Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs

{{Short description|Non-profit educational organization of graduate schools of international affairs}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Use American English|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox non-profit | name = Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs | logo = Apsia logo.gif | logo_size = 210 | abbreviation = APSIA | type = Non-profit educational organization | founded = 1989{{sfn|Goodman|1994|p=3}} | location = Washington, D.C., U.S. | key_people = Arancha González (President)<ref name="exec2025">{{Cite web|url=https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/communications/news/marie-laure-salles-joins-apsia-executive-committee|title=Marie-Laure Salles Joins APSIA Executive Committee|website=Geneva Graduate Institute|date=2025-01-23|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250707003911/https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/communications/news/marie-laure-salles-joins-apsia-executive-committee|archive-date=2025-07-07|language=en}}</ref> | fields = Higher education, International relations | num_members = 41 full members and 30 affiliates (as of 2026)<ref name="members" /><ref name="affiliates" /> | website = {{URL|https://apsia.org/}} }}

The '''Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs''' ('''APSIA''') is a non-profit educational organization of leading universities in the field of international affairs education and research. As of 2026, the association includes 41 full members and 30 affiliate schools.<ref name="members">{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/graduate-programs/member-directory/|title=Member Directory|language=en-US|website=APSIA|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-date=2025-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250707123944/https://apsia.org/graduate-programs/member-directory/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="affiliates">{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/graduate-programs/affiliate-directory/|title=Affiliate Directory|language=en-US|website=APSIA|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-date=2025-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523060709/https://apsia.org/graduate-programs/affiliate-directory/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FGSES Joins the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) |url=https://fgses-um6p.ma/node/14665 |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=fgses-um6p.ma}}</ref>

== History == The idea for the association emerged in the mid-1970s, when deans of leading American schools of international affairs began informal discussions on how to improve student training. With a grant from the Exxon Education Foundation, these schools conducted a comparative analysis of their curricula.<ref name="history">{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/about-apsia/history-of-apsia/|title=History of APSIA|language=en-US|website=APSIA|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-date=2025-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715125820/https://apsia.org/about-apsia/history-of-apsia/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1987, Robert Goheen, former president of Princeton University, conducted a study recommending the creation of a "full-fledged organization" to facilitate the exchange of experience. Following his recommendations, APSIA was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization on April 13, 1989. The first president was Jeswald Salacuse of Tufts University.<ref name="history" />

In the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, APSIA expanded its activities with support from the Pew, Ford, and other foundations. A key project of this period was the detailed report ''Professional Schools of International Affairs on the Eve of the 21st Century'' (1994), prepared under the leadership of Louis W. Goodman. The report's goal was to analyze how the then-15 member schools were adapting their curricula to new global challenges.{{sfn|Goodman|1994|p=1}}

This period saw a surge in interest in international affairs education. In the first five years of the association's existence (1989–1994), the number of applications to member schools increased by nearly 60%, and the number of enrolled students grew by almost 40%.{{sfn|Goodman|1994|p=15}}

In the 2000s, the association continued to grow, establishing partnerships to attract underrepresented groups to the field of international relations and organizing international career and education fairs.<ref name="history" /> Today, APSIA aims to "advance international understanding, prosperity, peace, and security through the people and ideas shaped by our schools."<ref name="about-apsia">{{Cite web |last=APSIA |date=2016-03-09 |title=About APSIA |url=https://apsia.org/about-apsia/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Leadership == The highest governing body of the association is the Executive Committee. The term for the 2023–2025 committee began on June 1, 2023.<ref name="exec2023">{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/news/apsia-welcomes-new-executive-committee-2023-25/|title=APSIA Welcomes New Executive Committee for 2023-25|website=APSIA|date=2023-05-03|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250621101602/https://apsia.org/news/apsia-welcomes-new-executive-committee-2023-25/|archive-date=2025-06-21|language=en}}</ref> In January 2025, its composition was updated. The current members include:<ref name="exec2025" /> * '''President:''' Arancha González, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po. * '''Vice President:''' Amaney Jamal, Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. * '''Treasurer:''' Carissa Slotterback, Dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. * '''Committee Members:''' Danny Quah (National University of Singapore), Miguel Angel Santos (Tecnológico de Monterrey), Marie-Laure Salles (Geneva Graduate Institute).

== Structure and membership == APSIA offers two levels of participation:<ref name="join">{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/about-apsia/join-apsia/|title=Join APSIA|language=en-US|website=APSIA|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-date=2025-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715125459/https://apsia.org/about-apsia/join-apsia/|url-status=live}}</ref>

* '''Full Members''' are autonomous university units with master's degree programs that meet all of APSIA's criteria. They have voting rights in the Council of Members, can hold leadership positions in the association, and actively participate in all events. * '''Affiliate Status''' is available for units with master's degree programs that do not seek full membership or do not meet all its criteria. Affiliates participate in a limited number of events and do not have voting rights.

