Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
Denver, CO— The Josef Korbel School of International Studies is proud to support those who serve by offering a 50% tuition scholarship and waived application fees to individuals entering or transitioning out of federal service, government contracting, or government affiliated programs. This initiative recognizes the expertise and dedication of public service professionals and their vital role in shaping policy and global affairs.
Whether you are entering government service or returning to the private sector, we are committed to helping you take the next step in your career. The Josef Korbel School provides rigorous training in international affairs, public policy, security, and development. Our programs equip professionals with the skills, networks, and expertise needed to lead and make an impact in a rapidly changing world. With this scholarship, we aim to make a world-class education more accessible to those dedicated to public service.
“At the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, we believe that service is essential to building a better world. Those who dedicate their careers to federal service play a vital role in shaping policy, advancing diplomacy, and strengthening our communities. This scholarship is our way of recognizing their contributions and ensuring they have access to the education and resources needed to lead effectively—whether they are stepping into federal service or transitioning to new opportunities. We are proud to support them on their journey” – Dean Frederick “Fritz” Mayer
About the Josef Korbel School of International Studies
The Korbel School at the University of Denver is the 12th-ranked program in the world to earn a master’s program in International Relations and the 20th-best place to pursue an undergraduate in International Studies by Foreign Policy. Located in Denver, Colorado, the Korbel School offers flexible undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs, allowing students to build skills to solve real-world challenges. Studying in Denver offers a unique blend of global engagement and fresh perspective—where a thriving, forward-thinking city meets unparalleled access to the outdoors, providing the space to think beyond the beltway and approach complex challenges with clarity and vision.
Dean Mayer and Dean Karim El Aynaoui formally signed a student exchange agreement during a ceremony held at UM6P’s Rabat campus, coinciding with events from the Atlantic Dialogues.
The Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver is excited to announce a new Student Exchange Agreement with the Faculty of Governance, Economics and Social Sciences (FGSES) of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco. The agreement, finalized on December 13, 2024, establishes a robust partnership enabling graduate students to participate in academic exchanges between the two institutions beginning in the 2025/26 academic year.
Dean Frederick “Fritz” Mayer of the Korbel School and Dr. Karim El Aynaoui, Dean of FGSES, formally signed the agreement during a ceremony held at UM6P’s Rabat campus, coinciding with the events of the Atlantic Dialogues conference. The agreement aims to foster academic collaboration, broaden students’ international experiences, and strengthen ties between the U.S. and Morocco.
Korbel students will have the opportunity to study in UM6P’s renowned graduate programs in political science, global affairs, and economics. Similarly, FGSES students will have access to Korbel’s diverse academic offerings, including its Master’s programs in Global Economic Affairs, Global Environmental Sustainability, International Development, International Human Rights, International Security, International Studies, and Public Policy.
“This partnership underscores our commitment to preparing students to navigate an increasingly interconnected world,” said Dean Mayer. “We look forward to the enriching academic and cultural exchanges this collaboration will bring.”
The signing event included presentations on UM6P’s programs, a campus tour, and engaging discussions with students and faculty. Both institutions also pledged to explore future opportunities for broader cooperation in teaching, research, and professional development.
For more information about the exchange program, please contact Dr. Kevin Archer at [email protected].
The Josef Korbel School of International Studies is now partnering with the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship (Clark DS) to complete graduate degrees at Korbel. The Clarke DS Fellowship, funded by the US Department of State and administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC), aims to recruit underrepresented minorities and women into the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Clarke DS Fellows receive two years of funding to pursue graduate degrees that enable careers with the DSS. The Korbel School joins the Department of State by offering additional benefits to Clarke DS fellows:
“The Korbel School has a long history of connecting our students with careers in government agencies like the US Department of State. I am thrilled to join them in diversifying government work with the Clarke DS Fellowship. The Korbel School has always worked hard to remove barriers for talented leaders and scholars to pursue careers in International Affairs.” – Dean Fritz Mayer
Through the Clarke DS Fellowship, eligible graduate students can embark on a career path that takes them around the world, where they work to protect US personnel, facilities, and information, all while supporting diplomacy. By partnering with the US Department of State to further ease the financial burden of a graduate degree, the Korbel School continues its commitment to training the next generation of diverse, talented leaders in International Affairs.
