World leadership that began at Furman

More than three decades ago, Alexander Stubb ’93 H’17 and Gen. Joshua Rudd ’93 arrived at Furman University with different interests, different ambitions and little indication of where their paths would eventually lead.

On Friday, those paths came together again at the university that helped shape both of them.

Stubb, president of the Republic of Finland, and Rudd, a four-star general, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, returned to campus for a full day of conversations, celebrations and reflection — and a reminder of the possibilities that can begin with a Furman education.

Gen. Joshua Rudd and President Elizabeth Davis sign an Educational Partnership Agreement between Furman University and the NSA.

The day began with a significant step toward the future as Furman President Elizabeth Davis and Rudd signed an Educational Partnership Agreement between Furman and the NSA. The agreement creates a framework for collaboration in areas including artificial intelligence and liguistics that would grow to include mentorship and career opportunities.

“We have a great opportunity to work with Furman in two areas of emphasis for the NSA right now: languages, specifically as it relates to China, and AI,” Rudd said. “We want to help you explore your expertise and interest and open doors to the NSA where you can use those for the safety of our nation and beyond.”

For Davis, the partnership reflects the distinctive value of a liberal arts education.

We are so honored for our students, our faculty and our entire university,” Davis said at the signing. “This is something not offered to all, and we are so excited to partner in this way.”

A walk down memory lane

Alexander Stubb ’93 H’17 and Gen. Joshua Rudd ’93 held a Q&A with students at a CLP directed by Brent Nelsen at the Trone Student Center.

The afternoon turned toward the past as Rudd and Stubb met with students for a CLP conversation in the Watkins Room at Trone Student Center. About 500 students filled the room, greeting the two alumni with a standing ovation.

A few quips and jokes later, the two leaders were quick to impart the kind of difference their Furman education made on the trajectory of their lives and careers.

“Curiosity, wanting to learn and an open mind were key to my time at Furman,” Stubb said.

Rudd recalled arriving at Furman thinking he wanted to become a lawyer, only to discover that the opportunities to learn and grow could lead him somewhere else.

“I thought I wanted to go to law school, originally, but along the way an internal curiosity crept in and the opportunities to learn and grow were more important to me,” Rudd said. “It’s so good to be back.”

From Furman to the world

Gen. Joshua Rudd ’93 and Alexander Stubb ’93 H’17 speak at a Toqueville Center special event at McAlister Auditorium on Sept. 19, 2026.

By late afternoon, receptions brought together students, faculty, alumni and members of the Furman community before the day culminated in “America and the World,” a public conversation in McAlister Auditorium moderated by Jane Fishburne Hipp Professor of Politics and International Affairs Brent Nelsen.

The auditorium was filled to capacity as Nelsen reunited with two former students whose careers have taken them to very different places at the center of global affairs.

For Stubb, the return offered another opportunity to reflect on the education and relationships that shaped him.

“Furman did truly change my life,” he said.

Stubb spoke about the influence of his professors, his Washington, D.C., internship and the close-knit community he encountered as a student. Rudd reflected on a career he never expected to pursue to its highest levels. He recalled planning to leave the military in 2001 before the events of Sept. 11 changed the course of his life.

Both emphasized that students cannot always know where their opportunities will lead.

“This is preparing you right now,” Rudd said. “This conversation. This debate. This feeling. It’s all integral to what you will accomplish.”