James Altman's love affair with the outside world began when he set off alone from France, heading south and east until eventually hitchhiking into Iraq to see the American Foreign Policy in action. Deeply moved by the hospitality and warmth he experienced from people on his travels, James became interested in bettering the lives of those he encountered. His purpose for traveling shifted from mere curiosity to a desire to better understand the world in order to become a tool for positive change. In the years since his first travel, he has lived in Kyrgyzstan, Ireland and the Republic of Georgia and bicycled for over two years across large swathes of Eurasia, from countries as diverse as Syria, Tajikistan, Cambodia and Russia to Pakistan, Norway, Indonesia and Afghanistan researching and writing about conflict, religious and national identities and possibilities for development. James received a B.A. in Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara and has studied several languages, with a current focus on Russian. At MAGIS, James intends to focus on global governance and human rights with a regional focus on the Caucasus.