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“The contemporary world is characterized by global upheaval resulting from differences in culture, values, history, and evolution. International studies need to focus on the confluence of these trends, permitting the development of a grand strategy. The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS will develop a multi-disciplinary approach to world order with special emphasis on historical and cultural evolution." Henry A. Kissinger

Learn more about the people, programs, and publications at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs

Generate new ideas

Generate new ideas

Through the research and writing of our distinguished faculty, fellows, and scholars

Train tomorrow’s leaders

Train tomorrow’s leaders

Through innovative classes and curricula, the center seeks to revitalize the practice of diplomatic and military history and to examine the global order

Convene academics and practitioners

Convene academics and practitioners

Through public and private programming which engages current leaders and new voices in their fields

Our People

We bring together distinguished scholars and practitioners in foreign policy and international security

Mary Sarotte

Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies, Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs

Featured News

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February 1, 2024

Call for Applications 2024 Kissinger Summer Academy

The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs within SAIS is pleased to announce the opportunity for outstanding undergraduates and recent graduates to participate in the one-week course “Nuclear Weapons and American Grand Strategy.” The course takes place July 8 to 12, 2024 and the deadline for applications is February 29, 2024.

Program information and application instructions here

Upcoming Event: Book Launch at IISS, The Taming of Scarcity and the Problems of Plenty

In this new Adelphi book, Francis J. Gavin argues that the underlying structure, incentives and costs shaping international relations, state behaviour and the nature of power are profoundly different today to how they were in the past, in ways that are scarcely recognised and widely misunderstood. For much of history, world politics was marked by profound scarcity in resources, information and security. A series of historical revolutions has largely tamed this scarcity in ways few could have imagined. These revolutions, however, have generated new, potentially catastrophic challenges for the world – the problems of plenty.

At this hybrid launch event, held at the IISS headquarters in London on Thursday, March 7, 1:00 PM Eastern / 6:00 PM GMT, Professor Gavin will describe his key arguments and their strategic implications. He will be joined by three expert discussants from academia, government and the press.

Click here for more information and for the registration link.

Click here for a link to pre-order the book.

Event Recap

On December 2nd, 2023, students at Johns Hopkins SAIS participated in a half-day exercise that simulated a major US-Russia military crisis in the Arctic region. The event was organized by the Henry Kissinger Center for Global Affairs through Professors Hal Brands and visiting Professor Timothy Nichols from Duke.

Students served in numerous different advisory roles across government to resolve and deescalate the crisis. The simulation required students to immerse themselves in the military, legal, diplomatic, intelligence, and economic realms to diagnose the flash crisis and find a way to meet the President's guidance to de-escalate. They worked to address time-sensitive policy decisions, process and disseminate important information, and achieve interagency coordination. Throughout the exercise, students were exposed to some of the key dynamics that shape US policy in any crisis, such as dealing with imperfect information, cooperating within and across complex bureaucracies, handling escalation risks, and reconciling short-term actions with longer-term objectives.

The event was a successful - 40 graduate students willingly chose to come to school on a Saturday and engage thoughtfully and meaningfully with their colleagues and the Crisis Simulation Control to address the challenges. Students demonstrated their ability to work together effectively and make difficult decisions under pressure. By assuming advisory roles in various government agencies, students gained valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of national security policymaking. They also had the opportunity to work alongside their peers and develop their leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. Overall, the simulation provided a valuable learning experience for all participants and highlighted the importance of interagency cooperation and effective crisis management in the realm of national security.

We are grateful to Professors Hal Brands and Timothy Nichols for organizing such an engaging and educational event, and we look forward to future opportunities to engage in similar exercises.

Our Publications

Explore our latest scholarship

Coming Soon: March 7, 2024

Coming Soon: The Taming of Scarcity and the Problems of Plenty: Rethinking International Relations and American Grand Strategy in a New Era

In this Adelphi book, Francis J. Gavin argues that the institutions, practices, theories and policies that helped explain and largely tamed scarcity by generating massive prosperity, and which were sometimes used to justify punishing conquest, are often unsuitable for addressing the problems of plenty. Successful grand strategy in this new age of abundance requires new thinking. New conceptual lenses, innovative policies and processes, and transformed institutions will be essential for confronting and solving the problems of plenty, without undermining the expanding efforts against scarcity.

May 2, 2023

The New Makers of Modern Strategy

Professor Hal Brands edited The New Makers of Modern Strategy, is the next generation of the definitive work on strategy and the key figures who have shaped the theory and practice of war and statecraft throughout the centuries. Featuring new entries by world-class scholars, this new edition provides global, comparative perspectives on strategic thought from antiquity to today, surveying both classical and current themes of strategy while devoting greater attention to the Cold War and post-9/11 eras.

BrandsDangerZone

October 20, 2022

Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China

Professor Brands is joined by Professor Beckley of Tufts University in a "provocative and urgent" analysis of the U.S - China relationship and rivalry.

Sarotte Not One Inch

November 1, 2021

Featured Title: Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate

In her newest book, Professor Mary Elise Sarotte explores the profound impact of NATO expansion on US-Russia relations since the Cold War, revealing missed opportunities and drawing on newly declassified documents and over 100 interviews.

January 25, 2022

The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us about Great-Power Rivalry Today

America is entering an era of long-term great power competition with China and Russia. In this innovative and illuminating book, Hal Brands, a leading historian and former Pentagon adviser, argues that America should look to the history of the Cold War for lessons on how to succeed in great-power rivalry today.

President Bill Clinton and President Boris Yeltsin shaking hands

January 7, 2022

The Betrayal Myth Behind Putin's Brinkmanship

In this Wall Street Journal article, Professor M.E. Sarotte examines current relations between NATO and Russia--and possible paths forward--based on an understanding of their relationship since the Cold War.

Our Programs

Our programs and projects examine crucial topics in history, strategy, and statecraft

Founding Donors

The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs was made possible by the extraordinary leadership of Johns Hopkins University alumnus and former board chair Michael R. Bloomberg and by generous gifts from individual donors, corporations, and private foundations.

Founding Donors