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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

Our Purpose

The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs generates and applies rigorous historical thinking to the most vexing global challenges and acts as a bridge between the world of ideas and the world of action, bringing together leading thinkers and policymakers.

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

Francis Gavin

Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor, Director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs

Mary Sarotte

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

Hal Brands

Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor

Featured News

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February 8, 2023

The DAAD 2023-2024 Post-Doctoral Fellows Program Deadline

DAAD Post-Doctoral Fellows will focus on the topic of "the roles of the United States and Germany at a crucial moment in world history" through a series of high-level seminars, peer review sessions, and direct engagement with senior foreign policy practitioners and leading scholars of statecraft and world order. Each Fellow is expected to complete a research paper related to this theme during the period of residence.

Learn more about the position, qualifications, and the application!

Upcoming Event: South China Sea Crisis Simulation

On Saturday, February 18th, Professor Hal Brands and Professor Tim Nichols hosted a crisis simulation with 30 graduate students. The event placed students into different cabinet level roles and challenged them to address numerous complicated policy and geopolitical issues surrounding a crisis in the South China Sea. Students engaged in the interagency process while coordinating with partners internationally in a deeply enriching event. 
 
Stay tuned for more Kissinger Center Events to be announced soon. 

Event Recap

Europe, Japan, and the United States in a Changing World. March 24-25, 2022, EDT. The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins SAIS, with the generous support of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MAR 24 & 25 6:30 PM EDT

Europe, Japan, and the United States in a Changing World Conference

On March 24-25, 2022, EDT, The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs hosted a two-day virtual workshop featuring experts from around the world to discuss core issues facing Europe, Japan, and the United States.

View All Events

Our Publications

Explore our latest scholarship

Coming Soon: May 2, 2023

Coming Soon: 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.

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.

Brands_Gaddis_Nov-Dec_Foreign_Affairs

October 20, 2021

The New Cold War: America, China, and the Echoes of History

In this Foreign Affairs article, Professor Hal Brands and Professor John Lewis Gaddis argue that we can learn from history to navigate the new Sino-American 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