“The Clarke DS Fellowship aims to attract qualified candidates to the Diplomatic Security Service who represent the diversity of the United States,” says Shannan Spisak, Executive Director of Federal Initiatives for The Washington Center. “The generous scholarships offered by the Korbel School provide Clarke DS Fellows the opportunity to enroll in a master’s degree program they otherwise may not have been able to afford.”
The Korbel School will enable Clarke DS Fellows to earn a master’s degree in any one of the following programs:
The MA and MPP programs at the Korbel School require 60 credits and two academic years of full-time enrollment. To apply to our programs, follow this link.
About The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars
The Washington Center creates flexible, immersive pathways to enhance the pipeline of diverse talent that build more equitable, inclusive workplaces and communities. Since our founding, we’ve helped more than 60,000 young people translate their college majors into career paths. We use our scale and expertise to customize each learner’s experience to be truly transformative.
About the Josef Korbel School of International Studies
The Korbel School at the University of Denver is the 12th-ranked program in the world to earn a master’s program in International Relations and the 20th-best place to pursue an undergraduate in International Studies by Foreign Policy. The Korbel School offers flexible undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs, allowing students to build skills to solve real-world challenges.
COVID-19 has created a human development crisis in Africa but is an opportunity to accelerate infrastructure investment and economic reform to boost the continent’s prospects when the pandemic subsides.
Crowded informal urban settlements have made physical distancing difficult and may make Africa particularly susceptible to COVID-19. This is exacerbated by limited access to safe water, undernourishment, poorly funded health systems and underlying health conditions like tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS.
Forecasts of infections and deaths vary widely, but the social and economic impact of the pandemic is already being felt and may trigger a series of debt crises, says a new report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and Frederick S Pardee Center for International Futures. The research was funded by Humanity United and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF).
‘The study comes at a very important time and is the first comprehensive long-term forecast of the health and economic impact of the pandemic on Africa up to 2030,’ said Markus Ferber, Member of the European Parliament and HSF Chairman. ‘Africa will be extremely hard hit, but the crisis also offers an opportunity for a sustainable economic transformation. These insights are valuable for the EU-Africa summit in October. It is in Europe's own interest to support Africa in its crisis management.’
The study uses the International Monetary Fund’s April 2020 growth forecast, combined with mortality data from Imperial College in London to model three scenarios on the likely impact of COVID-19 on Africa’s economic growth, per capita income, poverty and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.
Mortality rates are to date significantly lower than other regions of the world, probably due to Africa’s younger population, but community transmission is accelerating. Considering forecasted rates of infection, COVID-19 is expected to have a relatively low mortality. Between 350 000 and 1 450 000 additional deaths may be due to COVID-19 in 2020, but likely much less thereafter.
The study concludes that direct and indirect COVID-19-related mortality would result in between 1.8 and 5.3 million additional deaths in Africa by 2030. Currently about 700 000 Africans die from AIDS, and slightly fewer from malaria every year.
Indirect mortality generally results from lower government revenues and reduced health spending. With Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2016, resources diverted from basic health care prompted increases in malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB and maternal mortality. If the same happens with COVID-19, then HIV, TB and malaria deaths may increase by up to 36% in Africa over five years.
Government revenues in Africa are estimated to drop in 2020 by US$45 billion from the pre-COVID forecast, and the report calculates that public and private health expenditure will decline by US$3.7 billion. Economic recovery is likely to be gradual after lockdowns in Africa are fully lifted, worsened by an expected collapse in tax revenues and falls in employment and household income.
