Model United Nations Workshop

Hello again!

The students have been hard at work the past two days as the prepare for their model United Nations workshop with Dr. Arthur Kian. Between class with Dr. Kian, research at the university library, and group meetings to prepare for the workshop, they've been keeping busy.

Some pictures of them in action...

Class with Dr. Kian at our residence...

Class on Stanford's campus proper

Hello Again!

Hello all! I apologize for my digital absence these past couple of days, they've been busy ones! I'll summarize to fill you in...

On Thursday we visited Berkeley for a tour of the UC Berkeley campus and a quick walk around the town. The university of course is legendary for its education and also its significance historically, as part of social movements of the 1960s. Needless to say, I think we were all impressed by the place...

On Friday the students attended more classes, including an informative class on international relations theory given by Dr. Arthur Kian, the leader of the greater Abbey Road program, as well as a class on global water issues with Camille Jones, a Stanford Ph.D. student.

Saturday saw us return to San Francisco. First we explored the Exploratorium (sorry, couldn't help it), a science-orientated museum of sorts. Afterwards, we headed on over to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). At the museum we were treated to a great tour that highlighted some of the well-known modern works in the museum's collection. We finished the day in San Fran with dinner at Fang's, a great Chinese restaurant.

Today we took the students to a beautiful beach in Carmel, south of here. Blue water, smooth white sand, surrounding hills, the whole nine. After Carmel we headed north to Monterey where we explored the Fisherman's Wharf and had dinner on the water at Abalonetti.

Photos below, check 'em out, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Kinnard did a great job.

Thanks for reading/looking,

Brian

Dr. Arthur Kian with the students

Outside the Exploratorium, San Francisco

SFMOMA

Picnic on the beach, Carmel

Brian (Program Coordinator), Anatole, Matt, and Jake in Carmel 

In an awesome crazy tree in Carmel

Santa Cruz & Classes at Stanford

Hello again!

Its been an eventful Tuesday and Wednesday here at Stanford, full of sun, the boardwalk, and of course lots of learning...

Yesterday we made the trip to Santa Cruz for an official campus tour of the university there and an unofficial tour of the town. UC Santa Cruz is an impressively beautiful, eco-friendly campus situated in the hills overlooking the Pacific ocean. The students were given an informative glimpse of college life by our tour guide Charlotte before having some free time to explore what Santa Cruz has to offer, namely a boardwalk and a downtown area full of shops and restaurants.

After returning from Santa Cruz, the students gave short presentations in their Leadership workshop (taught by me), exploring the lives and leadership styles of important leaders of both past and present. I've included some photos of the day below.

Today saw the kids returning to classes with Professors Hamisi and Pelopidas, and tonight we're headed to a SF Giants game!

Thanks for checking in,

Brian

Taking a seat on the University of California-Santa Cruz campus

Charlotte's informative tour of the UCSC campus

Student presentations on different world leaders

A Great First Weekend at Stanford!

Hello Abbey Road students, parents, and all other interested parties!

My name is Brian Bond and I am happy to greet you as the Program Director of the Summer 2012 Leadership Program at Stanford University.

Since arriving at Stanford on Thursday we've had a great time getting to know one another. The students comprise a truly international group, representative of the interconnectedness of our 21st century world. They hail from Russia, Northern and Southern China, Korea via Japan, South India via the Middle East and Canada, France, and the East and West coasts of the United States.

In addition to meeting one another, we've also had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with the university's beautiful campus, the foggy city that is San Francisco, and the breathtaking vistas that seem to never end here in Northern California.

Today marks the first day of classes, with the students attending a morning lecture by Lonjezo Peter Hamisi on International Intervention, an afternoon lecture by Benoit Pelopidas on International Security, and an evening Leadership workshop with yours truly. To prepare, they spent Sunday night reading articles and completing other preparatory assignments.

I've included some photos (taken by our marketing intern Lizzy Kinnard) of the past few days in the hopes that you might live vicariously through our adventures.

Signing out,

Brian Bond

Campus Tour of Stanford (Friday)

Shally, Natasha, and Alisa in hilly San Francisco (Saturday)

The famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (Saturday)

The whole group taking in the glorious view at San Gregorio beach (Sunday).

Let the Countdown Begin!

Welcome to the Official Abbey Road 2012 Leadership Academy Blog!

Stay tuned for all of the exciting news and photos from Stanford!
Much more to come!