International Relations Undergraduate Program News

The situation is escalating in ways we have not seen before, says Professor of History Osamah Khalil. With Israeli airstrikes, rising tensions in Gaza, and now a strong U.S. military response, the risks are higher than ever. He warns Iran may try to disrupt global oil supply chains, which could have a domino effect. “If that’s the case, we could very rapidly see the global economy collapse.”

Consulting firm founder Rain Henderson says her Maxwell education grounded her in “systems thinking, public accountability and cross-sector collaboration.”

“The director [of the new aid group] has already resigned and there's an interim director in place. And the director who resigned said it was because the attempts to deliver aid could not be done so with a humanitarian purpose, and that shouldn't be surprising. The United Nations is the only major organization on the ground, as well as several other NGOs, that can provide the necessary aid,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.

The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa “represents a remarkable shift in U.S. policy toward al-Qaeda and its affiliates. More than 23 years after the 9/11 attacks and the declaration of the Global War on Terror, the United States is developing relations with a former leader of the organization who now declares himself a moderate,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history.

The siblings of alumna Denise Kalette ’68 B.A. (PSc) have created a memorial fund in her honor to support students engaged with the University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.

The scholarships, now in their 36th year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the students studying in London and Florence through Syracuse University who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

“Now the Trump administration is claiming this is an attempt to pressure Iran but it's unclear to me, quite frankly, by bombing a port, killing paramedics and port workers, is somehow going to pressure Iran in negotiations,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history. “If the United States wants to neotiate with Iran, it should negotiate with Iran. There's no reason to be bombing Yemen to do that.”

The One University Awards Ceremony, an annual event to honor members of the Syracuse University community who are making a difference through academics, scholarship, creative work and dedicated service, will be held Friday, April 11, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

Held at Syracuse University’s new DC home, the annual event honored five exceptional alumni who embody the school’s commitment to engaged citizenship.

Five extraordinary alumni will be recognized, and the school’s commitment to engaged citizenship will be celebrated, at the March 27 event at Syracuse University’s new Dupont Circle home. 

Linda Baguma ’25, an international relations and political science major, has been named a 2025 Rangel Fellow and  Alexandria Johnson ’24, an international relations graduate, has been selected as a 2025 Pickering Fellow.

“The same terms that were agreed to by Hamas and Israel were available at least eight months ago and likely a similar deal could have been achieved late last year...Instead, the Biden administration’s vociferous support for Israel’s 15-month military campaign has had a profound impact on America’s standing in the world,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history.

Syracuse University offers a variety of study away opportunities for you to gain a competitive edge. Maxwell-in-Washington is one such program, building on our leadership in policy-driven teaching, research and engagement.

“What really needs to happen here is for the Biden administration to work with and ensure—with its European allies, with its Arab allies—Syria's territorial integrity, ensure transition to a democratic government, and ensure that all Syrians will be protected,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history. 

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Theresa Cross ’99 B.A. (IR) will be the guest speaker at the University’s official observance of Veterans Day this year. Cross says that to her, Veterans Day is as “American as apple pie.”

The undergraduate and graduate students received the recognition at the school’s Syracuse Centennial Celebration.

The Maxwell School’s 100th anniversary celebration will be held on Oct. 18 in Goldstein Auditorium.

“We can show the overlapping of areas of lead poisoning with poor educational performance, with teen pregnancy, with entry into the criminal justice system, and so on. So there's a whole set of ramifications,” says Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology.

Rower Kamile Kralikaite ’24 B.A. (IR), a 2024 All-American, three-time All-ACC First Team selection and two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree, will represent Lithuania in the Summer Olympics.

“There are 1.4 million Palestinians now who have been displaced for the second or third time in seven months. ...They're living in camps, disease is rampant, we have famine spreading throughout Gaza, and the reality is unless the international community, led by the United States, steps in and brings a halt to this, we could be looking at a major disaster,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history.