Economic contraction is compounded by many African countries’ high levels of debt. Costs of servicing debt have increased to roughly US$40 billion annually, driven higher by depreciation of many African currencies in 2020. COVID-19 is thus likely to trigger a debt crisis and potentially a default by some countries.
On average, debt is expected to increase by about 4.4 percentage points of GDP in 2020. Debt suspension or cancellation would be a powerful tool to supplement African countries’ efforts to deal with the pandemic and help their economies towards recovery, the report says.
The contraction in African economies will likely see a rise in foreign aid’s contribution to GDP. Africa will for several years become more dependent on aid, and faces the conundrum of having to spur domestic investment while constraining public expenditure.
The impact of COVID-19 on extreme poverty is particularly severe. Prior to COVID-19 about 570 million Africans were expected to be living in extreme poverty by 2030, but the COVID-19 pandemic could push that figure to upwards of 631 million.
The proportion of Africa’s undernourished population is set to increase, and infant mortality will by 2030 be three times higher than the UN’s 2030 target in the SDGs.
Beyond emergency policies to fight the pandemic, there is a need to build resilience and improve long-term growth prospects by spending more effectively on health, investing in basic infrastructure and driving economic transformation.
Urbanisation has seen the rapid growth of informal settlements without the basic infrastructure to cope with a large influx of people on top of natural population growth. Africa’s urban population is forecast to more than double by 2050, adding more than 800 million people to its cities. The pandemic presents an opportunity for African countries to make provision of water and sanitation a focus of their economic recovery stimulus, and improve a range of development indicators in the process.
COVID-19 may accelerate a digital transition and facilitate technology leapfrogging to a more sustainable economy fueled by renewable energy. Modern technology can help to overcome much of Africa’s basic infrastructure gap. This is through a combination of smart metering, big data, geolocation and the internet of things to establish smart grids and solar home systems, map sanitation facilities and water points, mitigate peak traffic and manage waste.
COVID-19 also underscores the importance of accelerating structural transformation towards labour-absorptive growth of formal sectors, and economic diversification away from reliance on commodities.
Read the full report: Exploring the impact of COVID-19 in Africa: a scenario analysis to 2030.
For more information and interviews contact:
Jonathan D Moyer, Director, Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures
(215) 872-4927
The National Intelligence Council released Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds, the latest report in its quadrennial series on major worldwide trends. The Frederick S. Pardee Center contributed greatly to the report, providing International Futures forecasts and charts on patterns ranging from growing middle-class consumption to shifting global power dynamics to state fragility. According to the authors’ acknowledgements, the International Futures model, “with support from Professor Barry Hughes and Dr. Jonathan Moyer, provided an overall framework that enabled [them] to explore possible futures across a wide range of domains, from geopolitics to health and education.” The Global Trends report attracted media attention worldwide and will serve as a tool for President Obama as he determines the nation’s international strategy during his upcoming term. A PDF of the report may be accessed directly through the National Intelligence Council’s website.
Our African Futures Project partner, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, was given the second highest spot in the University of Pennsylvania International Relations Program’s annual rankings of think tanks in Sub-Saharan Africa. ISS also ranked 47th worldwide among non-U.S. think tanks and 40th among think tanks with outstanding policy-oriented research programs. We congratulate the ISS and wish them continued success!
Please check out our team’s recent articles to learn more about our work and our suggestions for policymakers. Interim Associate Director Jonathan Moyer wrote two pieces for The Huffington Post. The first, published in early January, discusses the changes in global power dynamics and expands on our forecasts for the National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2030 report. His second piece outlines five major global trends that President Obama’s new cabinet should address this term. Research Assistant Hanna Camp, who recently interned with the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Foresight Initiative, also published a piece on global aging, “Glimpses of a Graying World,” which is featured on the New Atlanticist blog.
Category:
Global Trends
Copyright ©2025 | All Rights Reserved | Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Institution