Admission to the association is by invitation after a review of the application by the membership committee and a vote by the Council of Members.<ref name="join" />

== Activities == === APSIA Awards === Since 2021, the association has presented the annual APSIA Awards to recognize and encourage innovation within the member school community. Nominations can come from the educational institutions themselves and the general public.<ref name="awards-main">{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/about-apsia/annual-awards/|title=Annual Awards|website=APSIA|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715125449/https://apsia.org/about-apsia/annual-awards/|archive-date=2025-07-15|language=en}}</ref> There are four main categories: Innovation, Inclusivity, Bridging Theory and Practice, and the Impact Award.

'''Impact Award Winners:''' * '''2021:''' University of California, San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/news/apsia-celebrates-inaugural-awards/|title=APSIA Celebrates with Inaugural Awards|website=APSIA|date=2021-06-14|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250625053235/https://apsia.org/news/apsia-celebrates-inaugural-awards/|archive-date=2025-06-25|language=en}}</ref> * '''2022:''' Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/news/apsia-celebrates-2022-award-winners/|title=APSIA Celebrates 2022 Award Winners|website=APSIA|date=2022-06-16|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250430143306/https://apsia.org/news/apsia-celebrates-2022-award-winners/|archive-date=2025-04-30|language=en}}</ref> * '''2023:''' The Fletcher School at Tufts University<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/news/celebrating-2023-apsia-awards/|title=Celebrating 2023 APSIA Awards|website=APSIA|date=2023-04-17|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250315080045/https://apsia.org/news/celebrating-2023-apsia-awards/|archive-date=2025-03-15|language=en}}</ref> * '''2024:''' Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/news/celebrating-2024-apsia-awards/|title=Celebrating 2024 APSIA Awards|website=APSIA|date=2024-03-25|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250625044215/https://apsia.org/news/celebrating-2024-apsia-awards/|archive-date=2025-06-25|language=en}}</ref> * '''2025:''' Geneva Graduate Institute<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/news/celebrating-2025-apsia-awards/|title=Celebrating 2025 APSIA Awards|website=APSIA|date=2025-05-28|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250624012140/https://apsia.org/news/celebrating-2025-apsia-awards/|archive-date=2025-06-24|language=en}}</ref>

== Features and significance == According to the association, APSIA member institutions emphasize the application of theory to solve practical problems. Their programs combine training in areas such as critical thinking, quantitative analysis, public communication, and project management with in-depth regional, cultural, and economic expertise.<ref name="why-apsia">{{Cite web|url=https://apsia.org/graduate-programs/why-apsia-schools/|title=Why APSIA Schools|language=en-US|website=APSIA|access-date=2025-07-20|archive-date=2025-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250524022402/https://apsia.org/graduate-programs/why-apsia-schools/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The significance of APSIA schools is confirmed by the success of their graduates, who have become heads of state and senior officials in more than 12 countries. The association's institutions consistently rank among the top five producers of prestigious American fellowships, such as the Presidential Management Fellows and Boren Fellows. Each year, more than 80% of the Pickering and Rangel Fellows, who are prepared for careers as U.S. diplomats, are students at APSIA member schools. The employment or graduate school placement rate shortly after graduation is 91%.<ref name="why-apsia" />

== Fellowships and internships == APSIA helps students find fellowships and scholarships to fund their education. The association's official website features a Fellowship Board that consolidates funding opportunities related to the field of international relations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-09 |title=Fellowships & Scholarships |url=https://apsia.org/fellowships-scholarships/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Members == As of 2025, the association includes 40 full members and 30 affiliate schools.<ref name="members" /><ref name="affiliates" />

=== Initial members (1994) === According to the 1994 report, the association comprised 15 American university members:{{sfn|Goodman|1994|p=12}} # American University (School of International Service) # University of California, San Diego (School of Global Policy and Strategy) # Columbia University (School of International and Public Affairs) # University of Denver (Josef Korbel School of International Studies) # Georgetown University (Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service) # George Washington University (Elliott School of International Affairs) # Harvard University (John F. Kennedy School of Government) # Johns Hopkins University (Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies) # University of Maryland, College Park (School of Public Policy) # University of Pittsburgh (Graduate School of Public and International Affairs) # Princeton University (Princeton School of Public and International Affairs) # University of Southern California (USC School of International Relations) # Tufts University (The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy) # University of Washington (Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies) # Yale University (Jackson School of Global Affairs)

