On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 24, International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) welcomed His Excellency Philippe Étienne, Ambassador of France to the United States, for a virtual conversation on France-US student exchange, the future of international education, and the value of international mobility.

Although we may have not been able to gather in the Great Hall or visit the beautiful French Embassy for a conversation with the Ambassador, we are immensely grateful to Ambassador Étienne for his willingness to speak with the resident scholars, alumni, Board members, and friends of the House via an online platform. The conversation was very vibrant, ranging from discussing reasons that impel us to foster international exchange, to imagining the future of international education post-COVID-19, and many other interesting topics. Ambassador Étienne’s engaging remarks – in several languages! – encouraged many of our alumni, residents, Board members and friends to actively participate in the discussion and ask intriguing questions.

The conversation was wonderfully moderated by Irène Hu, an ISH alumna from France. Irène lived at the House from 2015 -2016 while a research assistant at the World Bank, and is currently a PhD candidate at the Paris School of Economics.  Irene is one of many alumni from France engaged in impressive academic pursuits.

We are very thankful to Ambassador Étienne, the Ambassador’s colleagues at the Embassy of France, Irène, and to all our guests for joining us for this special opportunity to engage in such substantive dialogue.

The International Student House of Washington, DC was established in 1936 by individuals who believed that action was needed to address segregation in the nation’s capital, which shut the doors of most rooming houses to people of color. It has been 85 years since we opened our doors, and systemic racism continues.

We unequivocally denounce racism and any form of discrimination that would place the life of anyone above the life of another because of the color of their skin.  We will continue to be a House where discourse on challenging and dismantling racism is welcomed and expected.

As we consider what we have done to be a part of this conversation, we are engaging in honest reflection of what we can and should be doing better.

In the future, we will continue to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in our scholarship programs; and serve as a platform to highlight the contributions that minorities and people of color make to promoting peace and understanding through our programming and events.

Additionally, while serving as a space for difficult conversations and much needed learning, we will look to partner with organizations and causes that are leading the efforts to combat racism and inequality. We will also focus on ensuring our vendors, team, and leadership are as diverse as the society we work and live in.

The foundation of our mission is to be a “highly diverse community,” and we must ensure that our actions are reflective of our words.

The evening of Wednesday, May 20, 2020, International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) welcomed guests to a Spring Garden Party unlike any before in our 85 year history. Almost 100 Resident scholars, Board members, alumni, and friends joined us virtually to celebrate the mission of the House.  We were also delighted to welcome Ambassador and Mrs. Wouters of Belgium, Ambassador and Mrs. Jaeger of Liechtenstein, Ambassador Ellertsdottir of Iceland, Minister Counselor Yang of the People’s Republic of China, and Ambassador Geir Haarde, Executive Director of Nordic and Baltic States at the world bank and Mrs. Thordardottir, among many other distinguished guests.

Top left to bottom right: ISH Executive Director Daniel Bremer-Wirtig; Pamela Tripp-Melby and ISH Board President Eric Melby; Board member Janet Blanchard and Governor Jim Blanchard; Ambassador Walter Cutler and Board member Didi Cutler; Minister Counselor Yang of the People’s Republic of China; Ambassador and Mrs. Wouters of Belgium; ISH Alumnus Ambassador Geir Haarde and Mrs. Thordadottir; and Ambassador and Mrs. Jaeger of Liechtenstein.

The virtual reception opened with remarks by Eric Melby, President of our Board of Directors, who then introduced Daniel Bremer-Wirtig, the House’s Executive Director who began his appointment this past March.  One of our most illustrious alumni, Geir H. Haarde, Executive Director of Nordic and Baltic States at the World Bank, former Prime Minister of Iceland, and form Ambassador of Iceland to the United States, shared delightful remarks about his time at the House as a student while studying at Johns Hopkins University.

Resident Scholar Varsha Thebo from Pakistan – newly graduated with her Master’s degree from Georgetown – also graciously spoke of the significant importance the ISH community has had on her life these past few months.

Sun Han, ISH Alumna from China

Joshua Hellinger, ISH Alumnus from Germany

Jorrit Becking, ISH Resident Scholar from the Netherlands

While we could not host our guests in our garden as we have done for many years, we utilized the opportunity to ensure the celebration was truly special by showcasing talented alumni and residents around the world.  Alumna Sun Han, currently home in China while completing her PhD in International Economics at American University, played beautiful pieces on the piano, while alumnus Joshua Hellinger, who stayed at ISH in 2019 while studying International Politics at George Washington University, shared his favorite piece on the violin from his home in Germany.  The evening ended with a final piece from Jorrit Becking, a resident scholar from the Netherlands who played from our Great Hall.

If you missed the evening or simply would like to re-live the night, you can do so by enjoying the video below. The password to view is:  ISHGardenParty2020!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate our mission in this special way, and we look forward to once again welcoming you to our Garden in the future!

While we could not host our guests in our garden as we have done for many years, we utilized the opportunity to ensure the celebration was truly special by showcasing talented alumni and residents around the world.  Alumna Sun Han, currently home in China while completing her PhD in International Economics at American University, played beautiful pieces on the piano, while alumnus Joshua Hellinger, who stayed at ISH in 2019 while studying International Politics at George Washington University, shared his favorite piece on the violin from his home in Germany.  The evening ended with a final piece from Jorrit Becking, a resident scholar from the Netherlands who played from our Great Hall.

If you missed the evening or simply would like to re-live the night, you can do so by enjoying the video below. The password to view is:  ISHGardenParty2020!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate our mission in this special way, and we look forward to once again welcoming you to our Garden in the future!