Millions of people around the world are forcibly displaced each year due to rising conflict, environmental threats, and socioeconomic turmoil. Many of these refugees, including people from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, remain displaced, prompting action from U.S. and international governments.

To recognize #WorldRefugeeDay, Amaney Jamal, SPIA dean, speaks with Eric Schwartz MPA ’85, president of Refugees International, in this episode of the Dean’s Dialogue podcast. They explore the challenges current refugees are facing and how public policy can help. Schwartz also reflected on how his Princeton training shaped his 30-year career in human rights.

Schwartz previously served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration at the State Department. He was the senior human rights and humanitarian official at the National Security Council, managing humanitarian responses to crises in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Prior to this, he served in several roles within the U.S. government.

Just before his appointment to Refugees International, he was dean of the public affairs school at the University of Minnesota. In addition to his MPA from Princeton, he holds a law degree from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

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The Dean’s Dialogue is a monthly podcast hosted by Amaney Jamal, dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The show is produced and edited by B. Rose Huber and receives support from Sarah Binder, Egan Jimenez, Daniel Kearns, and Brittany N. Murray.