Tag: Alumni

Alumni Spotlight: Mayor Phil Hardberger ’60

Written by International House on May 21, 2026. Posted in Alumni News.

From Room 425 to City Hall When Mayor Phil Hardberger ’60 arrived in New York from rural West Texas to attend Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, he had seen little of the world beyond the small farm where he grew up. “My experience in the world was pretty close to zero,” he recalled. “Then suddenly, I was meeting people from all over the world. My mind just exploded with ideas.” At I-House, Hardberger found himself surrounded by residents from parts of the world he had never experienced before. Around the dining tables, conversations stretched across cultures,...

Friends of International House, UK Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Written by International House on May 11, 2026. Posted in Alumni News, Events, News.

Friends of International House, United Kingdom (FIHUK) celebrated its 20th anniversary with a day-long series of events in London on May 9. Alumni representing decades from the 1960s to the present took part in the events, with proceeds from ticket sales going toward financial aid for I-House residents from conflict-affected countries. Following a brunch at EL&N Brompton, reputed to be London’s most Instagrammable café, participants headed to the V&A Museum for a guided tour by Nadia Denton of the “Beyond the Artefacts: The African Gaze” exhibition in the Europe...

Jesús Armas ’23 Returns to I-House at Candlelight Sunday Supper

Written by International House on May 4, 2026. Posted in Alumni News, Events, News.

Another academic year at I-House drew to a close with a memorable Candlelight Sunday Supper in Davis Hall on May 3. The event welcomed the return of I-House alumnus and human rights activist Jesús Armas ’23, who served as keynote speaker. President & CEO Sebastian Fries offered welcoming remarks in which he recalled a vibrant and active year in the House, with shout-outs to residents for their remarkable engagement and enthusiasm. He commended their courage for staying positive, active, and involved in the community during a challenging year in the U.S. and abroad. “Things have...

Doing Well By Doing Good: A Conversation with Michael Froman

Written by International House on April 29, 2026. Posted in Alumni News, Events, News.

What does leadership look like in an evolving global landscape, and how will the U.S. and other nations navigate increasingly complex changes in international foreign relations? On April 28, I-House residents explored these questions and more during a rare fireside chat with Michael Froman, president of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Residents welcomed Froman and guests for a conversation in the Home Room, marking the first event in the new Ambassador Frank G. Wisner Distinguished Speaker Series. Honoring Ambassador Wisner’s long career as an accomplished U.S. diplomat, the...

Scaling for Social Good: I-House Entrepreneurs Shine at Götz Talks

Written by International House on April 20, 2026. Posted in Alumni News, Events, News.

Where cultures meet, entrepreneurial innovation grows. But what if that growth were measured by community impact as much as market value? Entrepreneurs took center stage at the very first Götz Talks event on April 18, featuring the inaugural cohort of the Götz Mäuser ’91 Global Entrepreneurship Fellowship. The event represented the culmination of the fellows’ year-long journey in learning what it takes to launch successful ventures and drive meaningful change in their home countries. Founded by I-House alumnus and lifelong entrepreneur Götz Mäuser ’91, the program is designed to...

A House Full of Stories: Kiran Desai ’98 Returns to I-House

Written by International House on March 10, 2026. Posted in Alumni News, Events, News.

For artists and thinkers living between countries, the tensions of displacement and belonging can be a daily challenge. One alumna recalls channeling those feelings into her creative work at International House, where she found a sense of home, community, and creative center. On March 9, I-House welcomed the return of award-winning author Kiran Desai ’98 for a conversation exploring what it means to live and create between places, languages, and shifting ideas of home. The event centered on Desai’s recent novel and broadened into a rich discussion about migration and identity,...

Alumni Spotlight: Nick van der Kloot ’83 and Angeline van der Kloot ’83

Written by International House on February 9, 2026. Posted in Alumni News.

Sakura Sweethearts Nick and Angeline van der Kloot’s story began, as many I-House stories do, with a simple everyday moment. They first met while standing in the serving line in the Dining Hall. Nick struck up a conversation and, as Angeline recalls with a smile, began flirting right away. He asked to sit at her table, then asked for her phone number, which she said she initially refused because “he was very handsome and already being admired by many others.” Not long after, Nick invited Angeline to attend a Russian Emigré Society ball at the Waldorf Astoria, and she agreed to go with...