In the News: Margaret E. Lane

The relationship between the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the government and people of India dates back more than 70 years, with thousands of senior officials taking advantage of Executive Education’s training and degree programs, and others study through some of the most prestigious fellowships offered.

With a robust orientation behind them, eleven Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows from 10 emerging democracies and developing countries have embarked on a 10-month program involving graduate study, professional development and cultural exchange.

Eleven Executive Education students, fellows or scholars presented at Peer to Peer forums during this academic year. The sessions included a 15- to 20-minute presentation followed by a robust question-and-answer session. Presenters came from across Maxwell’s Executive Education programs, including the Humphrey Fellows cohort.

This was the 11^th year the Maxwell School has hosted, and Executive Education has administered, the “Leadership and Governance During Times of Crisis” workshop for Humphrey Fellows, midcareer international professionals pursuing professional enrichment and non-degree graduate study at designated U.S. campuses. 

The program, which ran Jan. 23-27, was titled “U.S. Government and Politics: Policy and Decision Making” and offered participants an overview of U.S. political institutions, elections and federal systems; and touched on some of the most fractious issues facing U.S. policymakers today, including guns, immigration and the role of media.

About 20 public policy graduate students from the Universidad Panamericana’s (UPA) Mexico City campus arrived in Washington, D.C., in the middle of the U.S. Senate’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. “They had lots of questions, from the politics of impeachment, to the mechanics, to what it said about the structure of U.S. political institutions,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.

Peer to Peer reflects the diverse professional experience and interests of Maxwell’s midcareer professionals, says Margaret E. Lane, Executive Education's assistant director. “Our students are leaders of organizations and agencies from around the globe who are dedicated to public service and have insights to share,” she says. “In sharing their insights, they enrich us all.”

As city clerk, Huma Ahmed '16 E.M.P.A./CAS (Conflict Resolution) will be the community face of the city, working with the city manager and translating the professional language of the city to the people.

The 2018-19 Humphrey Fellows recently celebrated ten months of academic study, professional development, and cultural exchange at Syracuse University. The Fellowship honor the late Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and his lifelong commitment to international cooperation and public service.

“The UPA program in Washington is a great two-way learning experience,” said Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. “I easily learn as much from the participants as they glean from me.”