Inside the Situation Room
October 14, 2025
Hillary Clinton and Keren Yarhi-Milo Discuss Book on Crisis Decision-Making in a Visit to SAIS
On October 14, 2025, Johns Hopkins SAIS welcomed two distinguished guests—former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs—for a compelling discussion on their co-edited book, Inside the Situation Room: The Theory and Practice of Crisis Decision-Making.
Their visit to SAIS in Washington, D.C. was part of the Dean’s Speaker Series, which brings prominent international affairs leaders and experts to campus for insightful discussions on vital issues relevant to the school’s mission. The event, moderated by SAIS Dean James Steinberg, drew a packed theater at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center filled with members of the SAIS community eager to explore the book’s central theme: how leaders strive to navigate the responsibilities of crisis decision-making with clarity, collaboration, and conviction.
Dean Steinberg set the tone when he described the book, which includes essays from more than a dozen leading policymakers and scholars, as “a very serious effort to think systematically about how scholars and policy practitioners can work together in crisis situations.” The essays in Inside the Situation Room cover topics ranging from the psychology and mechanics of threat assessment, the role of advisors, the effects of groupthink and trust; to real-life stories of diplomatic efforts and covert operations, how women have shaped decisions over peace and security, and the impact of public opinion on policy decisions.
Clinton and Yarhi-Milo spoke candidly about the challenges of decision making under pressure, drawing on real-world examples and academic frameworks. The book grew out of a course they co-teach at Columbia, and weaves together narratives of covert operations, peace negotiations, and moments of geopolitical brinksmanship. Joining them in the discussion was Jessica Chen Weiss, David M. Lampton Professor of China Studies and inaugural faculty director of SAIS’ Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs, who contributed a chapter to the book.
