Osgood Center for International Studies
About The Osgood Center
The Osgood Center is a non-profit educational organization that offers short-term foreign policy programs and experiential learning to graduate, college and high school students from around the globe. Regular attendance cost is extremely competitive with comparable programs, and limited scholarships and group rates are available.
Osgood Center programs are thought-provoking, experiential and solution focused. Students come face-to-face with foreign policy and international leaders, including experts from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Defense Department, National Security Council at the White House, U.S. Congress and premier think tanks.
The Partnership
The Honors College and the Osgood Center for International Studies (OCIS) have a strategic partnership through which University of Houston students gain access to the many programs offered by OCIS and their community partners in Washington, D.C. Since the 2019-2020 academic year, students have had the opportunity to "intern, learn and lead in the nation's capital" under the mentorship of OCIS faculty and staff. Ranging in length from one to 16 weeks, Osgood Center programs focus on helping students hone a variety of targeted skills, such as leadership and professional development, guided research and critical thinking and writing, through individual internships, academic coursework and experiential education seminars. Program topics include international economics and affairs, politics and the policymaking process and civic engagement, to name a few. All Osgood Center programs count as excursions for the Global Engagement & Research minor.
Available Programs
Summer Symposium 2023: Foreign Policy Institute
Program Dates: July 30 – August 10, 2023
The Osgood Center’s Summer Symposium offers an in-depth, interactive analysis of the evolution of US foreign policy, international economics, and current issues in international affairs. The 43rd annual Symposium will focus on the challenges of war in Ukraine, the potential for conflict in Asia, global threats to democracy, and new tensions in the Middle East. The theses of the 2023 program are: vital interests, threats to democracy, water and climate challenges, and the return of nuclear anxiety.
This in-person program takes place in Washington, D.C., at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA). Participants will engage with analysts from think tanks, international institutions, and government agencies located in Washington, D.C., and New York, including the Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Stimson Center, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, the Department of State, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and more. The program also features excursions to D.C.'s many museums and monuments, e.g., the Smithsonian Institutions, the National Mall, and the Capitol Visitor's Center.
Participants will also interact with admissions officials, former students, and professors from graduate programs at George Washington’s ESIA, Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS), Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and the American University School of International Service.
Osgood expects attendees from around the globe in 2023, including the U.S., China, Germany, Jordan, Italy, and Canada, providing a truly intercultural learning opportunity.
Washington Experience, Summer 2023
Summer 2023, Dates dependent on internship placement
The Osgood Center Washington Experience is a personalized, academic leadership and professional development program that includes an internship, academic coursework, an experiential education seminar, and leadership training. The purpose is to enhance a student's academic, career, and personal goals to prepare for leadership in the professional world. Of all U.S. cities, Washington, D.C. is among the very best places for college students to gain new confidence and leadership abilities to make valuable contributions to society in their chosen field. Thoughtfully timed summer externships culminate in the OCIS Summer Symposium II. Interested students may contact Alison Leland for more information.
International Studies Internship (Ongoing)
The Osgood Center for International Studies seeks full-time and/or part-time interns with an interest in international affairs, foreign policy, national security, and/or global economic policy to assist with a variety of upcoming summer programs. The internship affords the student an opportunity to contribute to the delivery of high-quality experiential programs as well as to gain academically from an exceptional professional experience. Interested students may contact Alison Leland for more information.
Estimated Expenses for On-Site Internships:
- Housing
- Airfare
- Program fee
- Meals and walking around money
Previous Programs
January Leadership and Professional Development Program: Leading with Purpose
Travel Dates: January 9 – 13, 2023
This program centered on leaders and leadership with purpose. Topics of exploration included critical global issues, such as health care, the environment, justice, civic responsibility, education, human rights, and more. Students participated through speaker introductions, panels, and open discussions. Moreover, almost every day involved a site visit to relevant organizations for that day's focus.
Summer Symposium 2022: American Foreign Policy Institute
Program Dates: July 31 – August 11, 2022
This program discussed the events that are currently changing the foreign policy landscape.
To excel in the future, you will need not only to understand global issues, but also to put them in context in a changing landscape. Participating in the Summer Symposium on Foreign Policy allowed students to evaluate the complexities of key issues such as the situation of Ukraine and Russia, the Indo-Pacific strategy, and the role of Congress in international affairs as they listened to the program speakers share their expertise. They also had an immersive experience as they visited Capitol Hill for the first time since the January 6th events and interacted with students from multiple countries.
