Degrees of separation The shake-up in U.S. foreign aid <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZuTJQB1g-3lz44E7fVwexDvqMKzAd-Jtv-KfN2MeBd8GyHnaC6jjkoF_-CP3pmlwGQxDXM1c=>, spearheaded by the dismantling of USAID, is causing ripples across higher education <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkrZ218GcgnHX2hd2Dfy8uCy_R0GlyiflBWnPLnt1bdpkS78IuP4mgnuj_gt6gjJc8s1WZkKPBEf9RMqsI-iwRsLEEb40xcwnkEeLCDCC5Wa52yjBfdar5KsFvdeOIN2QMDOo0xJDVWSqRcGrbZn_6bIiskT70VvYNggra5D2ZogNOv6ceQscG6KftYsymRxOhMCk0g4Ckw70w6MXG-TKRQ_mNb3LnXrqO8XXEpWQQ3Q/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZuTJQBjj1okZHF5ScN9Tptzo6EBjUCDp3z50t0RdlxL4ACYrdLHTCLVCu3OBDDJkvds6cvUI=>. Universities that have traditionally prepared students for careers in foreign service and international development — and presumably their prospective enrollees — are now questioning the job prospects that follow such programs.
Georgetown alumni career coach Colin Steele puts it bluntly: “If you had a school or a program that was traditionally an aid feeder, *who and what is that program for now?* Why would anyone hand you $250,000 to do that?” With thousands of USAID staffers facing or suffering layoffs <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjqaE1OeEFWxM7mfkEDZpzTgHZ4CQGG_igDsW4b951DNXB-hRx3L9HntH3rccJe8ACnn7hU_9iVCh8oAX8UhUKz2nJ5wlxtPFxQ8j_z1PfMxPwLdRtOZ5-uK_0LP5d5CCh4dZQ9R4-SzzWXmj7VMCwSO8-yPiABdXDmJTyte4ns4rI6RUgrpcZktvzylqOO_rmdml2AhM2VYRUS0Vi-_VBVAvnWuqTPJQ3LycwQhAqM7NJc7WXxxc4GyeGtiE_nIMA==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZuTJQBjj1okZHF5ScN9Tptzo6EBjUCDp3z50t0RdlxL4ACYrdLHTCLVCu3OBDDJkvds6cvUI=> and major cuts in projects, universities such as Jessup and Georgetown are *concerned about potential shifts in enrollment*. Some might decide now is the perfect time to take shelter in an education program, while others might reconsider their studies altogether. Yet, despite these challenges, *the need for skilled professionals in global development persists*. Universities are responding by adapting their curriculums to *include broader teaching on development*, focusing more on skills such as social entrepreneurship and less on traditional USAID-focused strategies. *Read:* What will USAID feeder schools do now? <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkrZ218GcgnHX2hd2Dfy8uCy_R0GlyiflBWnPLnt1bdpkS78IuP4mgnuj_gt6gjJc8s1WZkKPBEf9RMqsI-iwRsLEEb40xcwnkEeLCDCC5Wa52yjBfdar5KsFvdeOIN2QMDOo0xJDVWSqRcGrbZn_6bIiskT70VvYNggra5D2ZogNOv6ceQscG6KftYsymRxOhMCk0g4Ckw70w6MXG-TKRSlOqoaT9f3RhgkvE9yc24s/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZuTJQBjj1okZHF5ScN9Tptzo6EBjUCDp3z50t0RdlxL4ACYrdLHTCLVCu3OBDDJkvds6cvUI=>
