Secretary Albright (Wellesley alum, class of 1959) informed us that she will visit Wellesley on the last few days of the Institute. We are invited to have dinner with her on the 24th. Earlier that day, she will engage in a dialogue with former Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson, one of our Distinguished Professors, on the relationship between China and the United States in the 21st century. The dialogue will be moderated by Cokie Roberts and will be open to the public. Like Secertary Albright and Cokie Roberts, Secretary Paulson’s wife Wendy is a Wellesley alum. Wendy Paulson is passionate about teaching, the environment and conservancy work. She is the other Distinguished Professor.

Following the Skype call, an Albright Fellow introduced Professor Katherine Marshall of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. Professor Marshall is also a Wellesley alum (Didn’t I tell you that Wellesley alums are THE best in the world? They do everything, everywhere, and so well!). She told us stories about poverty, religion and social justice. Later, Professor Helena de Bres explained to us why we should care about global poverty from a philosophical standpoint.

One of the perks of being an Albright Fellow is that one can have lunch or tea with the Albright faculty and lecturers, all of whom are very accomplished. Each Fellow was allowed to sign up for 2 lunch/teas. I had tea with Professor de Bres yesterday. Professor de Bres is an insightful thinker and someone I enjoyed listening and talking to. She is passionate about global justice, a subject that I must think about as a future leader in the 21st century. Overall, the first day’s program and the speakers were a good way to the start the Institute.

As a general rule, I’m excited about being an Albright Fellow and am grateful for this opportunity. I look forward to learning new things, am ready to be challenged and to challenge others’ thinking. (I already did that when I asked Professor Marshall, a former director at the World Bank, what she would explain to someone who believes that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund’s Structural Adjustment Programs “hurt more than they help” the economies of developing countries.)

However, as someone interested in health care and global health in particular, I most look forward to hearing from two Wellesley alums who are pioneers (aren’t they all? :)) in the public health and medicine arena. On January 16, Dr. Vivian Pinn and Ophelia Dahl will talk about women’s health and Partners in Health. I am fortunate to be one of the five Albright Fellows that will have lunch or tea with them. So, stay tuned for more info!!

Until then, hurry up and finish your applications; they are due on January 15!