Joseph Sax
Joe is concentrating in International Development. He is dual-enrolled with the McCourt School of Public Policy, hoping to combine MSFS’ dynamic and practitioner-oriented curriculum with the depth and quantitative rigor of the public policy toolbox.
Joe is from Boston, Massachusetts and studied International Relations at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Focusing on the history and politics of the MENA region, Joe completed Tufts’ eight-course Arabic language sequence in three years and studied abroad at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan. While an undergraduate, Joe conducted overseas research in Oman and Turkey and interned at DC NGO the Institute for the Study of War and campaigned for Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey’s first senate run. After graduating, Joe relocated to Dubai, UAE to work with a satellite office of Harvard Medical School’s Global Health department. He later joined risk consultancy Control Risks as a political risk analyst specializing in Iraq, Yemen, and Jordan.
At Georgetown, Joe hopes to deepen his understanding of the economic drivers of fragility and conflict, as well as develop his quantitative skills. He spent his first year at MSFS interning with the US Embassy to Yemen. Joe continues to study Arabic, and enjoys making music (specifically jazz saxophone), playing board games, and cooking.
"I chose MSFS for its excellent network, proximity to critical global institutions, academic rigor, and small class sizes. The MSFS community’s warmth, drive, and smarts are a consistent inspiration, inspiring me to push myself toward a career in impactful global service."
Publications
“Gatti, Roberta; Lederman, Daniel; Fan, Rachel Yuting; Hatefi, Arian; Nguyen, Ha; Sautmann, Anja; Sax, Joseph Martin; Wood, Christina A., Overconfident: How Economic and Health Fault Lines Left the Middle East and North Africa Ill-Prepared to Face COVID-19. MENA Economic Update; October 2021. Washington, DC: World Bank. Read it here.