Following a sustained period of program growth, an expanded leadership team and remodeled facility will greet new and returning students in the fall.

When current and incoming students in Stanford University’s Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy (MIP) program arrive to campus this fall, they will be the first to experience the new face of the program. 

Renovations on a modern new academic space, outdoor courtyard and gardens will be complete, and Professor Francis Fukuyama, one of the most well-known and respected social scientists in the world, will be the program’s new director.  

“I am grateful for this opportunity to lead the Ford Dorsey MIP program,” said Fukuyama, who is the Mosbacher Director at the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law and Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). He noted that, “This is a critical time to prepare our students to be policy leaders in government, civic society, and the private sector. Our curriculum aims to be among the best in international policy education, and continues to get stronger with new faculty, courses, and terrific students.”

The Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy is a two year, full-time, professional graduate degree program administered jointly by the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the School of Humanities and Sciences. The just graduated Class of 2019 included nineteen students, 15 women and four men, from 10 different countries.

Under the leadership of Michael McFaul as director and Kathryn Stoner as deputy director over the last two years, the MIP program has changed and grown significantly. The core curriculum was completely revamped, a new, very popular specialization track on cyber policy was added, and a greater number of FSI faculty have begun to teach in the program. The number of applications has risen 67% over the past 2 years.  Both McFaul and Stoner will continue to teach in the MIP program.

“Since redesigning MIP two years ago, we have committed to optimizing and improving this unique, innovative program at FSI,” said Professor McFaul.  “Convincing Francis Fukuyama to assume leadership of MIP is the natural next phase in the program’s growth and development.”

Stoner served as Director of the program for 8 years before becoming Deputy Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Under her leadership, the program increased faculty involvement from FSI in teaching in the program, developed a new curriculum in conjunction with FSI faculty, added an exchange program between the program and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, increased student funding opportunities through research with FSI faculty, and grew the program staff to better support student career services, alumni outreach, program recruiting, student academic advising, and admissions. 

“Our students are well positioned to assume leadership roles over the course of their careers,” said Professor Stoner. “We are meeting the demands of the shifting policy landscape with innovative new courses and graduates who dare to think differently. In this sense the program is quintessentially Stanford.” 

Alongside Professor Fukuyama, Dr. Chonira Aturupane, a senior research scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at FSI, and long-time lecturer in international economics in the MIP program, has agreed to serve as the Associate Director for Academic and Student Affairs in the MIP Program.

“Mike McFaul and I leave the leadership and administrative team of this program in good hands. Francis Fukuyama is a dedicated policy scholar, and teacher and I am thrilled that he is taking the helm,” said Stoner. “We know Chonira Aturupane will be as outstanding a contributor in this new administrative role as she has been as an instructor,” she added.

Professor Fukuyama has long been passionate about the teaching of public and international policy at the graduate level. He came to Stanford in 2010 from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where he led, expanded, and redesigned the International Development coursework for the SAIS master’s program. 

Fukuyama has also been deeply involved in the redesign of the MIP curriculum at Stanford, and has spearheaded a national effort for innovation in public policy teaching.  He will continue to teach in the program, including the new practicum experience with Professor Jeremy Weinstein of Stanford’s Department of Political Science, and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at FSI next year. 

“To prosper in today’s global society, institutions must continually adapt at both the leadership and policy level,” said Fukuyama. “It’s something I’ve spoken about for years and now here I am living this change together with our students. I can’t wait for us to get started.”

Media Contact: Ari Chasnoff, Assistant Director for Communications, chasnoff@stanford.edu, 650-725-2371