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.
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.
National Security Fellowship
The National Security Fellowship is a 10-month research fellowship for U.S. military officers at the Lt Col/Colonel rank and their civilian counterparts who show promise of rising to the most challenging leadership positions within their organizations.
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.