Kissinger Center Summer Independent Research Program

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly affected much this year, but for nine Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) students it presented the unique opportunity to conduct subsidized PhD level research this summer. The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs provided summer research fellows the unique opportunity to develop their own research and work with a SAIS faculty advisor to tackle questions that make a substantive contribution to policy formulation or tackle a significant contemporary policy problem in international affairs. SAIS faculty oversaw each researcher and guided their work, offered research ideas, and oversaw their progress.
 
In order to prepare themselves for the publishing process and to improve their research papers, the fellows completed a rigorous virtual internal peer review process modeled off our very successful World Order after COVID-19 Forum. Led by our research assistant, Travis Zahnow, each fellow was given ten minutes to explain the main points of their research and paper before receiving edits and critiques from three other fellows that had been assigned to read, edit, and offer comments on their paper.
 
Following the virtual peer review workshop, the fellows were invited to attend a virtual publishing workshop put on by the Henry A. Kissinger Center and the Phillip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies. Four professors and associates of the Merrill Center spoke with over 40 SAIS students about the publishing process, how to pitch their ideas, and how to prepare for the review process. The Kissinger Center is extremely proud of all the work our summer fellows completed and look forward to seeing their work published.