The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
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Arctic Initiative
Fellows are expected to pursue research that relates to the priorities of the Arctic Initiative: addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with the effects of climate change in the Arctic. A special focus is on exploring to what extent existing governmental and international policies, programs, laws, and regulations are adequate and appropriate to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in the Arctic, and to consider how they can be improved.
Geopolitics of Energy
The Geopolitics of Energy Project Fellowship focuses on topics related to the intersection of international politics, security, and energy.
International Security Program
The International Security Program develops and trains new talent in security studies by hosting pre- and postdoctoral research fellows. The International Security Program offers fellowships in the following research areas: U.S. defense and foreign policy; grand strategy; diplomacy; nuclear, chemical, and biological–weapons proliferation; managing nuclear technology and materials; chemical and biological weapons proliferation, control, and countermeasures; terrorism; regional security, internal and ethnic conflict; and international relations theory.
Managing the Atom
The Project on Managing the Atom offers fellowships for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral scholars, and mid-career professionals, for ten months. Research topics of interest include aspects of nuclear nonproliferation policy, nuclear weapons strategy, arms control, disarmament processes and verification, the future of nuclear energy, regional conflict and nuclear weapons, security for nuclear weapons and materials, and other issues of nuclear policy.
Technology and Geopolitics
The Belfer Center is building a new project on Technology and Geopolitics and is seeking a variety of both academic and non-academic applicants of those looking to pursue research in residence at the Harvard Kennedy School for an academic year. The Technology and Geopolitics fellowship focuses on the interplay of technological innovation and international affairs. Technologies with new characteristics are emerging in many fields and quickly becoming tools of national security and domains of both cooperation and contestation in foreign policy. These fellowships are being inaugurated during the Belfer Center’s 50th anniversary year, in the tradition of the center’s historic efforts at the intersection of science and international affairs.