This intensive program featured specialized lectures led by high-ranking experts, distinguished scholars, and emerging professionals in international affairs. Some lectures were created to fit with the Summer IV International Relations & Forced Migration course.
Professional Development Program, Summer 2022: Preparing for Your Professional Future
Program Dates: June 13 – July 5, 2022
In this program, students explored career choices in international affairs. They engaged in structured conversations and seminars with seasoned professionals who provided relevant advice and reflected about their career paths as former diplomats, public officers, scholars, and foreign affairs specialists.
During their 4-week career exploration, students:
- Reflected about their personal purpose as they listened to leading professionals sharing their unique stories
- Refined their vision and developed a sense of self-direction as they pondered questions about professional choices and roles
- Revisited their goals as the program speakers debunked some common myths about job alternatives and professional decisions
Change and Continuity in American Leadership
Program Dates: Jan. 10–20, 2022
A new era in American politics and international relations has presented the U.S. with profound challenges to established approaches to education, business, journalism, politics, diplomacy, and even science. This program brought together leading journalists, analysts, diplomats, professionals, and educators who examined the significance of the times and explored what is new, what is ephemeral, and what is lasting. Informed speakers, visits to Washington institutions, and diverse student participation made this a unique experiential learning opportunity for tomorrow’s leaders.
Summer Symposium II, 2021: American Foreign Policy
Virtual Program Dates: Aug 9–19, 2021
The Osgood Center’s Summer Symposia offer an in-depth, interactive analysis of the evolution of U.S. foreign policy, international economics and current issues in international affairs. Participants gained a better understanding of international affairs and how to forge a career path in this field. This Symposium’s focus in 2021 was the Biden Administration’s first year.
Summer Symposium I, 2021: The U.S. & China
Virtual Program Dates: July 5–15, 2021
The U.S.-China relationship is one of the most important bilateral connections in the world, and what happens in it has global consequences. The Biden Administration has said, in the words of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, that the U.S.'s relationship with China will be “competitive where it should be, collaborative where it can be, and adversarial where it must be.” The U.S.-China Symposium explored this dynamic and gave voice to the many points of view within the U.S. and China about whether the intense competition has been creative or destructive.
Mentored Professional Development Program, Summer 2021
Virtual Program Dates: (Session I) June 1 – July 6 or (Session II) July 13 – Aug. 17, 2021
During this six-week, Washington, D.C.-based, virtual program, students interacted with an assigned policy expert, supporting research or developing a project of their own. They joined a cohort of students in a lively weekly professional development speaker series, with the opportunity for further connections. Summer externships culminated in the OCIS Summer Symposium on American Foreign Policy.
The Gene Alpert Presidential Inauguration Program 2021: What's Next in American Leadership?
Program Dates: January 11–21, 2021
A new era in American politics and international relations has presented the U.S. with profound challenges to established approaches to education, business, journalism, politics, diplomacy and even science. The Osgood Center for International Studies presented an academic seminar that revolved around the historic 2021 presidential inauguration. This quadrennial event is one of the most important events in American history and is typically celebrated by hundreds of thousands of people who come to D.C. to witness history in the making.
This program brought together leading journalists, analysts, diplomats, professionals and educators who examined the significance of the times and explored what is new, what is ephemeral and what is lasting. Informed speakers, virtual visits to Washington institutions and diverse student participation made this a unique experiential learning opportunity for tomorrow's leaders.
In a virtual setting, students had ample opportunity to meet and engage with other students, interact with experienced and award-winning experts and explore the issues that confront the U.S. in education, health policy, race relations and international affairs.
The Inauguration Program 2021 schedule may be found here.
Professional Development Program, Summer 2020
Virtual Program Dates: July 1 – August 6, 2020
The Osgood Center Washington Professional Development Program was a personalized, academic leadership and professional development program that included a virtual externship with a mentor in your field. The program provided students with guided research, writing and professional exploration opportunities. Summer externships culminated in the OCIS Summer Symposium on American Foreign Policy.
January 2020: Continuity & Change in American Leadership Seminar
Program Dates: Jan. 5–11, 2020
The Osgood Center for International Studies offers an academic seminar that past participants have said transformed their views of our nation’s most important issues, inspired them to follow in the footsteps of leaders they admire and dedicate themselves to an action-oriented future in society. The diverse program appeals to students in all major fields and all college levels from freshmen to recent graduates, including honors students.