=== Affiliate members (2025) === {| class="wikitable sortable" ! University ! School/Faculty ! Country ! Location |- | ADA University | School of Public and International Affairs | {{AZE}} | Baku |- | Arizona State University | Thunderbird School of Global Management | {{USA}} | Phoenix |- | University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Centre for International Governance Innovation | Balsillie School of International Affairs | {{CAN}} | Waterloo |- | Baruch College | Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs | {{USA}} | New York City |- | Brandeis University | The Heller School for Social Policy and Management | {{USA}} | Waltham |- | Carnegie Mellon University | Institute for Strategy and Technology | {{USA}} | Pittsburgh |- | DePaul University | Department of International Studies | {{USA}} | Chicago |- | Diplomatic Academy of Vienna | | {{AUT}} | Vienna |- | European University Institute | Florence School of Transnational Governance | {{ITA}} | Fiesole |- | Fordham University | International Political Economy and Development Program | {{USA}} | New York City |- | George Mason University | Schar School of Policy and Government | {{USA}} | Arlington |- | Indiana University | O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies | {{USA}} | Bloomington |- | International University of Japan | Graduate School of International Relations | {{JPN}} | Minamiuonuma |- | Monash University | Master of International Relations Program | {{AUS}} | Melbourne |- | Nanyang Technological University | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies | {{SGP}} | Singapore |- | New York University | Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service | {{USA}} | New York City |- | North Carolina State University | School of Public and International Affairs | {{USA}} | Raleigh |- | Pepperdine University | School of Public Policy | {{USA}} | Malibu |- | Prague University of Economics and Business | Faculty of International and Diplomatic Studies | {{CZE}} | Prague |- | Rice University | Master of Global Affairs Program | {{USA}} | Houston |- | San Francisco State University | Department of International Relations | {{USA}} | San Francisco |- | Seton Hall University | School of Diplomacy and International Relations | {{USA}} | South Orange |- | Austral University | School of Policy, Government, and International Relations | {{ARG}} | Buenos Aires |- | University of Trento | School of International Studies | {{ITA}} | Trento |- | University of British Columbia | School of Public Policy and Global Affairs | {{CAN}} | Vancouver |- | University of Georgia | School of Public and International Affairs | {{USA}} | Athens |- | University of Miami | Master of Arts in International Administration Program | {{USA}} | Coral Gables |- | University of Oregon | School of Global Studies and Languages | {{USA}} | Eugene |- | Utsunomiya University | Graduate School of International Studies | {{JPN}} | Utsunomiya |- | Waseda University | Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies | {{JPN}} | Tokyo |}

=== Former members === This list includes institutions that were previously members of the association but are not listed in its directories as of 2025. * Moscow State Institute of International Relations<ref>{{cite web |url=https://english.mgimo.ru/news/apsia-educational-fairs |title=MGIMO at APSIA Educational Fairs |website=english.mgimo.ru |date=2018-11-06 |access-date=2025-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815094102/https://english.mgimo.ru/news/apsia-educational-fairs |archive-date=2024-08-15}}</ref> * Saint Petersburg State University, School of International Relations{{sfn|Khudoley|2024|p=402}}

== References == {{reflist}}

== Bibliography == * {{cite book | last = Goodman | first = Louis W. | author-link = Louis W. Goodman | others = et al. | title = Professional Schools of International Affairs on the Eve of the 21st Century | publisher = Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs | location = Washington, D.C. | year = 1994 | pages = 114 | isbn = 1-886780-00-5 | series = ERIC | id = ED380050 | ref = {{harvid|Goodman|1994}} | url = https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED380050 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250308113246/https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED380050.pdf | archive-date = 2025-03-08 | access-date = 2025-07-20 | url-status = live }} * {{cite journal | last = Khudoley | first = K. K. | title = The Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University: main milestones of development, achievements and challenges (to the 30th anniversary of its creation) | trans-title = Факультет международных отношений Санкт-Петербургского государственного университета: основные вехи развития, достижения и вызовы (к 30-летию создания) | journal = Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. International Relations | language = ru | year = 2024 | volume = 17 | issue = 4 | pages = 386–410 | url = https://irjournal.spbu.ru/article/view/21023/12794 | archive-url = https://archive.org/details/khudoley-2024 | archive-date = 2025-07-19 | doi = 10.21638/spbu06.2024.401 | ref = {{harvid|Khudoley|2024}} | access-date = 2025-07-20 | url-status = live | doi-access = free }}

== External links == * {{Official website|https://apsia.org/}}

Category:Schools of international relations Category:Public administration schools Category:Educational organizations established in 1989 Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs

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