Johns Hopkins University today announced plans to launch a global search for the next dean of its School of Advanced International Studies, a leader who will move the Washington, D.C., school to its new home at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. and set the strategic vision for the future of SAIS into the next decade.
"We are deeply grateful to Eliot for his commitment and valuable contributions to SAIS over many years, and especially for his service as dean."
The new dean will succeed Eliot Cohen, who will complete his two-year term as the school's ninth dean on June 30. Over the past 16 months, Cohen—a foreign policy scholar and former senior State Department official—has provided critical counsel as a member of university leadership, led SAIS through its 75th anniversary, instituted organizational and curricular changes, brought fiscal balance to the school, improved integration of the three SAIS campuses, exceeded fundraising targets, and effectively guided the school to a remote learning platform during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cohen has opted to not be considered as a candidate in the forthcoming search, JHU President Ronald J. Daniels and Provost Sunil Kumar wrote in a message to the Hopkins community Thursday night.
"We are deeply grateful to Eliot for his commitment and valuable contributions to SAIS over many years, and especially for his service as dean," they wrote. "An exceptional scholar, teacher, and figure in the public square, we know that he will continue to thrive at Johns Hopkins and beyond."
Kumar will lead a search committee of faculty, students, and stakeholders from SAIS and across the university tasked with identifying the next dean. The search committee's members will be announced in the coming weeks.
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