On Friday, April 19th, Tufts Women in International Relations (WIIR) had the privilege of hosting Ambassador Caroline Kennedy for a virtual speaker event. Kennedy served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 during the Obama Administration. She has had a varied and accomplished career, from her work as an attorney and a diplomat to her success as an author and a poet.
During the event, Ambassador Kennedy gave insightful answers to questions surrounding her personal and career obstacles. After a brief introduction by WIIR Senior Advisor Ellie Murphy (A’22), Mika Mizobuchi (A’24) led the conversation and engaged Kennedy through a series of prepared questions. Kennedy spoke on a range of subjects, including the importance of the US-Japan relationship, her perspective on the future of American diplomacy under the Biden administration, and the poetry competition she started as Ambassador to Japan. Kennedy also shared her experience as the first female Ambassador to Japan and noted how she has been influenced by the legacies of other accomplished women in the Kennedy family The audience had the opportunity to ask questions, moderated by Emily McMullen (A’22), on topics ranging from the future of outer space policy to the declining birth rate in Japan.
Above all, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of studying International Relations at this pivotal time in history. Tufts Women in International Relations is grateful to have been able to host such an influential speaker as Ambassador Kennedy, especially given the club’s relatively recent founding and short tenure on campus. WIIR looks forward to bringing other influential speakers to Tufts in future semesters.