Durham, NC - Duke University is setting its sights on Washington, D.C.

Duke has opened an interim office in Washington and is beginning the process of looking for a permanent outpost to serve as a hub for the growing number of faculty, student and staff activities in the nation's capital.

"The time has come for us to establish a home base for school and university-wide programs and priorities," said Michael J. Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations.

"Duke's engagement in D.C. has increased to such a degree that Duke could benefit considerably from our own ‘embassy' in Washington that would provide new opportunities to enhance our visibility and connect the university's programs and experts with policymakers, think tanks, the media and alumni," Schoenfeld said. More than 40 universities from across the country already have Washington offices.

Currently, Duke's D.C.-focused programs and priorities are as varied as those that take place daily on campus. On any given week, it's common to have a faculty member testify before Congress, a dean meet with embassy and U.S. state department officials to further global priorities, a federal relations team member visit congressional offices, and the Duke Club of Washington host a reception for area alumni.

Doings in D.C.

Scenes from Duke in D.C. (from top): Duke Muslim chaplain Abdullah Antepli speaks at a congressional hearing on anti-Semitism; Professor Gary Gereffi presents research findings on the global economy at a World Bank conference; Greg Jones, vice president and vice provost for global strategy and programs, meets with diplomats at the Chinese embassy; and Duke alumni recap the 2010 elections at a Women's Forum sponsored by the Duke Club of Washington, D.C.

Schoenfeld said the depth of the efforts is just as impressive. "Washington is the third largest alumni base in the country, and the Duke Club of Washington is one of the most active, with a robust agenda of social, educational and community service programming," he said.

"Take this along with significant student interest in Washington experience, existing programs such as the Law School's Duke in D.C. and the Nicholas Institute, and it is clear see that university presence in D.C. could be of great strategic value."

The Duke University Washington Office will serve as a multi-function center to serve as a resource to Duke people, programs and events.

Bruce Kuniholm, dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, said that a Duke center in Washington will enhance current activity as well as facilitate greater interdepartmental collaboration and communication.

"A centralized Duke presence in Washington will provide considerable opportunity for the Sanford School to further expand its academic programs and heighten its visibility on Capitol Hill," said Kuniholm.

"We already have numerous faculty members who regularly participate in roundtables, speak on panels and provide expertise to policymakers, and over a hundred of our students go to Washington every year for internships and independent studies. A Washington Office will allow us to more easily augment these activities as well as coordinate with other schools, to our mutual benefit."

University leaders said they hope the permanent Duke University Washington office will be operational in 2011. The launch will proceed in several phases to leverage existing resources and personnel.

In the meantime, Duke is now represented full-time by assistant director of federal relations Landy Elliott in an interim office near Dupont Circle, in the heart of Washington's diplomatic and educational corridor. Schoenfeld said that the temporary office will serve as Duke's base of operations while the university identifies a suitable space for a permanent location.

"We are working to find a location that matches the needs we have identified in our conversations with deans and other stakeholders," Schoenfeld said.

"Our deans and faculty are very enthusiastic about the opportunities that a Duke center in D.C. could present for individual schools. At the same time, it's clear that a vibrant, centrally located, hub of Duke activity in D.C. is exciting for the university as a whole."