From the International Chamber of Commerce to a Future in International Law

With an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a background in French (he attended a bilingual school), Stewart Johnson came to AUP looking for international experience. He found the MA in International Affairs program, which allowed him to focus on international law and diplomacy and, during his thesis research, dive deep into a subject that fascinated him – sustainability certification and public and private partnerships to prevent deforestation. Stewart cites the academic rigor of his courses at AUP as one of the highlights of his time at the University, along with his internship at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which he calls “the highlight of his academic and professional career,” crediting the interdisciplinary nature of the program he attended with preparing him for such a multilingual and intensely international work environment. “The program was transformative,” he says. “It made me question my assumptions about the world.” 

During his time at the ICC, he was part of a team that organized the World Chamber of Commerce Conference in Dubai, which brought together the members of the ICC along with speakers and experts on specific panel and forum topics. In comparison to the OECD and other international organizations, the ICC has members from over a hundred nations; yet Stewart was one of very few people working on the organization of this important, large-scale event. Along with only two other people, he managed the logistics and interventions of all the VIP speakers and the website for the conference. “We had limited resources for operations, but my team and mentor were amazing.” He says being at AUP provided him with a foundation to obtain such a privileged position as an intern. “I am so thankful for AUP for this opportunity,” he reiterates. “So many different departments at AUP worked to support me.” In addition to helping him find this internship, this included the immigration office, which helped him stay in France and navigate difficult visa situations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to this internship, which provided invaluable work experience for his field of interest, international affairs and law, he mentions the importance of his course in International Public Law, during which he learned about the Geneva Convention and other generally accepted principles of international law. “It marked me,” he says, and it is part of the reason why he has gone on to pursue a law degree at the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law. 

While still in the thick of his law degree, Stuart says he hopes to move abroad again, ideally back to Paris. “That’s the dream,” he says. “I would love to do another internship abroad in my third year of law school.” The experiences he has already had at or through AUP, have given him an international mindset and attentiveness to the world that cannot be undone. He has but to make the most of them and shape the specific path toward his goal of a career in international law.