Call for Applications: The Kissinger Summer Academy
Nuclear Weapons and American Grand Strategy
This course is supported by the America in the World Consortium, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the MacArthur Foundation.
Nuclear weapons forever changed our thinking about military strategy and great-power politics. The
creation of the “ultimate weapon” forced policymakers to consider the possibility that the next great war
might end civilization as we know it—while simultaneously harnessing the power of the atom for purposes
of deterrence and defense. After the Cold War, it appeared to some observers that nuclear strategy had
become irrelevant. Yet as the world enters a new era of great-power competition, nuclear weapons are
once again featuring prominently in the relationships between America and its authoritarian challengers in
China and Russia.
The Henry Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins University is pleased to offer exceptional
undergraduates and recent graduates a week-long seminar that investigates the role of nuclear weapons
in American grand strategy. The seminar revisits debates over nuclear strategy during the Cold War,
considers how U.S. policymakers have addressed challenges such as non-proliferation and rogue states,
and explores the role that nuclear weapons will have in shaping American competitions with Russia and
China today. It provides Kissinger Summer Fellows with an understanding of how technology and strategy
have shaped the nuclear age and examines the choices that American leaders must make with respect to
nuclear weapons in a new era of geopolitical rivalry and profound technological innovation. The course will
provide an emerging generation of thought-leaders and policymakers with the tools to understand our
nuclear past and shape our nuclear future.
Course Details at a Glance:
When: July 11-15, 2022
Where: Johns Hopkins SAIS, Washington, DC
Cost: There is no charge for this course. All costs related to travel, lodging, & meals will be covered.
Eligibility: You must either be a current undergraduate or have received your undergrad degree no earlier than January 2019 to apply.
Visit our website for more information: https://sais.jhu.edu/kissinger/kissinger-summeracademy
How to Apply:
Send the following materials to KissingerCenter@jhu.edu with “KISSINGER SUMMER ACADEMY APPLICATION” in the subject line:
1. Resume
2. Transcript
3. Statement of Interest (why do you want to take this course, and why should you be selected?)
Deadline: February 14, 2022
