Johns Hopkins has a wide variety of cultural and identity groups that are open to all students. Find the full list on Campus Groups. Below is a selection of some clubs that may be of interest to International Studies majors.

Cultural Clubs

---

Relevant Clubs and Groups

Alexander Hamilton Society

The Alexander Hamilton Society is a national organization that brings speakers to college campuses across the country to debate important issues facing our world today. AHS is a non-partisan, non-affiliated organization that has access to some of the most well-respected practitioners and thought-leaders in the country. The group does not set out to provide students with a right or wrong answer, rather, they provide the single greatest platform to let students find their own answer–a debate. The AHS speakers debate with Hopkins professors, giving the audience a wide range of thoughts and outlooks on the topic at hand.

College Democrats

The Hopkins College Democrats are committed to enriching the political experiences of the JHU student body. Activities consist of issue discussion panels, BBQs, social functions, campaigning, debating and much more.

College Republicans

The JHU College Republicans‘ primary objective is to increase political awareness on campus. Through their efforts, the group hopes to inform Hopkins students about candidates and issues at the local, state, and national levels. Equally, they are committed to presenting the views of college students to elected representatives. They host a variety of events throughout the year, which include policy discussions, panels, speakers, social gatherings, debate watch parties, and much more.

Foreign Affairs Symposium

The Foreign Affairs Symposium is a student-run, non-profit speaker and panel series dedicated to raising awareness about current, pressing international issues. The group strives to foster constructive intellectual dialogue by creating a forum in which students and members of the Baltimore community may interact and engage with prominent global leaders.

Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs (POFA)

The Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs (POFA) is an entirely student-run podcast at Johns Hopkins created by three first-year, International Studies students in 2017.  POFA speaks to professors, students, and foreign policy professionals about the most pressing issues in international relations and global political affairs. Guests have included faculty from the Hopkins’ Homewood campus and SAIS as well as professionals and academics from the Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and even the former Vice President of Taiwan.  POFA is available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and for special episodes, YouTube!

HOPMUN Model UN Team

As the school’s official Model UN team, HOPMUN participates in a number of conferences across North America, including at Harvard, McGill, and Columbia universities. They teach students how to not only form and communicate policy proposals but also how to convince even the most bitter rivals that the HOPMUN solution is the right way to go. In spring 2024, HOPMUN hosted their first collegiate Model United Nations Conference (HOPMUNC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, with plans for the conference to be held annually.

John Quincy Adams Society

The John Quincy Adams Society is a national network of student groups focused on U.S. foreign policy, with a centering vision of restraint. The chapters aim to help college students advance, both intellectually and professionally, while promoting a broader and more strategic conversation about America’s approach to international affairs. The Society is nonpartisan and nonpolitical: working in the world of ideas, not on activism or elections, and seeking to work with every corner of the political spectrum.

Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Debate Council

The Undergraduate Debate Council at JHU competes as a member of the American Parliamentary Debate Association, where they have consistently been ranked as one of the top five schools in the country.

Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium

Established in 1967, the Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium is a widely acclaimed lecture series sponsored by Johns Hopkins. The symposium is designed to present an issue of national importance to the university, as well as to the Baltimore and Washington communities. The symposium has established a reputation as a forum for the free exchange of ideas and analysis of issues at the forefront of the nation’s conscience. All events are free and open to the public.

Vanguard Student Think Tank for Trans-Pacific Relations

The Vanguard Student Think Tank for Trans-Pacific Relations (VSTT), is a Research Think Tank headquartered at Johns Hopkins’ Homewood campus in Baltimore, MD. VSTT is committed to expanding and improving discussions and research on current affairs, and eliminating regional and national misconceptions. In addition to promoting intellectual and academic inquiries and magnifying the voices of students in international studies, VSTT also seeks to establish a platform for students and young scholars, and for all interested students regardless of their national origins and majors, on affairs of the Trans-Pacific region, the U.S., and Asia.