You are visitor

he Secretary called FSI’s role critical in developing, educating and supporting the nation’s foreign affairs mission. Just as we have a world-class military, we must have world- class diplomacy, she asserted. After meeting with students and faculty, Secretary Albright delivered a foreign policy speech in the George Kennan Auditorium, where she echoed some of the same themes: that we must learn to think and act globally; that we must have world-class diplomacy to support global leadership and; that we must enter the 21st century with 21st- century skills. GO TO COVER STORY

The 72-acre campus of the National Foreign Affairs Training Center.

Working on the railroad for the fun of it When my wife Susan was assigned to the American Embassy in Beijing as an information management officer, I received a surprising and tremendous fringe benefit. As an incorrigible, die-hard steam train enthusiast, I was suddenly in my element! China is the last outpost of steam railroads, and my grand passion was to videotape these super-dramatic, awesome monsters as they perform their daily routines lest they disappear all too soon. GO TO FEATURE STORY

Who the heck is Murphy, anyway? Murphy’s law, as we all know, is the pessimistic axiom that predicts that if anything can go wrong, it will. “Murphy’s Law” also happens to be the title of the newly released hit by Jim Combs, Embassy Ottawa’s own country music star. Jim Combs is the assistant regional security officer at the embassy. At least, that’s his day job. At night, Jim changes hats. Literally. Jim makes the occupational transition effortlessly. But just to keep things in perspective and his two careers totally separate, he performs under his stage and recording name, Jim Logan. GO TO FEATURE STORY