Welcome from Andrew Young

I have always believed that a good economy is necessary to improve the quality of life for people. When I was Mayor of Atlanta, I saw what the public and private sector could do when they teamed up, and the Atlanta of today is the result of that partnership. And that same principle, that good economics and good governance must march along together to promote economic development, is just as true in the poor countries of the world. That is one thing that ties us together in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies: a belief that economics, public administration and social policy should not be separated.

I am very excited about what is going on at the Andrew Young School and at Georgia State. Our doors are open to hardworking students who want to be the leaders of tomorrow. There is nothing elitist or conventional about us. About one-fifth of our graduate students come from developing countries, 59 percent of our students are women and nearly one-half are African Americans. We love over-achievers here at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, and we love students who have the improvement of policy as a goal. Every time we graduate a young person from a developing country and send them back home, I feel like we have leveled the playing field a little more.

Each time I teach a class, or sit in a seminar, I am so impressed with the students I meet and with what they have to say. And every time I hear about a training or technical assistance project in Africa, Asia or Latin America, I feel good about the value we are adding. When you read through our website, I hope you will sense the same excitement I feel about the school. If you do, come see us and maybe I’ll run into you in the hallway.

– Andrew J. Young