Human Rights at Jackson  
Human Rights at Jackson fosters critical engagement with global human rights issues by combining academic exploration with practical experiences. We create opportunities for students to deepen their understanding through seminars, projects, and mentorship, while building a vibrant community committed to advancing human rights in policy and practice.

Jackson Black Student Union
This organization provides a community and space for Black students at Jackson.

Jackson Development, Environment, Society and Climate (DESC)
DESC is dedicated to being a part of ongoing discussions about climate and developmental policies. They aim to engage Jackson students, faculty, and senior fellows interested in policy topics that intersect with the environment, climate, and development. The group provides diverse learning and networking opportunities and helps build professional relationships with industry experts. They collaborate with climate, environmental, and developmental policy communities at Jackson, Yale, and beyond.

Jackson International and Military Veterans Club
Launched in spring 2023, this organization builds an international community of military families that offers support, promotes cross-cultural understanding, and helps families navigate the challenges unique to military life. The group prioritizes building strong relationships and fostering inclusivity to help military families thrive during their time at Yale and beyond.

Jackson Jewish Student Organization (JJSO)
JJSO supports Jewish religious and cultural life at the Jackson School in a welcoming, nonpolitical way. We include and respect all sects of Judaism and non-religious cultural practices, as well as inviting classmates of all faiths to learn more about Judaism.

Jackson Latin America and the Caribbean
This student organization was established to advocate for Latin American affairs and policy, include greater regional representation in events and programming at Jackson, and create engagement for Jackson students, staff, and faculty interested in Latin America.

Jackson Minority Policy Project
JMPP is a student-led organization intended to represent minority perspectives in global affairs. With the support of Jackson faculty, JMPP uses the skills and experiences of its student members to highlight and introduce ideas, advance discourse, and educate the wider Jackson community.

The Jackson Salon
A forum for the student community to engage with current events and pressing local, national, and international issues. The Salon meets weekly for a moderated and informal discussion around complex topics of significant political, policy, and social implications.

Jackson Science & Tech Policy Student Association
JSTPSA provides a community for students to learn about and collaborate on science and technology policy. Students lead skills workshops, organize lab visits, attend conferences, and carry out independent research. Topics and activities are chosen by students every year; past topics include AI, space, climate, and quantum.

Jackson Women
An initiative designed to create linkages between the women of the Jackson School, including faculty, Senior Fellows, students, alumni and staff. Events and programming focus on mentorship, professional development and career skills workshops, panel discussions and larger-scale conferences. Recent events include a reception and panel discussion for alumni and current students at the home of a Senior Fellow in New York City, potlucks with World Fellows, and a conference on bias and gender equity.

The John Quincy Adams Society (JQAS) at Yale Jackson
The John Quincy Adams Society is a nonpartisan student organization dedicated to rethinking U.S. foreign policy through the lens of diplomacy, restraint, and principled realism. A campus chapter provides students with opportunities to engage in debates, speaker events, and publishing projects that challenge prevailing assumptions about interventionist policy. By fostering critical dialogue and connecting students with leading voices in foreign affairs, a JQAS chapter helps prepare the next generation of leaders to craft a more thoughtful and effective U.S. role in the world.

Network for Effective Evidence-Based Development (NEED) at Yale Jackson
NEED hosts events to help Yale Jackson students access a wider network of economics professors and students interested in development economics from across the university. Students discuss topics in economic development and share ideas and experiences with others, complementing their classroom learning.

Out in the World
Supports LGBTQIA+ people and allies through social events and career development, promotes diversity and inclusion, and raises awareness on the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ populations around the world.

Yale Jackson Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Association  
The Asian, Asian America, and Pacific Islander Association exists to empower, support, and celebrate the diverse cultures, identities, and experiences of students, faculty, and staff at the Jackson School who identify as Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI). We aim to foster cultural expression and awareness, global understanding, and community belonging through a mixture of cultural, social, and professional events.

Yale Journal of International Affairs
The Yale Journal of International Affairs, a Yale Jackson student-run publication, produces a print journal each spring and digital content throughout the year on topics ranging  from the effectiveness of drone strikes to the Iran Deal and photo collections looking at topics from massacres in Syria to the future of the Colombian peace deal. A podcast series recently covered U.S. civil-military relations and guests included the director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

Yale Science Policy Hill Day
Faculty and student leads will select participants through an application-based process designed to build interdisciplinary, cross-school teams with scientific, technical, and policy experience. Participants will undergo a rigorous, semester-long policy training program developed by faculty and student leads. Participants will attend a series of workshops focused on understanding legislative engagement, writing and delivering policy briefs, translating technical research for generalist audiences, and navigating the federal policy landscape. They also receive mentorship from additional Yale faculty and policy professionals with science policy experience. After the program, students will lead a community engagement event of their choosing and design to share their experience and insights with the broader academic, Yale, and global community.

The Student Advocacy Council
The Student Advocacy Council (SAC) is a student governance structure designed to amalgamate and represent graduate student interests within the Jackson community and shape the experience of current and future cohorts. The SAC builds community by organizing events, advances student input, ideas, and concerns, and proactively shares updates and information from administration and faculty with students. 

The Graduate and Professional School Senate (GPSS)
Jackson students participate in the GPSS, the overarching student government meant to be a liaison between all of the graduate and professional schools and Yale University.

Graduate Affiliate Program (residential colleges)
Graduate affiliates become members of the Yale college residential communities, complete with access to some college facilities, two meals a week in college dining halls, and the opportunity to develop mentor relationships with undergraduate students while being part of a vibrant community of fellows.

MacMillan Council’s Graduate Affiliate program
One of the benefits of joining a MacMillan Council as a graduate affiliate is being prioritized for grants administered by that Council.

Jackson offers generous funding to support student-organized events and activities. These activities have ranged from student-led conferences and talks by eminent guest speakers to travel support for the purpose of independent research and professional development.

The Jackson School offers generous funding for students to travel within the U.S. and internationally as part of their academic coursework.

For example, a group of Jackson graduate students spent their spring break traveling across the Sahel as part of the class, GLBL 7310, “Policy Challenges in the Sahel,” led by Jackson Senior Fellow and retired U.S. ambassador Bisa Williams. Another group of Jackson grad students traveled to Jordan, where they interviewed artisans and craftsmen that work with Turquoise Mountain, an international NGO working in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to revive historic neighborhoods and traditional crafts. The trip was led by Jackson Senior Fellow Shoshanna Stewart as part of her GLBL 7270 course, “Development in Action.”

We also offer support for Jackson students to travel to India and Indonesia as part of the Global Social Entrepreneurship (GSE) fall and spring courses.