Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professorship
The next generation of global leadership will be shaped at the intersection of technological change and geopolitical competition. The Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professorship is designed to meet that moment.
Each year, the Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professor will join Harvard Kennedy School for a defined term, bringing current, real-world experience into the classroom and into the policy conversation. This annual model reflects Carter’s belief that effective policy requires constant engagement with new ideas, new technologies, and new perspectives.
Why This Matters Now
Advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies are reshaping the foundations of national security, economic power, and international order. At the same time, governments are being asked to respond to increasingly complex systems that evolve faster than traditional policy frameworks can adapt.
The ability to translate scientific and technological change into effective policy is now a central strategic challenge. Meeting it requires leaders who can operate across disciplines, sectors, and institutions.
“We can’t assume the future will take care of itself.” - Ash Carter
Ash Carter
The professorship is named in honor of Ashton B. Carter, whose career exemplified a distinctive approach to leadership across government, academia, and industry. As U.S. Secretary of Defense and Director of the Belfer Center, Carter worked to strengthen the connection between the Pentagon and emerging technology ecosystems, recognizing early the importance of innovation to national security.
He moved fluently between technical detail and strategic decision-making, and consistently sought to build institutions capable of keeping pace with change. This professorship reflects that model: rigorous, interdisciplinary, and grounded in real-world impact.
A Legacy of Impact
At the Harvard Kennedy School, Ash was renowned for his teaching and mentorship.
Pictured: Ash teaching class in 1985.
Pictured: Ash Carter and Sam Nunn, in 1992, after establishing the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program as the Nunn-Lugar amendment.
Pictured: Ash welcomes a new class of students, fellows and staff at Belfer Center Fall Orientation, 2016.
Pictured: Ash welcomes students during Fall semester, 2018.
Pictured: Ash at an open house for the Technology and Public Purpose project, 2018.
What the Visiting Professor Will Do
Each year, the Visiting Professor will bring senior-level experience from the front lines of technology, science, and policy to Harvard Kennedy School. The role is designed to integrate practice with teaching and research.
- Teach and mentor students at Harvard Kennedy School
- Contribute to policy-relevant work on emerging technologies
- Convene leaders across government, industry, and academia
- Engage the Belfer community through research and dialogue
A Visiting Model for a Changing Landscape
The professorship is structured as a rotating, annual appointment to ensure that the work remains responsive to a rapidly evolving technological and geopolitical environment. By drawing from leaders actively engaged in shaping these domains, the model enables a continuous exchange between theory and practice.
This approach reflects a deliberate emphasis on agility, relevance, and direct engagement with the challenges defining the current moment.
A Collective Effort
The Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professorship was established through the support of 88 individual gifts. This broad base of support reflects Carter’s belief in the importance of institutions and collaboration, and underscores a shared commitment to advancing work at the intersection of science, technology, and policy.
It also signals the strength of the community engaged in sustaining and extending this work for the future.
"Ash’s legacy wasn’t in his books, his policy achievements or his many degrees and titles—it was always people—both his students and the troops he commanded." - Stephanie Carter
Based at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The professorship is housed within the Program on Emerging Technology, Scientific Advancement, and Global Policy at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. It contributes to a broader effort to understand and shape the geopolitical implications of technological change, and to connect research, teaching, and practice in service of that goal
The Work Continues
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Stephanie Carter's Remarks
Read Here"Ash believed deeply that while technology is unstoppable, it is shapeable. It will move forward whether we are ready or not."
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Apply to the Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professorship
Apply HereEach year, the Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professor will join Harvard Kennedy School for a defined term, bringing current, real-world experience into the classroom and into the policy conversation.
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Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professorship
Donate HereGive online by clicking the donate button below, select fund “other” and type in “Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professorship”