Practitioners in Residence

The Practitioners in Residence (PiR) initiative promotes interactions between MSFS students and leading practitioners in international affairs in order to advance students’ professional development. Every year, leading professionals in global affairs are selected to be MSFS PiRs. These Practitioners mentor students and offer career guidance and advice through activities such as skills clinics, seminars, and career sessions.

As recognized experts in their fields, PiRs also represent at least one of MSFS’s four academic concentrations (Global Politics and Security, Global Business and Finance, International Development, and Science, Technology, and International Affairs). PiRs may also serve as guest lecturers in MSFS classes or as examiners for the spring MSFS final oral examinations.

PiRs are expected to hold a graduate degree and possess a distinguished record of professional achievement and/or exceptional community service. Each spring, members of the MSFS Curriculum Committee nominate potential Practitioner in Residence candidates who, if selected, serve a one-year term from the start of the following fall semester.

The Practitioners in Residence initiative furthers MSFS’s stated mission to prepare women and men to be creative leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors of international affairs. By connecting with mentors in leading roles across the sphere of international affairs, our students will gain a deeper understanding of the various contexts of contemporary international relations.