International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) is a space where graduate students from 40 countries engage with each other on a daily basis. This is a place where substantive dialogue is encouraged and common ground can be found over a conversation in the library or around the dinner table. Lifelong relationships are formed and remain firm as our resident scholars head all over the world to begin their careers and take on the challenges of representing their countries. International Student House is a place where diplomacy begins for our future leaders.

Joseph R. Biden, Jr., the 47th Vice President of the United States, with ISH-DC Resident Scholars from Japan, South Sudan, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Russia, the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Rwanda, the Netherlands, and Nigeria.

On the evening of October 4, Ambassadors from over 15 countries, Members of Congress, special guests, and International Student House resident scholars gathered to honor Joseph R. Biden Jr., the 47^th Vice President of the United States, with our 2017 Global Leadership Award for his service to our country and exemplary work on behalf of international dialogue and higher education.  It was an incredible evening as we honored the 47^th Vice President and celebrated the mission of ISH-DC.

ISH-DC Board President Cynthia Bunton, opened the evening by welcoming our Ambassadorial guests and Members of Congress, and thanked our many sponsors.  Patrick Davies, Deputy Ambassador of the British Embassy, spoke on behalf of our 2017 Diplomatic Chairs Sir Kim Darroch, the British Ambassador, and Lady Darroch, followed by our resident scholar from South Sudan, Atem Malak, who introduced former Vice President Joe Biden and shared about his experiences as a resident scholar at International Student House.

Secretary David Shulkin, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Dr. Susan Blumenthal Markey, 2017 Global Leadership Awards Honorary co-Chair; and Dr. Merle Bari.

Former Vice President Biden and Patrick Davies, the Deputy Ambassador of the British Embassy.

Former Vice President Biden spoke at length about the importance of international understanding and dialogue.  He then imparted substantive advice to our many resident scholars who participated in the evening, which will forever remain a highlight of their time here in Washington and at the House.  The evening ended with wonderful remarks by our Honorary co-Chair, Dr. Susan Blumenthal Markey, and Awards Dinner co-Chair Didi Cutler.

Our many guests who joined us for the Global Leadership Awards had the opportunity to meet our resident scholars and learn that International Student House is a community where we embrace diversity and value the unique contributions of all residents, which we know makes us stronger and will have a lasting impact on future generations. We are grateful to our many friends and sponsors who allow us to continue the mission of ISH-DC, which began over 80 years ago.

HE Geir Haarde, Ambassador of Iceland; Dr. Esther Brimmer, CEO of NAFSA; Inga Jona Thordardottir; Elias and Annette Aburdene, ISH-DC Board of Directors; Eric Melby, ISH-DC Board of Directors; Cynthia Bunton, President, ISH-DC Board of Directors.

Once again, we would like to thank our generous sponsors who support our House so that we can provide a unique cross cultural experience to develop students and scholars into global citizens.

Former Vice President Biden with HE Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador of Japan, and Nobuko Sasae.

Click HERE to view many more excellent photos from the Awards Dinner.

Thank you to our Sponsors

Leadership Sponsor
Robert J. Abernethy

Patrons
Embassy of the State of Qatar

Partners 
Annette W. and Elias F. Aburdene, Rock Creek Corporation
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Lisa Barry and James Gale
Afsaneh Beschloss and Michael Beschloss
Blackstone Foundation
Cigna
William H. and Jean Crocker
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
Timothy H. Gillis
Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman
Philip C. Lauinger
The Honorable Rafat Mahmood and Shaista Mahmood
McLarty Associates
Eric D.K. Melby and Pamela Tripp-Melby
Sherry Lee Mueller
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
Sachiko Kuno Foundation
US Mexico Business Coalition
Williams & Jensen

Friends
BB&T
Rafic A. Bizri
David and Katherine Bradley
The Honorable Walter L. Cutler and Didi Cutler
Larry Dunham and Deborah Dunham
Johnson Lambert LLP
Aniko Gaal Schott
Sodexo
Jan Smith
The Honorable John Tanner and Betty Ann Tanner
UPS

 

We have had the privilege of welcoming numerous distinguished guests to International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) in recent months. Our resident scholars, alumni, Board members, and donors have had the opportunity to learn from many of these prominent individuals, and no experience better highlights the opportunity for our residents than our Ambassadorial Dialogue Series.

Sir Kim Darroch, the British Ambassador

This past November we were delighted to welcome Sir Kim Darroch, the British Ambassador, to the House to share his insights on our transatlantic alliance, Brexit, and our change in administration in the United States.  Ambassador Darroch responded to a number of questions about his previous role as National Security Advisor for former Prime Minister David Cameron and his current role as the Ambassador to the United States. Our residents were grateful to learn not only about the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom from his perspective, but also the significant role both countries play on the global scale and in respect to their own countries. Ambassador Darroch shared about the complexities of these international relationships, which was highly interesting to our young scholars preparing to build their careers in the international arena.

