Letter from the Department Chair

Welcome to JCU's Department of Political Science and International Affairs. Our community of students and professors from across the globe provides an unparalleled international academic experience. It is heightened by our prime location in the heart of the Italian capital Rome, the birthplace of the European Union and cosmopolitanism, and a global city that is the host of a vast range of international organizations and institutions, UN agencies, as well as embassies to both Italy and the Holy See.

The Department offers an ideal environment to study political science and international affairs in an increasingly globalized world. We are committed to providing an outstanding curriculum as well as multiple opportunities for students to connect with experts and learn about global politics and international affairs outside the classroom. We also believe that excellence in scholarship and excellence in teaching complement and mutually reinforce each other. Our faculty members, renowned the world over in their area of expertise, hold PhDs and doctorates from the leading universities and programs in the United States and Europe. They bring both cutting-edge academic research and practical experience to the classroom, offering students a special entry point to world affairs, global politics and policies, and the institutions of global governance.

Through coursework in our degree programs, we provide future leaders with critical analytical tools and the knowledge they need to excel in academia, the professional world, and the political arena. We prepare students for advanced studies in prestigious graduate programs and exciting international professional careers. Our students regularly undertake internships with Rome-based international organizations, including the World Food Program and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. Students also benefit from many academic conferences here at JCU, and from the Guarini Institute for Public Affairs, which organizes events, discussions, and lectures, providing multiple opportunities to interact with prominent visitors from other universities, journalists, statesmen, and policymakers. Its truly international character, research, and teaching make JCU's Department of Political Science and International Affairs one of the most distinguished departments and programs among its peers in Europe.

Michael Driessen
[email protected]
Chair, Department of Political Science and International Affairs