To kick things off on the second day of visits, KU Leuven and AU students enjoyed a morning visit to the National Endowment for Democracy. The group met with Anne Tsai Bennet, Chief of Staff for the organization, along with several members of the Europe team, primarily focused on Kosovo and the Balkans. The group discussed NED's work in the region and efforts to promote development and democratic institutions and systems.
In the afternoon, as the clouds began to gather, the students and professors took a trip to the Harry S. Truman building, more commonly known as the United States Department of State. The students all rather excitedly put on their visitor badges, and were then escorted to one of the many conference rooms for a thoroughly enjoyable, informative, and frequently humorous discussion with three State Department employees working currently in the Eurasia Office and in Trade. Once again, the informal discussion covered a wide range of interesting and relevant topics, from, of course, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, to working for State overseas in China, Africa, and Europe, and what its like to be a member of the Foreign Services as compared to a civil servant at State. No two careers at the Department of State are ever truly alike, as each individual takes on different interests, different assignments, and vastly different experiences throughout their time working in a myriad of bureaus for a myriad of offices. One commonality seems to be that working at State is always a learning experience, no matter what the task at hand may be.
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