Ambassador Henne Schuwer of the Netherlands, ISH-DC Board Member Barbara Slavin, Ambassador Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg, Ambassador Dirk Wouters of Belgium

In early 2017, the Ambassadors of the Benelux Union, Ambassador Dirk Wouters of Belgium, Ambassador Henne Schuwer of the Netherlands, and Ambassador Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg, joined us at ISH-DC to speak on the complexity and necessity of international alliances. We consistently have resident scholars from Belgium and the Netherlands, and from time-to-time Luxembourg, so our residents were particularly interested in hearing what their Ambassadors where prepared to share.  We greatly enjoyed learning from the Ambassador’s address and their interactions with each other as they shared their insights as the representative of their country, and together representing the Benelux union.

Ambassador Haarde with ISH-DC resident scholar Sanghmitra Sahai from India

Ambassador Geir Haarde of Iceland and Ambassador Leonidas Pantelides spoke at the House in May on how to best represent their countries here in Washington.  They particularly focused on how to ensure their country’s priorities stand out among the many diplomatic missions in DC. Their candid answers were incredibly appreciated by our many residents, Boardmembers, and guests who joined us for the evening.  The Ambassadors were exceptionally generous with their time as they spoke with our residents who were just completing the end of their semesters and internships, and keen for advice from the Ambassadors.  Given their great success in government, the public, and the private sectors, they were certainly the right individuals for our residents to learn from.  Ambassador Pierre Clive Agius joined for a small dinner after the address, directly following a reception he hosted in honor of Malta’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and Ambassador Haris Lalacos of Greece also joined us for the evening. Ambassador Leonidas Pantelides of Cyprus, Ambassador Geir Haarde of Iceland, ISH-DC Board member Linda Harper

A group of ISH-DC residents also had the exciting opportunity to visit the residence of the Ambassador of Liechtenstein, His Excellency Kurt Jaeger.  They had an incredible afternoon where they shared a traditional Liechtenstein meal, and Ambassador Jaeger shared about his role representing his country in the United States and his work in the private sector. Residents from France, Mexico, India, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, and the United States learned a great deal about the small but important country.

ISH-DC resident scholars with Ambassador Jaeger of Liechtenstein

Thank you to all the Ambassadors who have taken the time to speak at International Student House and share about your work and the paths you have taken to get there.  Our residents are incredible students and young professionals, and they are here at the House because they believe understanding the importance of relationships and alliances are vital to their future as leaders in their respective countries.  Learning from those who have succeeded in the fields they hope to enter is a step in helping them get to where they hope to be, and a vital part in the investment in our future world leaders.

 

ISH-DC Resident Scholars from China, India, Pakistan, South Sudan, Turkey, the Netherlands, the United States, Rwanda, Nigeria, Colombia, Spain, Iran, Mexico, France, Italy, Venezuela, and Japan

On Thursday, May 4, International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) welcomed over 250 guests for our annual Spring Garden Party where we enjoyed an evening of catching up with old friends and introducing the House to new ones.  ISH-DC resident scholars from 26 different countries shared their experiences here in Washington and their plans for the future with foreign Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, and other special guests.

Ambassador and Mrs. Mahlangu of South Africa were welcomed by ISH-DC Board President Cynthia Bunton, Executive Director Tom O’Coin, and Board Member Kathryn Horlick

Our residents were delighted to meet and connect with our distinguished guests, given many are preparing for their own careers in the public and private sectors in their respective countries.  The opportunity to learn from and network with Washingtonians and diplomats who have found great success in their fields is invaluable for our residents.

 

Left: ISH-DC Board Member Sherry Migdail and Ambassador Francisco Campbell Hooker of Nicaragua
Right: Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam of Sri Lanka and ISH-DC Board Member Ambassador Philip Wilcox

This was also a wonderful opportunity for our guests to learn more about our incredible international community here at the House.  We strive to be an inclusive community, and support an environment where cross-cultural dialogue thrives and healthy debate is celebrated.  The many ISH-DC alumni who joined us for the evening can attest to the value of their time as residents at the House and its impact on their current professional endeavors, as well as their personal understanding of the interconnected world in which we live.

 

ISH-DC Resident Scholars Alex Beck and Cameron Peek from the United States, Lisette Oosterveen from the Netherlands, Mimi Price from the United States, Jonathan Eigege from Nigeria, Fatimá Gomez from Spain, Atem Malak from South Sudan, Rose Twagirumukiza from Rwanda

The evening was a great success as our resident scholars and guests enjoyed the opportunity to connect as we usher in the spring season.