President Beilock’s Visit to London Surveys Dartmouth’s Global Footprint
Three days of meetings highlight international dimensions of the Dartmouth experience
In her first trip to London as president of Dartmouth, Sian Leah Beilock met with students, faculty, parents and alumni, and representatives from peer institutions, academic partners, and media—reaffirming Dartmouth’s commitment to its global community and the focus on impact.
“London is the epicenter of so much of what we do internationally,” Beilock told an audience of more than 250 Dartmouth alumni, family members, and friends from 15 countries who gathered at the Savoy Hotel.
“London is our institutional gateway to Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” she continued, “The EMEA region is a vital hub for faculty research and
collaboration, offers our largest concentration of alumni outside the U.S., is the greatest source of international student talent, and hosts the richest array of our current language and Foreign Study Programs.”
The trip was part of President Beilock’s international tour, over 18 months, of Dartmouth’s largest communities around the world. The reception for the president was hosted at the Savoy by London-based Trustees Ric Lewis ’84 and Jane Pfaff Novak ’92. She was joined throughout the trip by Senior Vice President for University Advancement Bob Lasher ’88 and Senior Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer Shontay Delalue, MED’24, who recently added global inclusion to her portfolio.
During her packed week abroad, Beilock joined in a fireside “chat” on the subject of “Global Leadership and Public Service” with United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom Jane D. Hartley P’07 ’11, joined History Foreign Study Program students and and their faculty director Professor Leslie Butler on a historical tour of old London, discussed international student support and internships with local parents, met with alumni from the Tuck School of Business, joined alumni entrepreneurs for a roundtable discussion at GAIL’s Bakery & Studios, and met with representatives from the Sutton Trust, a UK foundation committed to improving social mobility through education.
The private reception with Ambassador Hartley was held at the ambassador’s residence in London, Winfield House, and included a lively question and answer session with students from the Government and History FSPs, along with a number of undergraduates studying at the London School of Economics.
“I had always heard of the ‘special’ relationship,” said Ambassador Hartley, referring to the deep historical ties between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. “But I must tell you it is actually an ‘essential’ relationship because our work together is so intertwined and collaborative.” Hartley, who previously served as ambassador to France in the Obama administration and is only the second female ambassador to the United Kingdom, also exchanged ideas with Beilock about the importance of dialogue across difference in diplomacy.
Beilock sat down with alumni entrepreneurs to understand how Dartmouth could better support student and faculty ventures, especially those with a global orientation. Several of the alumni had recently hosted a student “trek” organized by the Magnuson Center of Entrepreneurship to expose students to a variety of start-ups based in the United Kingdom.
Tom Molnar ’88, CEO of fast-growing bakery chain GAIL’s Bakery & Studio, hosted the conversation, “It’s great that President Beilock is taking such a strong interest in innovation and bringing together students and alumni to make the entrepreneurial ecosystem more connected and supportive.” Participating alumni included early-stage tech investors, the founder of a software company that measures the impact of global health initiatives, and a co-founder of the music-identification app, Shazam!
Across all of the events, one message came through clearly—Dartmouth is a global institution committed to attracting a socio-economically diverse and international student body. That effort is evident in the Class of 2028, which has the highest percentage of international students in Dartmouth’s history.
The visit was the first to the region by a Dartmouth president since it extended need-blind admissions to international students, making it universal for all undergraduates. Bielock thanked volunteers and supporters from the region who led the $100 million campaign that positioned Dartmouth as one of only seven institutions globally who make this commitment.
"The research that I'm doing couldn't happen anywhere else," said Nathan Tamkin ’26, one of 13 FSP students who took Beilock on a 1.5-mile tour of the East End of London, from the medieval center of the city through 500 years of history. "This has opened my eyes to a lot of new things in this world. To gain great global understanding has been truly unique experience."
President Beilock used her time in London to lay out a clear vision of a global Dartmouth pulling students from around the world and providing them with the critical thinking skills and liberal arts education necessary to tackle the world’s problems.
“Wherever exceptional students are around the world—any corner of the globe—they can now look at Dartmouth and say, ‘I have a future there, it’s possible for me,’” Beilock told the crowd at the Savoy Hotel.
The trip to the United Kingdom was Beilock’s second official international trip, following her 2023 visit to Lima, Peru to meet with alumni and parents from South and Central America. She plans to visit Tokyo and Hong Kong next spring.
