Diversity Forum Series

Diversity Forum Series

In 2017, APSIA launched its Diversity Forum series to inspire students and young professionals – and those who counsel them – to seek out careers in international affairs. The series particularly focuses on students who are traditionally underrepresented in the field.

Each year, the series includes:

A workshop for advisors who serve underrepresented students

The advisor workshop features a keynote address, panels of APSIA alumni sharing their stories, wide-ranging discussions of the challenges to engaging multicultural students, and opportunities for advisors to build up their own knowledge of the skills and competencies students need to be competitive in a global marketplace.

A workshop for underrepresented students and young professionals

The student and young professional workshop offers a track for sophomores and juniors and a track for seniors and recent graduates. In each session, APSIA alumni and partners tailor their advice on careers, finding mentors, identifying important opportunities (such as study abroad and scholarships), and graduate school to where participants are in their careers.

Each year, further programming adapts to reflect the needs of students, APSIA, and Diversity Forum investors. In 2017, APSIA surveyed 920+ students and alumni to understand the distinct barriers and obstacles to U.S. minorities’ professional interest in international affairs. That survey identified several areas of improvement for APSIA’s work, including the need to reach students earlier in the pipeline and to develop APSIA’s marketing abilities.

APSIA also works to extend its outreach earlier in the pipeline. We aim to engage high school students and early college to celebrate all that is possible in the field of international affairs.

Find Diversity Forum Events on our Events Page.

For information on sponsoring the Diversity Forum series, please contact the APSIA Office.