The academic offering at SAIS Europe is interdisciplinary, equipping students with the analytical skills required to solve problems of real-world significance.
Distinguished faculty and guests from across Europe and beyond deliver extra-curricular seminars every Monday and Thursday evening throughout the academic year.
Annual career trips to destinations like Brussels, London and Geneva match students with alumni in the highest ranks of European policy-making, business and NGOs.
Living together in apartments throughout the city, students form lifelong friendships while taking advantage of Bologna’s central location to explore Europe’s history and culture. More
Bologna, Italy is home to SAIS Europe, which for over 60 years has used its strategic position in the heart of Europe to train leaders in international affairs worldwide. One of Bologna’s nicknames is la dotta – the learned – describing its deep academic tradition as the birthplace of university education in Europe.
SAIS Europe is characterized by its international faculty and close-knit community of approximately 200 students, representing over 40 countries. Approximately half of the incoming class chooses to begin the Master of Arts degree at SAIS Europe. Second-year students may also complete the program in Bologna. Cooperative degree programs with European universities and a 13-month Master of Arts in Global Risk provide additional opportunities to study at SAIS Europe.
We arrived at Bologna; there is no place more pleasant and free in the whole world. - Petrarch
Location
Bologna is a university town, steeped in history and culture, and known as the gastronomic capital of Italy. SAIS Europe students usually choose to live together in apartments within the medieval city walls, commuting by foot or by bike around town. Leave your umbrella at home – the 38km of porticos have got you covered.
Bologna has one of the highest per capita incomes and lowest unemployment rates in Italy, and it consistently ranks in the top 10 European cities for quality of life. It is the seventh most populous city in the country, located in the heart of a metropolitan area of about one million.
At the crossroads of the national railway system, high speed trains get you from Bologna to Florence in 30 minutes, to Milan in an hour and to Rome in just two hours. The Adriatic coast can be reached by car or train in about an hour. The G. Marconi International Airport (BLQ) is the third largest in Italy, offering numerous low-cost flights to European destinations daily.
The SAIS Europe campus shares the neighborhood with UNIBO, the oldest university in Europe, founded in 1088. With 80,000 students, UNIBO provides countless opportunities for SAIS Europe students to interact with their Italian counterparts, including sports teams, musical ensembles, language exchanges and more.
Visit the city's Welcome Bologna website for a preview of what’s on in town.
Prospective Students
SAIS Europe Admissions Blog Follow our blog for regular updates from current students about life at SAIS Europe as well as information from the Office of Admissions regarding all steps of the application process.
Campus Tours SAIS Europe has an open-door policy for prospective students and encourages visits throughout the academic year when classes are in session. To arrange a visit, contact the Office of Admissions at sais.eu.admissions@jhu.edu.
Online Information Sessions SAIS Europe offers numerous online information sessions about academics, career services, student life and more. To connect to the sessions, prospective students need access to a computer, an internet connection and a phone line or skype. For login instructions please contact sais.eu.admissions@jhu.edu.
Annual Open Day Open Day is an opportunity for prospective students to visit the SAIS Europe campus. During the day-long event visitors meet current students and faculty and attend classes. This year’s Open Day will be held at SAIS Europe in Bologna on Monday, December 5. For more information, please visit our Open Day registration page here.
The Bologna Institute for Policy Research (BIPR) is the research division of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Europe. Its purpose is to promote problem-centered, interdisciplinary research in international policy by drawing upon the global network of Johns Hopkins SAIS faculty, students and scholars.
The work of the BIPR is made available to the public with the goal of providing a pivotal forum for thought and debate in international public policy.
The BIPR employs five student research assistants each semester to manage its event reports program and contribute to the promotion of research conducted by SAIS Europe scholars.
Public Events
SAIS Europe organizes seminars and special events throughout the academic year. The faculty research seminar series is held on Mondays and Thursdays, with topics ranging from Economics to History to Regions of the World. Distinguished guests including ambassadors, central bank governors, and business leaders travel to Bologna from across Europe, the Middle East and beyond to engage with the audience in an informal setting.
SAIS Europe events are held in English and are open to the public. Seminar summaries, audio recordings and three-question interviews with guest speakers may be consulted on the website of the Bologna Institute for Policy Research.
To subscribe to the SAIS Europe events mailing list contact Alessandra Nacamu.
